5 Lessons I’ve Learned This Far In My Life
I’m getting ready to hit 20 years old soon. It may not be a big deal to some people but for me, it’s a huge milestone. I have been through a lot so hitting 20 is a very big deal for me.
I’ve learned a lot of lessons while going through my teenage years. Some big, some small. Teenage years are the best years because you start to find yourself and who you are as a person.
With my 20-age mark only 3 months away, I want to pass on a few lessons to all of you that I’ve learned and I hope you can somehow apply them to your lives.
1. It’s Ok To Ask For Help
This is one of the big things that I’m trying to learn. I’m a very stubborn person and don’t like to ask people for help unless I really need to. Learning to ask for help when your as stubborn as I am is a hard habit to break. I always switch between multiple people so to not put the burden on them, especially if there are that many people that want to help me with something. I’m learning to tell myself I’m not a burden to anyone and it’s okay to ask others for help if I’m not able to complete a task on my own.
2. Advocating For Myself
Ahhhh, the joys of adulting when you have a disability. Advocating for yourself is a big thing when you have any type of disability. This has been a HUGE challenge for me. I don’t always advocate when it’s needed and that’s what I need to start doing! I need to stop holding back when I sense something is off or doesn’t feel right. I need to speak my mind when something bothers me. I know nothing will get fixed if I don’t speak up!!!
3. Having A Physical Disability DOES NOT Define Who I Am As A Person
This lesson makes me feel everything because sometimes when I’m by myself I start to think about how different my life would be if I didn’t have my disability- yeah, I know I sound like gloom doom here, but this is what I think most of the time. I need to give myself the reminder that having this physical disability does not define who I am as a person! I’m so much stronger than my disability, I’m so much better. I can’t let it bring me down.
4. You're Doing A Great Job in The Real World
Having a disability also comes with extra challenges, stresses, and worries especially if you use adaptive equipment. We’ve had an issue with getting me a new walker, and I feel like we are getting literally nowhere with resolving it or getting somewhere hopeful with it. It has been stressing me out so much and I try not to think about it, but I can’t help myself. My walker is my “working legs.” And if something happens to the one I have now, I’m in serious trouble and will have to confine myself to a wheelchair until I get my new one. To be honest, I really don’t want that to happen. I’ll feel better once we start getting hopeful news, but right now, I just feel like nothing is going right. I need to remind myself that even though things feel off and unsteady now; I’m doing a good job in the real world.
5. I Can Only Do So Much
I tend to take on a lot. And I need to stop. I need to tell myself there’s only so much I can do. There’s never enough time in the day to do everything.
These are the five life lessons I’ve learned this far in my life. I hope you all can apply them to your life in some way. Lessons in life will only make you a stronger and better person. They’re not meant to weaken you.
What are some lessons you’ve learned so far in your life?
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