Suzanne Bird-Harris

You're Not Behind. The Timeline Is a Lie. Sometimes the hardest part of growth is that it doesn’t look like progress at all.

Do you feel like you're ending the year eyeball-deep in a mess of your own making?

You're not alone.
You're not behind.
You're definitely not failing.

Take a deep breath and read this. You're right where you belong.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 29: 1 Bad Habit I Used To Have—And How I Broke It'. The body of the text discusses the author's realization of their tendency to fix problems for others, leading to personal exhaustion and anxiety. They reflect on reaching rock bottom and the pivotal question of whether a problem is theirs to solve. The author describes a transformative change when they allowed others to manage their own issues, resulting in a sense of freedom, healthier relationships, and a focus on self-control. The closing thoughts encourage other 'fixers' to embrace non-action for peace of mind, highlighting the value of letting things find their own balance.

Once upon a time, I thought fixing other people’s problems was my calling.

It was actually just a full-time job with terrible pay.

Day 24: I Worked Myself Into Pain. Now I’m Working My Way Out. I ignored what my body was trying to tell me for decades. Turns out, it doesn’t whisper forever.

You can only work 15-hour days for 30 years before your body calls HR.

Mine did. Loudly.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 21: 5 Tiny Mistakes That Quietly Undermine Your Resilience (and How to Fix Them)'. The content outlines five mistakes that hinder resilience and provides fixes for each: 1. Waiting for things to calm down; fix: start small now. 2. Treating setbacks as verdicts; fix: ask what can be learned instead of what’s wrong. 3. Confusing busyness with progress; fix: slow down to identify what's working. 4. Thinking resilience is a personality trait; fix: practice reframing and self-compassion. 5. Doing it all alone; fix: connect with others who support you. The concluding note emphasizes that small fixes can lead to significant improvements in resilience.

The good news? Resilience can be learned. The bad news? Most of us keep repeating the same tiny mistakes that hold us back.

A screenshot essay titled 'Day 20: 4 Reasons Why I Think Everyone Should Read Rising Strong by Brené Brown'. The content discusses key insights from the book 'Rising Strong', emphasizing its value in understanding failure as a normal part of life, teaching emotional literacy, reframing vulnerability as a form of courage, and offering a realistic, relatable narrative. The author expresses a strong recommendation for the book, highlighting its ability to make readers feel understood and supported in their struggles.

Some books find you exactly when you need them.

For me, Rising Strong was that book—and it changed how I see resilience forever. Here’s why 👇

A screenshot essay titled 'Day 19: 3 Lessons About Resilience I Had to Learn the Hard Way.' The body of the text discusses the author's experience with resilience, providing three key pieces of advice: 1. Stop trying to bounce back, emphasizing that growth means becoming a new person after challenges. 2. Rest is part of the work, noting that true productivity includes allowing oneself time to recharge. 3. Celebrate small recoveries, highlighting the importance of recognizing minor achievements in resilience. The author reflects on wishing they had received this advice earlier but is glad to share it now.

If you’ve been through it lately, here are three truths that helped me find my footing again.

Resilience is cumulative.

Every time you steady yourself in chaos, recover from a blow, or simply breathe through a hard day, you’re reinforcing your own strength.

And that, my friend, is everyday resilience in action.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 18: 3 YouTube Channels That’ll Help You Handle Change Like a Pro' featuring text about the challenges of handling change. The author suggests three recommended YouTube channels: 1. Dr. Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist providing practical psychological insights; 2. The School of Life, exploring emotional and philosophical perspectives on change; 3. Better Ideas, by Joe Duncan, offering humorous and relatable content on personal growth. The text emphasizes the availability of free online resources to adapt and stay grounded during life changes.

Tired of feeling like life keeps hitting “update” without warning?

These 3 YouTube channels will help you catch your breath, find your footing, and maybe even start seeing change as an ally instead of an ambush.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 17: The Software Tool for Building Resilience That's Quick and Easy To Use'. The text discusses the app Daylio and its benefits for building resilience. It lists five reasons for using the app: tracking moods without writing, connecting habits to emotions, viewing bad days as data, building self-awareness without journaling, and celebrating invisible progress in resilience. The essay emphasizes the app's functionality in helping understand emotional patterns, build better habits, and visualize resilience growth.

No toxic positivity. No fluffy affirmations.
Just one app that helps me notice, adapt, and bounce back.

open.substack.com/pub/suzanneb...

