Many times in autistic people, myself included, we think we don’t have what it takes. We doubt our ability to do the things we need or are expected to do. We allow ourselves to become anxious. We live our lives out of fear. We think we don’t have the ability to do what we need or are expected to do. We must not let our fears overtake our ability to do what it takes. I began to see and understand I do have what it takes to do what is needed to be done.

This action happens in my life when I don’t think I can do anything that is new or different. I have undergone many changes in the past few years. I accepted these changes with great understanding. I did what it took to adapt to them. Many times, my brain made me think the opposite and want to run away from them. I had learned that sometimes avoiding what I need to do makes me feel worse. This happens because of fears that my brain convinces me are true, even if they often are not.

The reality is that others I cross paths with know exactly what I am capable of. They understand the issues I have. They know I need challenges that push me beyond my comfort zone. I have the power to do this. Yes, change happens and it is hard to accept sometimes. There has to be an understanding that things change. They have been the same things as the past but were expressed differently. Even if it makes us want to avoid it, it shows it is important. It matters that we have the ability to do it. We should not let our fears get in the way because of what we think go wrong.

We always want to avoid something out of fear. We might not wait for things to get on the right path. We need to get to where we need to go each day. But the reality is that once I am heading to where I want to go, the anxiety dissipates. For the most part, I am fine doing what needs to be done. I don’t want to disappoint. I know I can have a conversation with those I need if things are just too much.

Sometimes things are overwhelming too and that also is OK. As long as you know how to recover in a healthy way, that’s all that matters. You can pick yourself back up and return to your normal state healthily. There should be no shame in needing to rest and recover from hard things. It’s okay to give yourself a little extra care. Most of all, you need to pat yourself on the back. You did what you needed to do because it took a lot to achieve it. You showed yourself that you can overcome big things. You can do what you need to do to get by.