I have a cause
I’m an ideas person with them always meaning a great deal to me. They validate my life, giving it purpose and direction, and making my life complete. I have a cause and that is self-advocacy. I want to be faithful and true to self-advocacy, to let it shape my words and actions, and I want to witness self-advocacy to others. Let me share with you briefly what self-advocacy means to me, times in my life that I have practiced self-advocacy, and how doing so has changed my life.
Let me begin by sharing what self-advocacy is to me. We all have thoughts, feelings, opinions, wants, and needs. We also have hopes, dreams and stories to tell–some good, some bad. This is all part of the human condition. For me, self-advocacy is all about sharing my human story with others and taking responsibility for what I say.
Self-advocacy frees me from the frustrations of keeping things all bottled up inside of me. It also lets others know what I am thinking and why, preventing errors of mind reading. Another aspect of self-advocacy is owning what I say. If I say I am going to do something, I will follow through and do it. It goes with out saying that I will be honest and truthful. Self-advocacy lays down the foundation of integrity, respect, and reputation.
Let me share with you three instances where I practiced self-advocacy. I was in 9th grade taking a math class. Math was hard for me, and I was doing poorly on the tests. I was trying my best to be a good student, so I asked the teacher for extra time on the tests. My teacher granted my request and allowed me to come in during lunch for the tests. My test scores improved, and I got a good grade in the class.
In the 90s. I became involved in activism, and I went to Washington DC, and advocated to my congress representative on behalf of the Epilepsy Foundation. This set forth a long chain of events, like cascading dominos, that led me to getting my present job.
Last year when the pandemic hit, I had to shelter in place. I was worried what the isolation would do to me. I had a long history of struggling with loneliness and I didn’t want to let things to get out of hand. I started texting and calling my friends daily, not waiting for them to contact me first. I grew closer to my friends and learned an important lesson about relationships. Reach out and don’t wait for people to reach out to me.
Self-advocacy has changed my life. It has opened doors for me and help me problem solve situation, and it has brought a good deal of fulfillment to me. Self-advocacy can be all that for you and more if you give it a try.