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 15: For Anyone Dealing With Or Trying to Create Change'. The body content discusses how change inevitably impacts everyone, likening it to a door knock or an intrusive entrance. It recommends the essay 'The Crossroads of Should and Must' by Elle Luna, explaining five reasons for this recommendation: 1) It confronts readers with their excuses; 2) It recognizes both positive and negative changes as educators; 3) It is relatable regarding the struggle between obligations and passions; 4) It presents beautiful, deep visuals, originating from an illustrated Medium post; 5) It encourages experimentation and embracing one's true desires despite potential chaos. The author expresses amazement at the availability of such an honest piece online for free.

If you’ve been standing at a crossroads, waiting for a sign, this is for you.

Makes you wonder what Bible they're reading.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 14: Turns Out, I Wasn’t Solving Problems. I Was Avoiding Feelings.' The essay discusses the author's struggles with overthinking, humorously likening it to a PhD's worth of analysis on simple texts. It highlights the misconception that overthinking is about thinking too much, revealing instead that it stems from avoiding feelings of fear, shame, and uncertainty. The author shares a turning point in understanding that overcoming overthinking requires feeling discomfort rather than overanalyzing it. Key takeaways include the importance of feeling emotions truthfully to quiet the mind and promote better mental health.

I tried to out-think my anxiety. Spoiler: it won. 🙄

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 12: Something Weird Most People Don’t Know About Resilience'. The body text discusses common misconceptions about resilience, highlighting that it is about flexibility rather than toughness, that willpower alone isn't enough, and that emotional expression like crying can aid recovery. The author emphasizes the importance of personal experience in understanding resilience, and presents a key insight: 'You can’t become resilient without breaking first.' This reflects on the necessity of experiencing hardship as a catalyst for building resilience.

Here’s one of the strangest (and most comforting) things I’ve learned about resilience.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 11: The Single Most Important Lesson I’ve Learned About Resilience'. The text highlights that not all lessons are equal, with small lessons like remembering to eat before tough conversations, and larger lessons that change perceptions of self and capabilities. The key lesson presented is that 'Resilience isn’t about bouncing back. It’s about growing forward.' The author explains that every setback leads to growth, as individuals come back wiser and stronger, facing challenges head-on rather than pretending everything is fine. The essay emphasizes that true resilience is found in the process of overcoming difficulties and continuing to move forward.

After 40+ years of getting knocked down (and getting back up), this is the biggest lesson I’ve learned about resilience.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 10: The Big Mistake I Made When I First Started Building Resilience.' The text discusses the author's realization that resilience is not about quickly bouncing back from challenges. The author describes their initial approach of pretending everything was fine after setbacks, equating this behavior with strength. However, they learned that this was avoidance and led to unprocessed emotions. The author emphasizes that true resilience involves bending without breaking, feeling before fixing, and recovering at one's own pace, advocating for seeing mistakes as essential learning experiences.

Spoiler alert: “Bouncing back” isn’t resilience. It’s denial in yoga pants. 😅

A screenshot essay titled 'Day 9: 1 Tip I Would Give Someone Who Wanted To Build Resilience'. The essay discusses the author's 40 years of experience in building resilience and provides advice on the process. Key points include accepting what you can't control, learning to sit with discomfort, and adopting a curious mindset without judgment towards oneself. The main tip offered is to 'Start by noticing your stories,' emphasizing that negative thoughts are just narratives, not facts. The author encourages questioning, reframing, or rewriting these stories as a foundational step in developing true resilience.

You can’t grow resilience overnight, but you can start today.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 8: 1 Habit All Resilient People Have in Common'. The content describes key traits of resilient individuals, including allowing all emotions, recovering quickly without pretense, having trustworthy listeners, maintaining perspective during challenges, and finding meaning in pain. The central habit they share is that they tell themselves the truth. The essay emphasizes that denial delays healing and that strength comes from honesty and compassion, concluding that resilience involves confronting reality and trusting oneself to manage it.

Most people think resilience is about grit. I think it’s about this instead 👇

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 7: What My Dad, Brené Brown, and Elizabeth Gilbert Have in Common'. The text discusses the author's thoughts on resilience, highlighting three key influences: the author's dad, who exemplified resilience through determination and humor; Brené Brown, who provided insights into the relationship between vulnerability and courage, framing resilience as honesty and connection; and Elizabeth Gilbert, who emphasized the gentler aspects of resilience like creativity and self-forgiveness. The author expresses gratitude for these lessons and a desire to share them with others.

