For much of my life, perseverance has not meant moving forward without struggling. It has meant continuing to move forward even during the moments when I felt overwhelmed, uncertain, misunderstood, or unsure of where I belonged. Being neurodivergent and autistic has shaped the way I experience the world, from how I communicate and form relationships to how I process change, stress, expectations, and unfamiliar environments. There have been times when these differences have made certain parts of life more difficult, especially in environments that were not designed with people like me in mind. At the same time, being neurodivergent has also influenced my curiosity, determination, passions, and the unique way I see the world around me.
Growing up, I often felt that I had to work harder to navigate situations that seemed to come naturally to other people. There were social expectations I did not always understand, changes that felt overwhelming, and moments when I questioned whether I was progressing through life in the way I was supposed to. As I have gotten older, however, I have begun to realize that there is no single timeline or definition of success that everyone has to follow. My path has not always been straightforward, but every challenge, transition, disappointment, and accomplishment has contributed to the person I am becoming.
One of the most difficult parts of growing up neurodivergent has not always been autism itself, but the way other people have responded to me because of it. At different points in my life, I have felt undermined, underestimated, or treated as though other people knew what I was capable of better than I did. Sometimes people made assumptions about what I could handle, what decisions I could make for myself, or what my future might look like. When those messages are repeated enough, it can become difficult not to internalize them. There have been moments when I questioned my own abilities because other people had already questioned them for me.
Over time, I have started learning how to separate other people’s expectations of me from my own expectations for myself. I have realized that being autistic does not mean that I am incapable of independence, ambition, change, or taking risks. It may mean that I approach certain situations differently, need support in some areas, or experience challenges that other people do not always see. Needing support, however, does not erase everything I am capable of doing on my own. I have had to learn that I can acknowledge the areas where I struggle without allowing those struggles to become the entire definition of who I am.
Looking back now, I can see how much my world has expanded. I have navigated college, experienced major changes in my life, traveled independently, encountered cultures far beyond the one I grew up in, and become increasingly comfortable making decisions for myself. Each experience has challenged some of the assumptions that other people—and sometimes I myself have held about what I can do. None of these experiences erased the challenges I face, but they showed me that struggling with something and being capable of doing it can exist at the same time. I can feel anxious and still take a risk. I can need help and still be independent. I can experience setbacks and still continue moving forward.
That is ultimately what perseverance means to me. It is not pretending that difficult experiences do not affect me, proving myself to everyone who has underestimated me, or forcing myself to become someone I am not. It is learning how to understand myself better, advocate for what I need, recover when things do not go according to plan, and continue pursuing a life that feels meaningful to me. Perseverance is also learning to trust myself even when other people doubt me. I cannot control every assumption someone makes about me, but I can continue discovering for myself what I am capable of.
As I look toward the future, there is still a great deal that I do not know. I do not know exactly where I will live, what direction my career will ultimately take, who I will meet, or how much my goals will change as I grow older. Instead of seeing that uncertainty only as something frightening, I am beginning to see it as a possibility. There are countries I have not visited, people I have not met, interests I have not discovered, and versions of myself that I have not yet had the opportunity to become.
Being autistic will always be part of my story, but it does not determine where that story ends. I do not want my future to be defined by limitations that other people have placed on me or by the moments when I have doubted myself. If anything, my experiences have taught me that a meaningful life does not have to look conventional. I can build one that reflects who I actually am one filled with curiosity, independence, creativity, travel, meaningful work, connection, and continued growth. There will probably always be situations that challenge me, but I am becoming more confident that difficulty does not automatically mean impossibility.
I am still figuring things out, and I think that is okay. Looking ahead does not require having every answer or knowing exactly who I will become. For me, hope comes from knowing that there are still experiences worth having, places worth discovering, relationships worth building, and goals worth pursuing. My journey so far has taught me that progress is rarely a straight line and that other people’s expectations do not have to become my reality. I have already grown beyond versions of myself that I once thought were permanent, and I know I will continue to change. I cannot predict exactly what the next chapter of my life will look like, but I want to enter it with curiosity rather than fear. What matters is that I continue moving forward, learning more about myself, trusting my own capabilities, and remaining open to everything the world still has to offer.
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By Aaron Newman
Aaron Newman is an Education Studies major based in Fort Lauderdale, he writes about relationships, entertainment and fashion. He also writes about the hardship and being optimistic about his struggles and looking forward to the present and future.
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