Nelson Mandela was an individual that always inspired me. He shifted our consciousness around the need for equality and freedom despite our differences.

One of the qualities that I admired in Nelson Mandela was his courage. He was quoted as saying “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”. I see courage in all its forms in my life, and in my counseling work. The courage to find hope, the courage to be vulnerable, the courage to try something new, the courage to talk about your feelings, etc.

I encourage you watch Eleanor Longden’s TED talk on Hearing Voices in Her Head. Eleanor is an individual who hears voices. Our scientific community would label her has “suffering” from schizophrenia. When you listen to Eleanor she does not come across as a person that appears to be suffering or should be considered sick. She is a person that has had the courage to understand the voices she hears, and how to manage them. Without the courage to think differently and challenge entrenched old school mental health thinking, she would not be living such a successful life.

In Narrative work, despite how people feel when they present themselves in counseling, there are always unique moments of success, joy, and courage that they don’t notice in their lives. Reclaiming these unique outcomes, and constructing a new storyline of resiliency and hope, can be the foundation for change in people’s lives.