Life is full of challenges and struggles. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” (Maya Angelou) When asked who I would consider a symbol of everything I want the decision wasn’t hard to make. My mother, Jan Birdsong, is my symbol because she has displayed self-confidence, ethics, and perseverance. Self-confidence is defined by Merriam-Webster as having confidence in oneself and in one’s powers and abilities. My mother has built her self-confidence through learning to like herself, cultivating a positive attitude, setting personal goals, and taking risks to …show more content…
As a woman with courage, she embraces strength and self-worth which empower her choices and decision making. It takes courage to deal with difficult situations. The combination of qualities that make up an individual’s distinctive character is his or her personality. Compassion is a related of mother’s character. Qualities of compassion signify patience and wisdom; resolve and warmth; perseverance and kindness. Her life is blessed through her job because of the compassion and abilities, she can work with people struggling with disabilities. When an individual acts compassionately that means they are putting someone else’s needs before their own. She acts compassionately and selflessly to effectively serve others. As humans, we use different methods to help us cope with stressful or difficult situations. Choosing mindful, positive coping responses, such as listening to music, keeps her focused on the present and provides her with a chance to work actively toward problem …show more content…
Perseverance can be defined by the drive that pushes us to keep working against all odds. In some cases, we work hard, yet struggle to meet the goals we set, but realizing we gave it our best effort shows determination. Persevering through challenges provides one with responsibility, work ethics, and makes them resilient. Through my mother’s experiences, she has learned to prioritize things in her life. She set goals and gave them her full focus. She worked on the tasks at hand, trusting the challenge would end as opportunity. She accepts accountability for her future, possess a value of taking responsibility for her mistakes, actions, and the outcomes of her challenges. Mother empowers herself through choice. She chooses not to procrastinate but chooses to persevere in the face of obstacles, taking the initiative to work through change. Reflection helps one to think back on challenges and achievements. Reflecting helps provide new ways to overcome adversity. Success is achieved through continued perseverance. The experiences of mother’s life are defined by her personal values. She chooses to align her daily actions with these values. Triumph comes while as she works to persevere through the challenges, no matter the