The other day a girl approached me while I was out, and in the course of our conversation she went on to tell me about her cousin who “was born with a severe disadvantage also.” “Disadvantage?” I thought to myself. Immediately dismissing this girl as a desirable take home candidate, I began to think about my own disability in the context of advantages and disadvantages. It didn’t feel natural thinking about it in this light though because, in reality, it’s just a part of who I am. I don’t attribute my successes nor my struggles to my disability itself; I just take ownership of each and continue moving forward. However, I am thankful for how my disability has helped shape my perspective on people, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.

While many like that girl I met may view my reliance on others for help with basic activities like dressing, feeding, bathing, etc. as a weakness or liability, it has taught me a valuable lesson about life: it’s okay to rely on other people. And, believe it or not, people like to be relied on. People like to be used for their strengths to propel others forward. Many great leaders including Dan Hilferty, CEO of Independence Blue Cross, will openly admit they rely on people around them all the time for help in areas where they have less expertise. Nobody is great at everything, and each and every one of us has needs that have to be met by other people. So I don’t see my disability as a weakness or a disadvantage. In fact, relying on others all the time for such basic needs has given me an overall confidence in people as a whole that makes me lust for life. The world wants to see you win. You just have to do it.