Confidence is something people often assume you either have or you don’t.

But living with a disability has taught me that confidence isn’t something fixed. It can grow, shrink, disappear for a while, and then return again when we least expect it.

There have been times in my life when I felt confident in who I was and what I could accomplish. I moved through the world believing in my strength and my abilities.

But there were also times when that confidence slipped away.

During those moments, I questioned myself. I wondered if I had lost something important inside me. I wondered if the person I once believed I could be was gone.

What I eventually learned is that confidence does not disappear forever.

Sometimes it simply hides behind fear, doubt, or exhaustion. Sometimes it needs time to grow again.

Each time I find my confidence again, it feels stronger. It feels more honest because it has been tested.

Confidence isn’t about never doubting yourself.
It’s about learning that even when doubt appears, you still have the ability to believe in yourself again.

And that is something worth being grateful for.