Getting Personal: On Resilience & What I Learned in 2017

by - January 10, 2018


'Have courage and be kind.' ... More like have courage and kick ass.

When it comes to taking life into your own hands and making what you want of it, I have only one cue: do it yourself.
When life throws things at you and you feel like it won't ever get better, it's important to remember that you shouldn't wait for it to change. Easily said then done? Well, great things always come with a little challenge, and your happiness is definitely something fighting for. 

I have been thinking about resilience recently, what it means and why it is actually a skill we should all master. The last couple weeks of 2017 have been quite tough on my side, although you won't hear me talk about it. I spent half of those days with a heavy heart, in fact it was so heavy that I had some of these moments where I thought, 'this will never go away.' 
And then, I remembered that I am stronger than that. I remembered that I am healthy, I am surrounded by people who love me, and even more important - I love myself and know that I can only do better.

2018 is starting off as a challenging year too. My teacher training is bound to become even harder than it has been the past few months, the troubles that have been bothering me these past weeks haven't been resolved and probably won't be any time soon, and I miss my boyfriend terribly. (Long-distance relationships suck.) But in the middle of all that, I know that I will be okay. Because I want to. Because I know that I can do it - even though I'm not exactly sure how yet.


Only you can carry yourself through. You can rely on other people, but feel like crap whenever you're alone; you can wait for things to change, but feel awful for months on end; you can say 'I will do it later, I will try later,' but never get the opportunity you're dreaming of. 
Or, you can make a move. Be strong and feel strong. Work hard to get where you want to be. Don't find excuses to be passive. How many people complain about how unhappy they are, about how unfulfilling their lives are, how their jobs are shit, their relationships are shit... And they slowly sink into more complaints, more frustration, more sadness. This is not how you want to live your life. So if you're feeling like things aren't right, move your butt and work on it. It will take time, it might feel like ages before things start lighting up, but this is where resilience comes into play. 

Be resilient. Tell yourself that you will get through it. Tell yourself that you're worth more, and keep working on it so that when you look back, you see how far you've come - see the good things that have happened thanks to your perseverance. Soon, you'll forget about where you started and only see where you are - and this will give you motivation to go even further. 
I truly believe that only you can make the changes that you want. And to start with, you have to be brave and believe that you can. Then take action. And remember that you can be awesome as you'd like, if you only try.

Dear 2018, this year I will be even more resilient than ever. Because no one else can do it for me.

What do you do when you face a challenge? What's your word for 2018?

Lots of love,
Julia x

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14 commentaires

  1. I believe in shaping your own fate, but there may come a time for some of us where we can´t do it alone. If you suffer from depression or other mental diseases, being resilient and carrying yourself through isn´t an option. You need other people (and maybe medication) to get through.
    Not that you suggested that, but I felt the need to add this.

    And my word for 2018? Commitment. I want to commit to the things I do 100%.

    Anne|Linda, Libra, Loca

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    1. Of course Anne, when it comes to mental illness it is absolutely necessary to seek for help. I had not thought about it at all, but of course we should always promote and remember how important it is to get help in those situations. My reflections were more on how to deal with stress and challenges that come your way.
      I hope you get to achieve all your goals this year through your committment! xx

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  2. Love your words of positivity here, Julia! As you've mentioned in the comment above, obviously this can't be the case for when someone is experiencing mental health problems, but those aside, I love your points on carrying yourself through! Resilience is such an important task to master through life, you're absolutely right :) I hope you have a fabulous weekend babe!

    aglassofice.com
    x

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    1. Thank you Gabrielle! Carrying yourself through can teach you so much, and make you so strong too. Have a lovely weekend too! xx

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  3. I love the point you made about not relying too much on other people. That is such a strong belief of mine! I really enjoyed reading this post :)

    kelseygayle.com

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    1. I'm glad you agree. Some people might disagree, but I do think that relying on yourself makes you stronger in the long run. Thank you for reading! xx

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  4. Reading this was so inspiring and I really admire your strength! Resilience is something I'd like to build up too so nothing can knock me to the ground. Hope you'll be able to overcome these hardships and continue slaying 2018! <3

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    1. Thank you so much Andini! It really is a skill we have to build on, little by little, and reflect on too. Thank you again for your kind words! xx

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  5. Ahhh so uplifting and motivating! Thank you!

    xx Lisa | lisaautumn.com

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  6. The one thing I struggle with is having faith in myself, it can be really tough sometimes to believe that things are going to be okay in the end. Great post xxx

    ALittleKiran | Bloglovin

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    1. I really do think that once you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything you want! xx

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  7. Such good advice Julia! I love the part where you talk about being strong and no longer using excuses to be passive. These are things I need to do now more than ever for myself. This was a very uplifting read xx

    Sending light & love your way,

    My Lovelier Days

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    1. Thank you Diana! I hope you get to make the changes you need and get stronger. We can all do it! xx

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