Sheryl Sandberg recently gave the commencement speech at UC Berkeley, where she opened up about facing tragedy last year and how overcoming hardships of any degree can be what defines you.
It was the first time the Facebook COO spoke publicly about her husband's death and what she learned about life and herself in the aftermath.
"I also learned that when life sucks you under, you can kick against the bottom, find the surface, and breathe again," she says.
During her speech, Sandberg recognizes that adversity comes in many shapes and forms -- some tragic like her experiences, while some might be struggling with a relationship or a grade they received on a paper. On these bad days, however big or small the obstacle, it's important to find joy and meaning.
"It's the hard days that determine who you are."
As Sandberg put it during her speech, if option A is unavailable -- if you didn't land that dream job, aren't able to work with your mentor -- then "kick the shit out of option B."
Moral of the story? Be resilient. It will get you through the bad days and help you find your way to brighter ones.
Watch Sandberg's entire speech below (it starts around the 1:23:00 mark).
