No matter whether you live with a disability or not, adaptability is one of the most fundamental life lessons we can learn.

Life rarely asks us to move forward exactly as planned. Instead, it presents challenges—some we are born with, others we encounter along the way—and then quietly asks a single question: How will you adjust?

Adaptability isn’t weakness. It’s not giving up. It’s the ability to respond, recalibrate, and keep moving when the path shifts beneath you.

For me, adaptability shows up in small, everyday ways.

I wear shoe inserts so I can walk more comfortably and confidently. When I played golf, my adaptations followed me onto the course—a custom-made golf shoe helped lessen the difference in my leg lengths so my swing could feel more balanced and controlled.

It shows up when I hold my phone under my chin while taking pictures to reduce blur from my hand tremors. And it shows up at the dinner table, where I lean closer to my plate—not out of embarrassment, but out of practicality—so I can enjoy a meal without spilling my food.

These adaptations don’t limit my life. They support it.

And adaptability doesn’t stop with individuals—it’s built into the world around us.

Sidewalk ramps weren’t created only for wheelchairs. They help parents pushing strollers, kids riding bikes, delivery workers hauling carts, older adults with physical limitations, and anyone whose body needs a little extra support that day. What began as an accommodation became a benefit for everyone.

That’s the power of adaptability. It doesn’t divide—it expands.

Adaptability is what keeps us moving forward despite tremors, injuries, setbacks, detours, or doubt. It’s how we turn challenges—whether we’re born with them or face them later—into momentum instead of barriers.

Because progress isn’t about moving without challenge.
It’s about learning how to move through it.

And that may be one of the most important human skills we’ll ever master.