Advice to Teens with Diversabilities

    TodayI decided to write a blog and   give some advice to people living with Diversabilities.  I know sometimes it can be hard watching people do simple things so easily when you have to work so hard to get them accomplished.  I know it's hard to feel diffrent sometmes.  When I was younger  I struggled with being different and coping with my Divesability.  I have  a  positive outlook on it now though.  I've gotten so many opportunities that came out of my diversability that have been amazing.  I also don't know who I would be without my diversability.  I might not be as determined to do certain things if I was able bodied.  I might not have such as good connection with other kids with diversabilities.  Who knows?  I might have even been that little kid staring at someone in a wheelchair simply because I just didn't know that there were such a thing as people with special needs  out there.  So, when you have struggles  it kind of changes your outlook on life and on other people too, for the better that is.  So, for this blog, I want to help you kids and teens with Diversabilities that are struggling to fit in and struggling to cope with their every day challenges.  Here are some tips to think about when life just isn't going your way because of what you have to go through.  Hope these tips help.  I know a lot of them have helped me!

1.  You were born this way for a reason and you are beautiful-  Have you ever felt like your differences in the way you look  make you stand out for the worst?  Have you ever thought "Why was I born like this.  It isn't fair."  I know I've felt that way sometimes.  Like I said though, I've realized that having Cerebral Palsy has become a part of me.  It's part of how I feel and think about things.  It's part of my attitude.  It's part of my outlook on life.  It's part of a lot of me, and believe it or not, it's part of you too.  People with diversabilities inspire people because of their determination to see  things that  they struggle with through.  You were born to stand out and inspire people and to make people realize how diverse a world we have come to be and  that it's a good thing.  There is a reason why you are the way you are.   You might just have to take a longer journey to find out what that reason might be.  Beautiful people aren't people who take surgeries to make them good.  Beautiful people have slight imperfections about them that they  aren't afraid to show off.

2.  What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger- Who's heard that song by Kelly Clarkson?  It's a great song and it has a great message.    Everyone has setbacks in life.  Some are small and some are big.  Having  a Diversability is one of the  bigger ones but it doesn't kill you, like say, cancer can.  You go through some tough stuff when you have a diveseability but the tough stuff only makes you a better and stronger  person.  When you get put down because of your differences, or you struggle with something because of your challenges that a able bodied person might not have, it's tough, but it makes you tough. It creates a strong sheild inside of you that will put up guard the nex time you have  a setback,  I've been through some hard times and they're frustrating but they makes me get farther in life.  Also people who get everything they want, sometimes aren't as appealing to be around.  They complain a lot and will stop right away if a task gets too tough. There selfish too.  People who are less fortunate are kinder becaise they are lucky for what they do have and empathize with others more.  Weak people are people who complain a lot and are unable to learn from what they can't do .  Strong people are people who persevere  to see there goals through and eventually succeed at them.  Be a strong person!

3. What  is Normal?- When I was growing up, I always wished I could be normal.  I  wished I could be like
everybody else.  However, as I  grew, I started to question "What is normal?"  Not two things on earth are exactly alike.   There is no such thing as a normal day.  The weather change.  You do different 
things.  You have different feelings each day.  Even if their were such thing as normal, it would be pretty boring doing the same things and looking at the same things all the time.  All the differences in nature and what we do each day make this world a pretty interesting and beautiful place to live in.  It's the same with people.  Nobody is exactly alike.  Except for twins, but that's beside the point!  For the most part, everyone is diffrent, and that's a good thing.  If everybody was the same, we wouldn't get to meet so many new and interesting people.  Having someone come into the world who has a diverseability makes the world an even more diverse and beautiful place to live.

4.  Take it easy on people-  This was a hard lesson for me to learn.  Sometimes a lot of people treat someone who is in a wheelchair differently than they they would normally treat someone who isn't. They stare at them or baby them or things like that.  That used to really bug me, but then I started to think about it in a new light.  First of all, staring from little kids used to really upset me.  It made me feel awkward.    Then I thought about it.  How exactly would I feel if  I was three feet tall and there was someone next to me who was in this big machine with wheels that could crush my feet.  I would think that would be pretty scary if I was little and didn't know better.   The other thing is that kids are just getting used to the able bodied world.  They have tons of questions about everything.  So, they are learning about the "normal" world and then they see you and it throws them off a bit.  I love little kids.  When I see them at the mall and they looked scared of me I smile at them and talk softy.  Sometimes I let them honk my horn.  By the time were done, were best buds.  So if your gentle and nice to them, you may just makes them change their minds and you make a new friend.  The other thing that tends to bug us is adults talking to us like were little kids.  Here are some reasons why they might be doing that.  First of all , they grew up in the era where  there weren't many people with diversabilities and if there were they weren't treated like everybody else because there wasn't the education about how smart these people could be.  Take Helen Keller for example.  Her family didn't know what to do with her.  Nobody knew what whas wrong with her.    Once they got her an aid  and she got taught some language and discipline though, she started showing people what she was capable of and started to teach people about people with diversabilities.   People still weren't very educated after that.  It wasn't until twenty years ago that people really started to think differently about us.  Most of the adults that talk to us a little bit more gently than necessary are mostly in there fifty or sixties.  They grew up in that era where kids with diversabilitys were not highly thought of, and some people love to hang on to the good old days.  We are a changing world though.  I'm sure if you start having a sophisticated conversation with the adult that is belittling you, they will realize how smart you are and the two if you will end up being great friends!

