As I have had a lot of life experiences this year, I am also learning how to be stronger. There are things that happen that make us stronger and more capable of what we have once thought was impossible. Being autistic can be challenging when we are faced with uncertainty and are required to wait patiently for things to run their course, but that is how life is sometimes, and is a skill that needs to be acquired.

It is known that autistic people thrive off routines. Since being an adult over two decades ago I have been much better at being flexible, but, what if being flexible also provides uncertainty to your day and you must wait to see what happens in the day? It can seem like the ultimate worst thing to happen, and you may want to find possible solutions to end the need to wait. However, there it is good to practice patience and prepare yourself for things that may happen and act accordingly.

While it can be challenging to not know how things are going to do or what the next steps are going to be. It is also important to not overreact by asking or asserting to do things that you may find solutions to ending the need to be patient and wait for what is going to happen. If you do, you must figure out in your end exactly what could and would happen if you asked for your alternative. In the end, it may be better for you to just hold out and be patient by doing other things that are more helpful for you than following through with that alternative solution.

I know firsthand how hard it can be patient and  wait for something to happen. The past few months as required me to do a lot of waiting and do things instantly to support my family in the challenging times they have been experiencing. Through all of it, I have discovered the need to get my mental health back on track to assure my family that I am not a stressor to their lives at a time when they do not need it.

There have been many instances over the past few years where I have not understood how not caring for my mental health concerns others. Sometimes you need to hear it and realize that taking care of yourself in a way that helps not only you, but them as well can pay off in dividends by not bringing on more stress and worry to their stressors that they are experiencing.

Part of that means that there are times when it is going to just become necessary to have to wait and be patient before knowing what the next steps are going to be. I know firsthand, it can be hard, but there are times when it can be more helpful to others by doing so when it is known that you have the skill and ability to do so. Remember, you are stronger and more capable than your brain wants you to believe.