Is it really admirable?

I've been reading a novel about a female heroine who reels from one surprising situation to the next, all the while trying to seek a return to the life she once had before the novel starts.  One of the things about this character that I found admirable in the story was her stubborn persistence to focus on getting what she wanted in spite of the circumstances that befell her. 

As I continued to read the novel, with its typical cant towards a romance with a mysterious stoic man figure, I thought, this was a person I could be friends with.  Someone I could count on.  Strong willed enough to want to do their own thing, but there in a pinch.

Oddly enough, I also made the connection that this was in part what I was describing as what I wanted in a relationship.  It made me pause as I considered it more thoroughly.  Was I ready to make adjustments to my life to accommodate someone else's desires?  Especially if they were strong willed and on the stubborn side?

Not that I've met a person quite like the heroine in the story.  And, ironically, those that were of similar personality either have no interest in me or rubbed me the wrong way.  Most unfortunately, any relationship I've had has been too short term for me to truly learn if I could live with such a strong personality on a level beyond friendship.

All this has really done for me at this point is make me wonder if what I find admirable in a story book character is really something I admire in person.  I hope that I'll have the opportunity to find out.