What makes me and others courageous and resilient in a world of challenges

People tell me all the time that I am courageous and resilient. Having experienced the ups and downs of life as a disabled person, I wanted to find out why people think this and what courageous means. I have drawn up a top 10 list:

  1. When told they cannot physically do something they find a way (even if it pushes Health and Safety to its limits)

Courageous and resilient people find alternative ways to do things,  more likely against the norm.  They take a wide view on this and develop ways that suit them.

  1. They are mentally strong and find solutions when others would have given up

They have open minds, they continue to try even if they don’t achieve or succeed first time round

  1. People see negative comments/perceptions as a challenge

They do not let negative thoughts or perceptions cloud what they want to do or allow them to influence their judgment

  1. People are unrelenting to achieve success recognising their capabilities

They are mentally strong to achieve no matter if they suffer failure the first time around.  They have a very strong understanding of their capabilities and even though they do push themselves they are very aware of their limit

  1. People are not afraid to forgive and forget

Many courageous people suffer negative experiences from others, many would have experienced bullying or discrimination, but they find it in themselves to forget or use it to drive their determination on

  1. They know they cannot change things, they  embrace challenges

Life can have its challenges and somethings people can not change, some struggle with changes and can not see a way forward while others embrace and learn very quickly to adapt and

  1. They do not shy away from failure

Failure can impact people’s confidence but others use this negative and turn it into a positive. They are not shy from learning from failure or negatives and show courage and resilience in finding a new path forward

  1. They never stop learning

Life is always full of learning. People that are courageous and resilient accept the fact they are always on a course of learning, this could be practical learning, but most of the time it is about emotions; dealing with unpleasant or negative encounters they have to overcome.

  1. They are not afraid to show emotion

Emotions play a role in everyone’s life but [eople who show the most courage are not scared to show their emotions.  Emotions play an important role, it shows their passion, determination, and the strive to achieve and be ambitious

  1. They show strength in adversity

Many people who are considered to be courageous, might have experienced damaging or negative experiences, but they always find their own way to come through these; it could be something small, but also be something lifechanging (for the better).  They live life to the full and don’t always show their true emotions or pride in this.