Building Resilience

A few years ago, I got a full ride scholarship to get my PhD at the University of Calgary. I was over the moon. Elated and had my entire life planned outwards from that moment. How I would build competence, join academia and be known as Dr. or even Prof. Adebayo.

Well.. long story short, it didn't pan out. I got the big "NO" four times for my Canadian visa. And that's coming from a guy who had never been denied a visa and had done my share of globe-trotting. At that point, I had done maybe 15+ countries including the US. I was gutted.

That same summer, I accepted another offer from Skoltech and a few months after that, guess where I ended up? MIT, the world's best engineering school.

What is the point of this story? It's all about embracing the bummers and knock-backs that actually help you craft the key to a smashing and beautiful life. Be grateful for the disappointments, rejections that help you build the most important trait for having a rich and fulfilling life: grit, resilience. Lean into the stories of disappointment and use them to step into the next level.