What burns in my heart and motivates me to be a Self-Advocate? There are the frustrations of dealing with inflexible systems designed by professionals out of touch with the lives of the people they serve. There is the weariness of fighting the stigma and hiding my disabilities in fear. I am angered that others treat me like a child and try to take care of me and fix me. Hope and love motivate me. We can dream and not settle for the status quo. We can ask, “Why not?” Fraternity motivates me to stand with my friends and peers against past and present injustices to empower us all to live satisfying lives in communities of our choice.