Rise Above it All!

Growing up, I can remember thinking about what my future would look like as an adult with a disability. My thoughts were occupied by an array of questions that only created feelings of uncertainty and doubt; feelings that I still wrestle with from time to time.

Life has taught me that when plan A doesn’t work, there are twenty-five other letters in the alphabet. I have figured out ways to effectively function with the body that I have been given through a process of trial and error. I have also discovered that sometimes the mental struggles that come with having a disability can be harder to deal with than the physical manifestations of my Cerebral Palsy. I have encountered many situations where I felt as though it would be so much easier to give up, rather than making the choice to keep moving forward.

Earlier this week, I was watching an episode of Rocky Mountain Heroes.For those of you who don’t know, Rocky Mountain Heroes is a podcast created by a young man named, Eric Lister that highlights individuals who make Canada a better place to live just by being themselves. I highly recommend it. In this episode, Eric asked his guest, Tanelle Bolt to define the word strength. I found her response very interesting. Rather than talking about strength in the context of the ability to face arduous situations, she said, “I think everyone is strong, and we need to remember that everyone has their own story. To me, this was profound. Her words made me reflect upon how strength isn’t the necessarily just the ability to conquer the personal challenges we face. We don’t have to conquer our challenges to be strong, it’s about realizing that the feelings associated with struggles are unified. It is about realizing that you are not alone. It also about seeing your struggle as an opportunity to learn and grow. Strength is not forgetting about your struggles. Don’t forget about them, but don’t let them define you. Rise above them!