Of the past six years, I have struggled to be both authentic and regulated. It has been a constant struggle to find my place in this world while understanding why it is important to be regulated. However, my life has come to a point where being able to be regulated is essential and that authenticity comes as it relates to being regulated.

There have been many times where I have not been able to regulate myself because I have believed that I was doing well when I was not, and it has reared itself up to the point where a situation has been unpleasant for all involved. While things happen during my life, I know I must do more to be able to regulate myself when it comes to being more challenging than others.

The reality is that we as humans never know what we are going to expect during our lives. Things can change in several ways quickly. As an autistic person, it is crucial for me to be always taking care of myself. That includes having the insight that I have come to know and being able to advocate for myself when things are challenging for me.

While taking care of my mental health is essential, it alone is not something that I can use as an excuse when things are challenging. There are coping strategies that I have come to know and when things get challenging, that is what must be deployed when the going gets tough. It can be hard to be authentic, but part of that is understanding that the struggle is real and therefore it is essential to always be authentic by continually working at regular intervals to regulate yourself properly so you can be the person that others have known you to be.

Living a life as a person that has multiple challenges can be difficult. But I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am today. It certainly has not been easy for me, and I have paid the price many times for not taking care of myself. I now understand that I only have a limited amount of grace by others and therefore being able to regulate myself in challenging situations is crucial for a world that is ever challenging in its own way.

Allowing myself to be authentic can relieve some of that stress, but only if I am able to properly regulate myself in a way that is healthy for all involved in my treatment. There has been a point that I have realized that there is a necessity to be regulated because I am depended on my so many and not being my best only does a disservice to those around me.

I know that I not only have the power to be who I truly am, but I can also be the person that I need to be  because I have worked hard to get to where I am today. I must work in earnest to continue to be the best person that I can be. Always. Everyday.