I think that my parents' divorce gave me a very strong sense of

The words of Felicity Jones speak with the quiet strength of one who has known both loss and awakening. When she said, “I think that my parents’ divorce gave me a very strong sense of self-reliance and independence. I realised that I needed to make sure I could support myself because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” she was not simply reflecting on her childhood—she was articulating a truth that has echoed through every age: that adversity, though painful, often forges the steel of character. Her words are a testament to the alchemy of resilience, the mysterious way in which suffering, when met with courage, becomes the seed of strength.

To understand her meaning, we must look at the woman behind the words. Felicity Jones, known for her grace and determination both on screen and off, grew up in England in a home that was divided when she was young. The experience of her parents’ divorce, though common in the modern world, was for her a personal trial—one that shattered the sense of certainty that every child clings to. In its aftermath, she discovered that life is not built upon guarantees, but upon one’s own resolve. From this realization was born her self-reliance, her understanding that the only true foundation in life is the one you build for yourself.

This transformation—from dependence to independence—is one of the oldest journeys of the human spirit. In every era, the breaking of something familiar—be it family, fortune, or faith—has often been the beginning of wisdom. The ancient philosophers taught that a person’s strength is revealed not in comfort, but in trial. Epictetus, once a slave in Rome, declared that a man’s freedom begins the moment he learns to rely on what lies within him and not on the whims of the world. So too did Felicity Jones learn that security cannot be borrowed from others; it must be earned by one’s own hand and heart. Her words remind us that independence is not inherited—it is awakened through necessity.

There is a story from the life of Abraham Lincoln that mirrors this truth. As a young man, Lincoln lost his mother, his sister, and nearly every stability life could offer. He grew up in poverty, his education pieced together by candlelight and willpower. Yet through each hardship, he built within himself a fortress of self-reliance. He learned, as Jones did, that the world offers no certainty, and that one must cultivate within one’s own soul the resources to face whatever storms may come. When he later faced the immense weight of leading a divided nation, it was this inner independence—born of loss—that gave him the strength to endure.

In the tone of the ancients, we may say: to lose is not always to be broken, but to be refined. The furnace of adversity tempers the spirit as fire tempers iron. For Felicity Jones, the pain of her parents’ divorce was a fire through which she passed—and on the other side, she emerged not hardened, but strengthened. Her self-reliance was not a wall against others, but a root that anchored her against uncertainty. She learned to find stability not in circumstance, but in herself, and this is the very essence of independence—the ability to stand upright even when the ground shifts beneath your feet.

Her reflection carries a lesson for all generations: life is uncertain, and no fortress of comfort can guarantee safety from its changes. Relationships, careers, even health—all are fragile. But those who, like Jones, learn early to cultivate their own strength and adaptability are never without hope. They move through life not with fear, but with readiness. They can endure separation, loss, or upheaval because their foundation lies within, not without.

Thus, the lesson is clear: do not fear the moments when the familiar breaks apart. In those moments lies your initiation into strength. Learn, as Felicity Jones did, to build your own foundation—through education, through discipline, through self-knowledge. Do not depend wholly on others for your happiness or your security, for the world is ever-changing, and the only certainty you truly possess is yourself.

The practical path is this: cultivate your independence daily. Learn to manage your own affairs, to work with integrity, to think for yourself. Build skills that sustain you, relationships that strengthen you, and habits that steady you. For as Felicity Jones teaches, independence is not born in ease but in awakening—it is the quiet triumph of the soul that, having faced uncertainty, says with confidence, “I can endure.” And when that day comes, when the unexpected arrives as it always does, you will not be afraid. You will be ready.