Still Standing: How Belief Is Born When Everything Is Taken Away

Seventeen.
That’s how old I was the first time I realized belief could be stronger than fear.

It was December in New York City. Christmas season. The air was sharp and unforgiving, and I was standing near Columbus Circle, watching people move through the streets, shopping bags in hand and laughter in their voices. Hotels played Christmas music that drifted out through revolving doors. Families gathered. Couples smiled. Life felt warm — everywhere except where I was standing.

I was homeless. Alone. Living in a snowbank I’d carved into an igloo-style shelter in Central Park.

And for the first time, fear hit me hard — not just fear of the cold, but fear of being forgotten.

Pain

This is for anyone who has ever looked at other people’s lives and wondered how they got there — and why you didn’t.

For those who’ve felt life wasn’t fair.
For those who were dealt circumstances they didn’t choose.
For those who’ve questioned whether belief is even possible when everything feels stacked against you.

If you’ve ever felt abandoned by life…
If you’ve ever felt like your story started from behind…
If you’ve ever wondered whether your current situation defines your future…

This story is for you.

Belief in the Middle of the Cold

That night near Columbus Circle, my first instinct wasn’t hope — it was fear.

Fear that I had no one.
Fear that this was permanent.
Fear that the world had moved on without me.

But as I stood there, something unexpected happened.

I noticed that happiness wasn’t reserved for certain people. It wasn’t owned by those with money, homes, or perfect families. It was something people chose — again and again — despite their own unseen struggles.

And a quiet voice inside me spoke up.

It said, You’re still standing.

I didn’t choose to be homeless.
I didn’t choose for my father to die when I was eleven.
I didn’t choose for my family to fall apart or for my mother to remarry a man who wanted nothing to do with me or my siblings.
I didn’t choose to be locked out of my home at seventeen because I refused to stop advocating for my family.

Those were circumstances. Facts. Brutal realities.

But as I stood there that night, I realized something that would shape my entire life:

Circumstances are not destiny.

If other people could find joy, stability, and meaning — then so could I.
Not because it was easy.
Not because it was fair.
But because I was still here.

Belief wasn’t a feeling that night.
It was a decision.

Here is the truth most people never hear:

Belief is not optimism.
Belief is not pretending things are okay.
Belief is choosing to see beyond the moment you’re trapped in.

That night, belief didn’t warm me.
It didn’t feed me.
It didn’t magically change my circumstances.

But it lit a fire.

A quiet, steady fire that said, This is not my end.

This is the Tiger — grounded, alert, refusing to collapse.
This is the Phoenix — believing that tomorrow can be different even when today is unbearable.

Belief isn’t loud.
It’s stubborn.

The Five Pillars of Tiger Resilience Through the Lens of Belief

Purpose 🎯 (Heart)

Purpose begins when you decide your life has meaning — even before you know what that meaning is.

Planning 🗺️ (Mind)

Belief creates vision. Vision creates direction. Even one step at a time.

Practice 🔄 (Body)

Daily survival becomes daily discipline. Showing up becomes sacred.

Perseverance 🏔️ (Spirit)

Belief keeps you moving when nothing external improves yet.

Providence 🌅 (Spirit)

Providence doesn’t rescue you — it meets you once you refuse to give up.

The Four Domains of Belief

Body 💪

Your body teaches you endurance before your mind believes in possibility.

Mind 🧠

Belief reframes thoughts from “I’m trapped” to “I’m still becoming.”

Heart ❤️

Belief restores self-worth even when others fail to see it.

Spirit 🔥

Belief ignites the inner fire that refuses to go out.

Phoenix Steps: Choosing Belief When Life Is Cold

Separate circumstances from identity.
What happened to you is not who you are.

Name one reason tomorrow matters.
Belief begins small.

Refuse the lie of permanence.
This moment is real — but it is not forever.

Honor the fact that you’re still here.
Survival is strength.

Decide — even quietly — that this is not your ending.

Journal Prompts

• Where have I mistaken circumstances for destiny?
• What inner voice has kept me standing, even in fear?
• What belief do I need to choose this season?
• How has hardship already shaped my resilience?
• What future do I dare to believe is possible?

RISE

That Christmas season in Central Park taught me something I’ve never forgotten:

Belief is not granted.
It is chosen.

Chosen when life is unfair.
Chosen when the cold is relentless.
Chosen when no one is watching.

And that belief — quiet, stubborn, unwavering — became the foundation of everything that followed.

You are still standing for a reason.
Your circumstances are not your destiny.
And belief, once chosen, can change the course of a life.

📍Please leave a comment on how your belief system guides your journey.

Rise Strong and Live Boldly in the Bond of the Phoenix. 🐅🔥

Bernie & Michael Tiger

Tiger Resilience Founder's

This post was written by Bernie Tiger

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