When I talk about managing through life’s murky middle, I can attest to it all too well. I have stories to share for days on end to help you along your journey to your point of pride. I have an adult son with a disability. When he was a baby, we were told by his doctors that he wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things in his life due to his impairment. One thing I would always tell my son, “Williams Syndrome doesn’t have you, YOU have Williams Syndrome.” I wanted him to know that he had the power, not the disability.

My son grew to understand the difference between the disability and himself and with the help of his brothers, grandparents, cousins, extended family, teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, friends, and the like, he accomplished many of the things in life we were told he wouldn’t – including earning a high school diploma and attending college in a program for students with special needs. He even lived off-campus with roommates – that’s an entirely different conversation (I’m laughing and crying, all at the same time) – and made many friends he still has today from those experiences. Today, he is living a full and rewarding life in spite of his impairment.

Do you understand the difference in your life? Your impairment may not be medical, rather actions of your own or others that you allow to prevent you from moving forward in life. It could be a bad relationship, family issues, negative self-talk, challenges with your career, or simply confusion about what you’re really good at or what you want to do with your life. To manage your “impairment” you must understand that you have the power, and change begins with you. Get out of your uncomfortable comfort zone.

I’ve learned that the kind of change God affords us doesn’t mean our lives will be perfect. It means it will be fuller and more wide-ranging. Begin by identifying your impairment, the support system around you (remember, everyone can’t come), and make a plan to take action to manage it to become the best version of yourself.

Similar to my son’s journey, and my own, your major endeavors will require help. It takes a village. I am thankful to the village who helped me through life’s challenges and, more recently, those who helped me launch Your Point of Pride, LLC so that I could become a part of your village. I’m here to serve you. Let’s take hold of your impairment.