Resilience isn’t something you’re born with — it’s forged in fire. And while we don’t get to choose the life events that test us, we can choose how we rise from them. The truth is, life will hand you hardships. The real power comes from learning how to use those moments to grow stronger, wiser, and more unstoppable.
In this inspiring episode, Caraline Hickman opens up about her journey from childhood neglect to building a successful life — only to have it shattered in an instant by a devastating hit-and-run. What happened next is nothing short of remarkable.
Join Matt and Caraline as they dive deep into what it really takes to cultivate resilience, grit, and the kind of inner strength that carries you through life’s most brutal storms. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how to face your own challenges with courage — and turn your pain into power.
0:00 Introduction
1:52 Resilience: A learned skill, not innate
6:26 Childhood trauma and its lasting impact
9:08 Chasing success to feel worthy of love
15:30 Life-altering accident on a perfect day
21:19 Finding strength through losing everything
27:56 Discovering inner resilience after trauma
31:18 The importance of sharing our burdens
34:50 Turning hardship into a beautiful adventure
Resources Mentioned:
https://caralinesadventure.com/
Instagram: @Caralinesadventure
https://www.instagram.com/caralinesadventure
Caraline's Adventure podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caralines-adventure-incredible-true-stories-of/id1737493735
📚 "Always Looking Up" by Michael J. Fox
About the Guest
Caraline Hickman is the host of Caraline's Adventure podcast and a resilience expert who has overcome childhood neglect, abuse, and a life-altering accident. Through her journey, she's discovered the power of perseverance and the importance of sharing one's story to inspire others. Caraline's mission is to help people find the gifts hidden within their greatest challenges and live life as an extraordinary adventure.
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com