Your label is not who you are
Hello and welcome to my blog article “Jhana’s Writing Journey.” I am your writer and disability advocate, Jhana. I am trying to keep up with my blogs on a regular basis which is every Thursday. However, I don’t have a set date and time that I would be doing my vlogs yet it’s on a random basis. But thank you for all of your support and patience. So let’s get started with this week’s blog article.
Have you ever met someone and you told them your name multiple times but all they could remember about you was your label which is your disability? For years, the way people remember who I am is the girl with no neck, the girl who dresses funny, the girl who has four eyes, the girl who shakes her head uncontrollably even if it is a habit, or the girl who has balance issues. I was never Jhana. I was never a person aside from my disability.
Learn to accept your disability
What I learned about having a disability is that it’s not your fault. You didn’t ask to have a disability, you were either born with it or you had a traumatic experience that caused your disability. No matter how you got your disability, you should not feel guilty for having it.
To me, embracing your disability means accepting your disability for what it is and not changing who you are for someone’s approval. I am not really religious but when I used to go to church, I made a testimony about my disability. I accepted my disability for a little while, but still felt out of place. Long story short, I was not accepted there and I felt like I had to be someone who I was not. They tried to split my Fiance and I up because they felt like he shouldn’t be with a disabled girl. But they failed to realize that he has a disability too. It’s just invisible unlike mine. So my Fiance and I left.
Ever since we left, there were no negative people left to insult me and my relationship. I’ve learned, if you don’t surround yourself with negative people then you would have a much better mindset. And when you have a good mindset, then you would accept and embrace your disability and not hide from it. Because hiding from your disability won’t let you be who you are. What my Fiance said to me and I would like to share with you is, “Your disability is not who you are. You make who you are.” What does that mean to you?
If they don’t remember your name but only your label, then they are not worth your time. You are worth so much more than what everyone perceives you to be. So if you don’t like the way someone treats you then you have the power to change it. Trust me, you’ll be happier. I am not saying that it will happen overnight because it took me a while before I had the courage to say enough is enough. If you don’t like the label that everyone gives you, then create a new label that someone can call you instead. For example, I love writing (if you can’t tell), my label is being a writer. What’s your label? What makes you, you?
References
Corbin, Dakota. “Woman walking beside the wall with the best gift is your graffiti photo — Free Quote Image on Unsplash.” Unsplash, 21 February 2017, https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-walking-beside-wall-with-the-best-gift-is-you-graffiti-xh4mG4cqHGg.
