Bear Grylls recently shared his thoughts on failure and resilience, lessons every man needs to hear
“The times in our lives when we feel everything’s taken from us are actually the making of us” — Bear Grylls on the power of resilience, offering tips on bouncing back after facing difficulties.
The most dangerous belief a person can have is thinking that being strong means never experiencing failure. The reality is that everyone will go through challenging times and feel down at some point. Those who don’t know how to cope with these situations often find it hard to move forward. Resilience, which means the ability to recover from difficulties, isn’t something we’re born with; it’s a choice we can all make.
Bear Grylls is a British adventurer and former soldier known for his exciting survival shows, such as “Man vs. Wild.” Now, he is set to return with a new season of “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” where he takes a different celebrity on an adventure in the wilderness in each episode. In addition to his shows, Bear has written several books, including “Never Give Up,” which explores the strength required to overcome tough challenges. Along with his stunts, he also often shares his life and workout routines with his fans on social media.
Recently, during an episode of “Live Kelly and Mark,” Bear Grylls shared a surprising fact that many of his fans might not know: he broke his back many years ago. While serving in the military, Bear had a free-fall accident that changed his life. He spent several months in rehabilitation in the United Kingdom.
As he explained to hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, his parachute didn’t open properly while he was in the air. He fell rapidly and hit the ground hard in the African desert, an impact that could have been life-threatening. After the accident, he was taken to a hospital in Africa, where he ended up in a wheelchair and received treatment.
When Kelly asked if he realized how serious his injury was right away, Bear shared that this experience changed him mentally. During his hospital stay, he made up his mind to become strong again. He said, “I think sometimes the sort of the times in our lives where we feel everything’s taken from us are actually the making of us”. Bear refused to let his accident hold him back. Instead, he was determined to recover, regain his strength, and climb again, which was part of his job in the military.
This incident also inspired him to fulfill his dream of climbing Mount Everest, a goal he had shared with his dad as a child. He really had the strong motivation, mental and physical energy, and climbed Everest only 18 months after his accident, when he was 23, the youngest at that time to achieve this feat.
The injury, which could have been seen as the end of his career, actually opened up new opportunities for him. It led to climbing Mount Everest at a young age, his television shows, and a chance to share his adventures with people all over the world. He reflected thoughtfully on his journey, saying, “Those dark times are often the key, aren’t they?”
Challenges don’t mean failure
Many people reach a point in their lives when things don’t go as planned, and their first reaction is often to shut down, step back, or give up. They might think this means they aren’t meant to succeed, or that now just isn’t the right time. While these feelings are completely normal, they can trap us in the same frustrating cycle, making it hard to move forward.
What we often don’t realize is that facing challenges doesn’t mean we have failed. Everyone encounters tough times when things aren’t working out, and the future seems uncertain. What really matters is how we respond to these situations or our fears. Some people see these hard times as dead ends, while others see them as opportunities to try a new path and keep going.
Resilience, or the ability to recover from difficulties, isn’t just something you’re born with; it comes when you face challenges, as Bear Grylls did. Many people can push through these rough patches and make something of them, but not everyone has the courage to stay and fight until it gets better. Those who fight often come out of these experiences feeling stronger, with a clearer idea of their goals and better prepared for whatever lies ahead.
