Speak: Find Your Voice, Trust Your Gut, and Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

by Tunde Oyeneyin

Sam Yo is a Peloton instructor and a former monk. He says, “Life has a way of repeating a situation with a different twist, and being aware of when it comes around again is what helps us to grow and evolve.” From my unexpected, unfathomable tragedy, I learned a lot about myself. In life, every moment that we go through leads us to the moment where we are. We lose jobs. We lose loved ones. Friendships fizzle. There are twisted ankles and burnt dinners and infinite smaller conflicts and challenges that we face every day. In the moment, you don’t realize that your character is being developed. You’re often just trying to survive. But later, looking back, they become clearer. I’d rather have not learned the lesson, but it happened, and in that moment, I could have chosen to be there or to not be there. To show up or to not show up. I’m glad I honored my brother in the most beautiful way. It was the last thing I could do for him. I’m glad I supported my parents and spent time with them when they needed me most. I would give anything not to have lost my brother, but how I reacted? That I would do again. My character is richer and more powerful as a result of the choices I made in my most difficult hour. You can let your past dictate your story or you can pull from it to create something new. Resilience is the process of adapting in the face of adversity, trauma, or tragedy, having the ability to step up and say “yes” even when you’re under stress. My life has required me to be r...