Resilience Beyond Barriers: Embracing Strengths and Limitations

– By Carol Brochu, CCDP, CHRL, CWS –

Although National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) came to a close at the end of October, the event prompts us to reflect and keep the conversation going. It’s an opportune time to delve deeper and talk about how we see ourselves. Written from a neurodivergent perspective, this reflection invites all of us to consider the power of self-perception and the quiet barriers that shape our work lives. For many of us, the hardest barriers aren’t physical—they’re the stories we’ve been told about being “less than.” Those narratives can linger, shaping how we show up at work and how we respond to challenges. Developing exceptional resilience becomes a necessity. Resilience becomes easier, though, when we learn to embrace our strengths and our limitations.

The Weight of Old Narratives

Many of us continue to internalize outdated messages of shame, blame, and guilt—either from bullying or subtle signals—as, “You’re different, and that’s a problem.” Over time, these experiences can lead to survival strategies like:

• Self-doubt: “Maybe I’m not capable.”
• Hypervigilance: Always bracing for criticism.
• Avoidance: Steering clear of opportunities to avoid failure or judgment.

These patterns aren’t weakness—they’re adaptive responses to unsafe environments. However, they can also keep us stuck in cycles of fear and self-protection.

These narratives don’t disappear when we enter the workplace—they shape how we see ourselves and how we expect others to see us. This can affect our comfort to self-declare, to speak up and ask for support, or take risks, especially in times of workplace uncertainties. Breaking this cycle starts with recognizing these patterns and creating spaces where difference is a strength and not a liability.

From Medical Model to Social Model

For decades, disability was framed through the medical model—as something “wrong” with a person’s body or mind that needed to be fixed. People with disabilities were expected to change to fit into society. If they couldn’t, they were often excluded. The social model challenges this view. People aren’t disabled by their bodies or minds, but by barriers in the world around them. These barriers can be physical, technological, or attitudinal—and they shape not only workplace experiences but also self-perception. When we shift from “fixing the person” to “removing barriers,” we create environments where difference is valued and inclusion happens by design, not out of charity.

Diffability: A Language Shift

Words shape perception—and perception shapes opportunity. Instead of defining ourselves by what we lack, “diffability” shifts the focus to what we can do—our different abilities. This isn’t about ignoring challenges; it’s about balancing limitations with strengths and possibilities. When we adopt empowering language, we remind ourselves—and others—that difference is not deficiency. It’s diversity. Our inner chatter shifts to “I am differently abled.”

Owning Strengths AND Limitations

Resilience is that quiet power we’ve built over a lifetime of adapting, overcoming barriers, and finding creative solutions. It’s about recognizing and embracing our strengths while owning our limitations without shame. A growth mindset fosters resilience by encouraging us to see challenges as opportunities for development.

Practical Tools for Self-Empowerment

Mindfulness:

A mindfulness practice can support us in times of uncertainty. Guided breathwork and reflection calm the nervous system and create space to notice thoughts without judgment.

Affirmations for Resilience and Power:

• “I am aware of both my limitations and strengths.”
• “I welcome feedback that is intended to help me grow and I reject intentions that harm.”
• “I trust my inner guidance and I feel safe. I accept all my feelings as part of myself.”
• “I have adaptive strategies and resilience to cope with change.”
• “I have the power to transform negative thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours to more resourceful ones.”
• “I am in control of what I think, say, believe, and do—at all times.”
• “My past experiences strengthen who I am today.”
• “Negativity may be around me but I don’t have to own it.”
• “Being happy is my birthright. I choose and deserve to be happy.”
• “I will go beyond what I believe is impossible, to discover what IS possible.”

Prompts for Self-Reflection:

• “My purpose and strengths align with my career.” What does that feel like?
• “I am aware of and let go of self-limiting beliefs and replace them with self-empowering ones.” What do these look like?
• “I am supported, I am safe, and I am thriving.” What does that look like? How does it feel?

Language That Empowers

Owning both strengths and limitations is key to moving beyond silence. When we find the right words to describe our needs, managers can understand and accommodate without framing us as “broken.” Examples:

• “I thrive in environments where clarity and flexibility support my best work.”
• “I welcome technology and adaptive strategies that help me succeed.”

How Career Practitioners Can Help

Career professionals play a pivotal role in helping clients step into their strengths. This begins with normalizing conversations about limitations without shame and reframing them as opportunities for adaptive strategies. Encourage clients to articulate their needs using empowering language—phrases like “I communicate most effectively by…” or “I bring my best when…” help shift the narrative from deficit to design.

Practitioners can also integrate strength-based assessments and reflective exercises that highlight resilience as a learned skill, not just a personality trait. By guiding clients to identify their “glimmers”—moments of safety and success—they can build confidence and self-advocacy skills that extend into interviews, performance reviews, and career progression.

How Employers Can Support

Employers can reinforce this empowerment by creating spaces where employees feel safe to express both strengths and limitations. This means moving beyond accommodation to inclusion by design—offering flexible work environments, adaptive technology, and training managers to respond with curiosity rather than judgment. When organizations adopt a strengths-first approach, they unlock innovation and loyalty while dismantling the stigma that often surrounds accommodation.

Call to Action

Each of us already carries the resources needed to navigate change—the courage to pause, reflect, and choose what aligns with our truth. Resilience reminds us that the answers are not out there; they are inside us.

Barriers do not define us, but are an opportunity to identify and develop success strategies. Let’s learn to adapt a “what I can do” mindset. We know our value and can overcome adversity. In times of uncertainty, let’s take a moment to pause and affirm:

“I am safe and I am resilient.

I am ABLE.”

Portions of this article include content modified from text generated by AI.
AI-generated image by freepik on Freepik