5.  Don't let your challenges be your excuses- I hate it when kids with diversabilities don't try stuff and they say it's because of there challenges.  Sometimes there right.  Some stuff can be pretty tough for them.  I'm talking about the kids that say that about everything.  They say :"I will never be able to do this. I have Cerebral Palsy( or another condition).   All the people in my life have pushed me to do everything and anything that I could possibly do.  Look where it has gotten me.  Don't let your Diversability be your crutch.  It is unbelievable the things people with Diversabilities can do .  Look at what I can do, or what my friend Grace can do.  We don't let anything stop us and neither should you!  JUST DO IT!

6.  Life is Good!-Life is good!  There are always so many wonderful things to look forward to.  You should never let your diversability keep you from enjoying those things .  I know I've been unhappy  tons of times about little things  and it is not worth it! There are so many amazing adventures I get to go on and wonderful people I get to meet. It can be easy to get down in the dumps, but sometimes the easiest option isn't the best option and won't satisfy us in the end!  I certainly need  to work on that!  Anyway, yes, life is good.  Great people, amazing adventures and beautiful nature makes  this world an awesome place to live.  No matter how diverse you are, or how toughthe  things are that you go through, there is always someone that has it that much more tough.  You should always be thankful for what you have.  There is always another person out their that is going to be less fortunate than you!  Life is a roller coaster.  It goes up and down.  When is up, you have to enjoy it.  Enjoy life!  You deserve to be happy!

7.  You're going to have some tough day but that's okay-  Like I've wrote about before, there is quite a few challenges that comes with lots of diversabillities.  It can be hard  struggling with something that everybody else has much more of an easier time with!  Your going to struggle with having to work around the challenges you face and find new ways to do things.  Your going to have to deal with being different from your peers.  There will be things that, no matter how hard you try, you just won't be able to do.  You will have to accept your challenges sooner or later or you won't be happy.  Just remember, everyone have rough days.  Your allowed to be mad, be sad or be frustrated.  The only thing that matters is how you fight it and that you are able to get over it and be ready to start a new day!

8. Try everything at least once-  This is something I think about all the time.  I always like to try everything and anything that I  possibly can.  My aide in elementary school made up a motto for me that says "Can I try that?"  I think it suits me really well.  I don't like it when people  have it so fixed in there mind that I can't do something.  I love proving them wrong!  My rule is that I can't say I can't do it until I've tried it.  Don't underestimte yourself and what you are capable of!  Anything is possible!

9.  It's okay to accept help-  Accepting help from other people is really hard for me to do.  I still don't want to do it sometimes.  I suck at advocating!  I guess it's  partly because I'm kind of quiet.  The other reason though, is because it's embarrassing to ask for help with the simple stuff.  I also don't want to be a burden on the people I love and care about.  I've learned something though.  People like helping others.  It makes them feel good about themselves.   Also, when they help you they get to know you a bit more and find out what an awesome person you  are!  So, let people help you.  I'm sure it will help you both.

10.  Never give up-  I've talked about this before.  No matter how hard something is, you must never, never give up!  I know that I hate giving up.  I hate that feeling of wondering what would have been if I kept going.  It might have been so great and it might have led me to a new adventure that would've been awesome.  When you give up, it doesn't just effect you.  It effects everyone around you.  If one person gives up, it brings down the enthusiasm of doing something for the whole group.  Also, if you give up, and you do it in front of someone that has a much tougher than you, they might want togive up too. Who knows how risky that might be?  Don't give up, for you never know what might be just around the corner.  Your new adventure might be just about to begin.

So, there are some tips for  some kids and teens  with diversabilities  and maybe for the parents who are having trouble coping with their teen being different!  Just remember, people always love to see yousmile.  Hopefully, with doing a few things like the things I mentioned, your smile will stay there.  Take a hold of life by the reins and get ready for the bumpy, exciting, frustrating, maddening, wonderful ride!  Good luck!