It's been a while since i've written a blog post, but this one is important because it sums up a lot of my life.
There are many times in life that mistakes are made. Some very small. Others larger. For myself, those mistakes seem larger than life. For my entire life, I have been incredibly hard on myself. I've critiqued everything that I do. From the way I communicate, the way I interpret things, or the way I just go through my day, it is a constant critique. It's always been hard to move on from something, even the smallest things.
Over the past 8-10 months, i've had to be more gentle and kind on myself. Last year in general was exciting, but it got very overwhelming later in the year was very challenging to navigate. It tested me in ways like never before. It was by far one of the most challenging times of my life so far. But I was reminded that I needed to take a Courageous Step of my own, something that wasn't easy to do at the time but I know was necessary.
Individuals with Autism have hard time in general from "moving on" from situations that occur....even the smallest situations. A lot has to do with their instinct to be empathetic and kind-hearted.
I always have to remind myself of all the great things in my life. From running a non-profit that is everything to me, traveling the country meeting people who share my same passion, and owning my own house / raising my dog Corolla, I'd had to say my life is pretty sweet. Not to mention I have a very supportive village that always has my back whenever I need it.
It puts everything into persepective. We only have so much time to chase our dreams and goals in life. And when a mistake occurs, it shouldn't deter us from continuing to pursue them. Sure, it may always stick with you and remind you of what to not do. But if anything, it should motivate us to move forward and try again, but with lessons learned so the mistake can be avoided in the future. There is no need to sit there and dwell on how you would've handled it differently. The "would've / should've / could've" is a dangerous game to play. Just learn from it, and move forward. It may take a Courageous Step or two to move forward, but it is doable.
So I challenge, you. Yes, you. And yes, I am challenging me too. Find places to travel and explore. Find your people. Find your person to share your life with (and if it doesn't work out, keep searching). Find your place. Find your passion(s). Find your path. Find yourself. You won't truly know until you just take that Courageous Step forward.
Comments