Lara Croft is one of the most iconic female protagonists in history. She is universally known for her video game debut in 1996, the movies starring Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s, and in the most recent reboot of the Tomb Raider games in 2013. First created as a sexy Indiana Jones-like character, she has evolved into one of the most powerful female icons in the video game industry. Her story captivates many; it's a journey of self-discovery, adventure, and growth. Each gamer has their own personal story to tell after their time delving into the life of Lara. My experience with Lara Croft's story is the recent 2013 reboot series. These are the life lessons that I've learned from Lara while exploring her world.

Don't be afraid to fail.

Multiple times in her story, Lara fails. The fact that she picks herself up over and over again is inspiring. Lara is battered and beaten to the point where anyone else would probably give up. We can all agree that she experiences very intense circumstances. Most of us won't have to go through similar challenges, but we can still learn from her persistence. Don't be afraid to fail; it's a part of life. The immediate feeling of disappointment will be worth the feeling of success when you push yourself to try again.

Courage is learned.

At the beginning of the first game, Lara is terrified! For heaven's sake, her ship was destroyed in a storm and she washed up on a cursed ancient island full of crazy people! She has every reason to be terrified. Throughout her story, she continues to choose bravery. She explores deep, dark, creepy caves just to find the next clue or to simply explore. With each choice, she becomes more and more courageous. This taught me that even though I didn't choose to be brave last week or even yesterday, I still have the chance to choose bravery today. Just like any other discipline, you have to practice courage in order to be courageous.

Women are strong.

Women (and men) everywhere have been standing up to the video game industry with the idea that women are more than boobs and sex symbols, we are strong and independent individuals who are more than capable of taking care of ourselves. The creators of the reboot series really made this plausible. Sure, Lara had a ton of help along the way, but when it came down to it, she was able to kick butt and make decisions for herself. She scaled mountains, took out hundreds of men, and rescued her friend from a deadly fate. For most of her story, Lara was accomplishing these feats alone. It's incredibly reassuring as a woman to think, I don't always have to be the damsel in distress. I can kick ass and save people's lives, too!

Believe in yourself.

There were plenty of people in Lara's company that didn't believe in her at all. They were quite discouraging when it came to Lara's ideas. Even if she knew it was the right thing to do, the rest of the crew would call her crazy or blame her for their troubles in the first place. At first, Lara cared about what they thought. Throughout the story, her self-confidence grew. She was able to recognize that her opinions were also valid, and in the end did the right thing because she listened to herself instead of the criticism of others. This might be the most important lesson from Lara that I've learned. Believe in yourself, even if nobody else does!