You Can Do Anything In Spite of Your Disorder

One of the best IOOV presentations I ever gave was at a drop-in center for consumers of mental illness. I gave my usual talk, so I don't know which part of it that impressed this person so much, but one of the clients came up to me afterwards and gave me a card.

This card flashes in pictures between a cocoon if you move it a certain way, and a beautiful butterfly if you move it a different way. It says on it: "You Can Do Anything."

They never said a word, just handed me that card and smiled at me. I was so touched.

I keep it right in front of me at my computer, so I see it often. In one card is expressed my entire journey with mental illness.

I, too, started off in that cocoon, and now I am that butterfly.

It is stability with my bipolar disorder (and other disorders) that I do believe that today I can do anything.

Don't get me wrong, I don't try to play Superman or anything. I've learned what my limitations are, and I don't go beyond them. I stick to my routines. I do all the things I need to do to maintain control over my disorder so that it doesn't get control over me.

It's all been a learning process tho. I mean, you don't become "super-survivor" overnight! In fact, you never get to be "super survivor" at all -- if you felt that way, you'd probably be in the hospital from trying to do everything at once.

You just do the best that you can. Be the best YOU that you can be.

But this message reminds me that I'm not who I was at the beginning of my diagnosis. I am not that same confused and stressed out woman.

Today, through programs like the IOOV program, I know who I am, I realize I'm not perfect, but that each day is one more day I can add to my stable time.

Knowing you can do anything does not mean that you're going to go out and build bridges tomorrow. It means that you can SUCCEED at whatever is important to you, despite the fact that you have a mental illness.

Blessings,
Michele