Showing Up In Spite of It All

🖋️ The Lioness Journals | July 21, 2025

When you Feel Knocked Down, Stand Taller

I was talking with a friend earlier this week who’s going through some really heavy things—family tension, workplace stress, relational strain. It feels like life is piling on from every direction. And as we talked, I shared that I’ve also been navigating some hard questions lately. I’m facing unexpected decisions about my career and asking myself what I truly want to do when I “grow up”.

And that’s when it hit me: life is a constant series of challenges. Some easier than others, sure—but all requiring something from us. What I’ve also realized is that how we each handle those challenges will always look different. There is no perfect method or “right” way to cope—my approach to a situation will likely be entirely different from someone else’s approach. What matters most is that your approach feels authentic to you, that it’s woven into the fabric of your story.

I know that I can’t fix what’s hard in your life. But I can offer perspective and reflection.

Here’s what I’ve learned: bitterness might be one of the greatest threats to our healing. I say that not from a place of judgment, but from experience. Lately, I’ve found myself steeped in that bitter space—because, quite frankly, what I’m going through isn’t fair. (And no, that old cliché—“life’s not fair”—doesn’t make it easier to accept.)

So today, I had to call a personal time-out. A mental reset.

And I’m sharing this because maybe you need one too.

Because when bitterness is left unchecked, it becomes a poison. A quiet disease. It seeps into our friendships, our work, our energy, and even our health. It warps our outlook until we’re so focused on what happened to us  that we forget to ask “What can I do next?”

And slowly, silently, without realization—we become stuck.

And we stay there. We can’t move forward. We can’t rewrite the past. And we’re too consumed by resentment to be fully present in the now. One day turns into many. And years later, we look back and realize we’ve spent so much time feeling like victims of what was done to us, that we’ve forgotten how to live.

I come back often to this quote from Josh Shipp:

“You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.”

For me, I choose better. I hope you will, too.

But here’s the hard part: how do you choose better?

I talk about this in the Introduction to Part III of Roar Like A Woman—the section on strength, grit, and resilience. Rising up after a setback means reclaiming your power at the very moment life tries to strip it away. When you’re pushed to the edge or hanging on by a thread, that’s when the choice becomes critical. That’s when you decide—maybe quietly at first—that you’re going to keep pushing forward in spite of the setbacks.

That’s when you make it a daily decision to keep showing up with courage, standing taller in your own values and worth, even when you feel disillusioned, disappointed, or embarrassed by how you’re being treated.

That’s when you say “This is happening to me, yes—but it’s not going to define me.”

And on the days when you can’t stand tall under the weight of it all—we all do—that’s okay too. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. Have your moment, your hour, or your day. Give yourself grace and the space to feel. Let it out. Talk to someone. Journal. Cry. Scream. You deserve those feelings.

And when that moment has passed—whenever you’re ready—remind yourself of this truth:

“I am unstoppable.
I am unbreakable.
I choose to step forward in my truth with courage.”

Because strength doesn’t mean always being okay. It means knowing that you can be okay—even when you’re hurting.

Grit and vulnerability are not enemies—they’re allies. And together, they teach us how to rise with dignity, truth and power.

So, rise up.
Stand tall.
Be courageous.
You are worth it.

🟡 Reflection Prompt:

Whatever you may be facing in this season of your life, I encourage you to notice the inner voice of bitterness. Where does it show up? What does it sound like?

Can you catch it in the moment—and instead, redirect your focus to one small, positive act ahead of you?

Even the smallest act—sending a kind message, stepping outside for fresh air, choosing to speak gently to yourself—can shift the direction of your day. These aren't grand gestures, but they are powerful ones. They’re how we begin to take our power back.

If no one else tells you this today, please hear it from me:
I care about you.
I believe in you.
And I’m in this with you.

This is the heart of the Lioness Journals: reflecting, reconnecting, and roaring from the inside out.

Let’s keep going—together.

Because you matter.

📖 Want More?

There’s so much to uncover and reclaim within ourselves.

In Roar Like a Woman, I explore 35 empowering words to help you reconnect with your voice, your power, and your worth.

👉 Order your signed copy of Roar Like A Woman

Let the roar rise.
— Ronda 💛