Your Diagnosis Does Not Define You

1979907377_5a86e84fffYour diagnosis does not define you.

You are more than the label they gave you.

Bigger than just the facts on your charts.

What are you?

Let me ask you this – do the words woman/mother/ straight/gay/single/black fully define you?

Is that everything you are? Everyone we need to know?

If not, how on earth could one word like MS, cancer, ME, fibromyalgia contain all that you are?

Your challenges do not encapsulate you. They are not the end of your story.

I know you might feel like that label will always stick

I know you don’t want to be defined by your disability

Just as I know there may always be some people who will judge you by it.

But you can’t listen to them.

Breath by breath

You have a struggle right now. And it hurts.

You don’t have to make meaning out of it.

You don’t have to have a picture perfect life and be smiling every moment.

There is no obligation to become an inspiration. Click to Tweet.

If you are sick and haven’t launched an award winning blog, your own charity or landed an exclusive TV series – that’s ok.

I was ill for many years before I began what I’m doing now. And I was very busy during that time, trying to survive and all. You might be just trying to survive too.

You haven’t failed in getting ill. Please don’t let positive things like self development wind you up into a spiral of shame and guilt. We want empowerment not regret.

My disability does not define me, it has not made me what I am, I did that.

Click to Tweet.

The fire outside only tempers what we have inside ourselves to begin with.

I am grateful

I am not grateful to my disability, to pain, arrests or struggles for making me what I am today – which is happy, joyful and loving my life.

I am grateful to my family, friends and everyone who gave me support to get me through these times, to the practices and spiritual strength I’ve held onto.

Because truly, I am not a different person because of living with disabilities, I am the same person I was in the first place.

And truly, living with disabilities is not the worst or most painful thing that has happened in my life.

I’ve never felt a need to justify my worth on the planet in relation to living with disabilities. I just am. 

I am worth it, all of it. All the money, the medical intervention, the benefits and equipment. 

And so are you, and all of us.

I am grateful to you for coming with me on this journey. I am grateful to all those who showed me that being disabled doesn’t mean I have to shrink my dreams.

I am grateful to all the Trail Blazers who showed me being disabled doesn’t have to define me.

That’s why I write – I hope I can do the same for others one day.

Turn Trail Blazer with us today…

Photo Credit: kalidoskopika via Compfight cc