Those of us with disabilities, know it can be hard to become as independent as we want too. I have noticed now that I am older living independently the way I want to can be hard. For example, those of us with disabilities who may not have a job or can’t drive or have to depend on other people in our lives to help us with everyday activities, it can become frustrating. That is why in my last post I talked about setting goals for yourself in your life to become a better version of yourself. Though right now it may seem like you can’t do things by yourself like driving yourself to a coffee shop or bookstore just to get some quiet time to do some of your own work. You may not be able to do that because you can’t drive, and you have to depend on someone else to drive you. It’s just the fact that independent living for those of us with disabilities can be pretty hard for some of us. There are lots of challenges. For example, here are some that I can name that even I struggle with:
1. Transportation
2. Cooking (making your own meal)
3.Cleaning up your room
4. Doing laundry
5. Getting a job
All these everyday skills can be a challenge. But it is true the more that you work at it the easier it will get. But for us it can take longer to accomplish these skills. Not everyone may know we struggle with these things because for those of us with an invisible disability it may just seem like we have it all together at times. But on the inside and at home when no one is watching, we really struggle.
For me not having an independent life makes me feel frustrated, and feeling like I always have to depend on someone. It seems like I always have to plan around other people’s schedules. I can’t just go and do some of the stuff that I want to do. I am an outgoing person and I love to do stuff, but of course at times my anxiety does get to me and I don’t do some stuff. But doing some things on my own like going to a bookstore and taking my laptop and writing makes me feel good about myself. I also enjoy going out with friends. A lot of my friends can’t drive, so we have to depend on other people or our parents to drive us around. Yes it can get frustrating as you can see. But what I am trying to do in this time of not being as independent as I wish I could, I try to focus on the positive things in life and the things I can do and be happy. There is also nothing wrong with putting your hopes up for a better future of living more independently later in life. Keep on working your way up towards a more independent future and being stronger. And keep looking for your strengths and what makes you happy.
We should try and focus on what God has already given us in this life and thank him for it. Though we know we wish these things could get better, and it can be hard, but I know God has a plan for all of this. Look up Jeremiah 29:11.
Living independently and doing things on my own gives me more confidence and helps me to be happier. Living independently makes me feel good about myself, and makes me feel like I can do more things. Living independently shows others (family members) that I can be responsible.
What are some things that you're working on in your life to be independent?