Behind every strong person are the people who showed them how to bend without breaking.

The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.

A screenshot essay titled 'Day 6: I Thought Resilience Meant Being Tough, Then Someone Told Me This'. It contains text reflecting on the author's journey with resilience at the age of 29. The author shares a transformative moment when a stranger advised, 'You don't have to be unbreakable to be strong.' This advice reshaped the author's view, revealing that true resilience is about self-care and healing, not about being tough or invincible. The essay reflects on the mistakes made while trying to power through struggles, emphasizing the strength found in vulnerability and softness.

Sometimes the advice that saves you sounds deceptively simple.

Day 5: You don't need to be tough to be resilient. You need this. There are many books on resilience. And I've read a lot of them. However, my favorite is "Risin

Read this and more on my Typeshare Social Blog: https://typeshare.co/suzannebh/posts/day-5-you-dont-need-to-be-tough-to-be-resilient-you-need-this-dqxxp

Screenshot essay titled "Day 5: My Favorite Book on Resilience" discussing the author's favorite book, "Rising Strong" by Brené Brown. The body text highlights several reasons for the author's preference: 1) it reframes failure as a growth opportunity, countering feelings of weakness; 2) it prioritizes emotional honesty over toughness, urging acknowledgment of discomfort; 3) it offers a practical framework known as the "Rising Strong process" applicable in personal and professional life; 4) it connects resilience to storytelling, encouraging reflection on personal narratives to differentiate fact from assumption; 5) it combines research with relatable stories and emotional depth, making the reading experience akin to conversing with a wise friend. The author encourages readers interested in resilience to read the book and invites others to share their recommendations.

Resilience isn’t about pretending the fall didn’t hurt.

It’s about getting curious about why it happened and rewriting the story you tell yourself before you rise again.

Brené Brown’s Rising Strong is basically a masterclass in that.

A screenshot essay titled 'Day 4: How I Got Interested in Resilience'. The text discusses the author's journey in understanding and practicing resilience over two decades. It mentions their personal experiences with loss and reinvention, highlighting a pivotal moment when they recognized the need to not just survive but to adapt and grow after facing significant challenges in life, like business struggles and relationship failures. The author expresses a commitment to exploring moments that test resilience and aims to share insights that help others build inner strength with greater ease.

I’ve been thinking a lot about why resilience fascinates me so much. Turns out, the story goes back farther than I realized.

How Anyone with a Phone Can Ruin a Politician's Week You don't need money to influence politicians when you can cost them money.

Forget calling your representatives' offices. Make these calls instead! It's time to use the 'power of the people' for real.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 3: The Best Way to Get Started Learning About Resilience'. The essay discusses the author's exploration of resilience and shares practical starting points for learning about it. It lists three recommended resources: a book titled 'Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy' by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant, a YouTube video 'The Three Secrets of Resilient People' by Dr. Lucy Hone, and a podcast episode 'Building Resilience in Challenging Times' on The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos. The content emphasizes the value of these resources in enhancing understanding of resilience.

Ever wonder why some people bounce back faster than others? I do too.

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 2: 3 Topics I'm Exploring In My Life Right Now.' The essay discusses personal reflections on the themes of resilience, change, and perspective. It begins by contrasting the concepts of 'growing through' life versus 'getting through' it. The author expresses a fascination with resilience, noting the disparity in how individuals develop this trait. They reflect on their complex relationship with change, suggesting its link to resilience, and emphasize the importance of perspective as a means to navigate life's challenges. The essay concludes with the idea that these three themes may guide the author's future endeavors, inviting connections with others who share similar inquiries.

These three themes keep showing up in my life, and I think they’re connected in ways I’m still discovering.

Interested in resilience, change, and perspective?

Over the next 30 days, I'll be writing 30 Atomic Essays.

Follow my Social Blog on @typeshare_co: typeshare.co/suzannebh

Screenshot essay titled 'Day 1: Why I'm (Re-)Starting To Write Online' by the author. The text begins with a statement about signing up for Dickie Bush & Nicolas Cole's course, Ship 30 for 30. It lists three reasons for writing: 1. The challenge of daily writing focused on meaningful topics. 2. The benefit of consistent writing in differentiating knowledge from mere opinion. 3. The influence of the world's instability on personal writing topics. The author expresses intent to write for 30 days about resilience, change, and perspective, inviting readers to join the journey and ask questions.

Look out, world... lol

Trade it in, Captain. Too many other great choices for you to drive than giving another penny to our unelected president.