Self-acceptance may be difficult for an individual living with a brain injury. As a result individuals living with brain injuries may begin to doubt themselves. This doubt can undermine their ability to trust or believe in themselves.
Societal labels and stereotypes may lead them to believe that they are their brain injuries. In this belief, individuals living with brain injuries may find themselves angry at themselves. Angry at the “world” and their circumstances.
After coming out of my own denial concerning my brain injury, I was angry.
I was angry at the impact of my brain injury. I was angry at the labels, stereotypes that society placed on me. I was angry because / for / at being misunderstood, maligned, manipulated, minimized, marginalized, dismissed and discounted because of what was out of my control.
I was angry at what I was powerless to change because of the impact of my brain injury.
But, I am grateful for this anger. My anger and frustration motivated me to make changes. Changes that helped me to begin on a journey of self-acceptance.
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I am Grateful
I am grateful for the anger I experienced. The anger helped me to move through a grieving process. A grieving process that helped me to accept what could not change. I am grateful for the acceptance of what I could not change. The acceptance of what I could not change gave me the ability to change what I could.
By changing what I could, I grew in self-acceptance. My self-acceptance gave me the gift to be able to get into action. Action that would prove to me that I was not my brain injury. The action that gave me the ability to create hope in my life. The hope that gave me the ability to grow in self-acceptance. The self-acceptance that helped me to realize that I was not my brain injury.
To discover my unique creative capacity to use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for me.
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The self-acceptance that helped me to define my identity as an individual living with a brain injury. To discover my unique creative capacity to use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for me.
The Gift of Self-Acceptance
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”Thomas A. Edison
“It is not that I am so smart, it is just that I stay with problems longer.” Albert Einstein
Self-acceptance gives me the ability to trust, love, accept and approve of myself as an individual living with the impact of a brain injury. Self-acceptance, through the grieving of what I could not change, gives me the ability to discover my unique capacity. My unique capacity to use my gifts, talents and abilities in ways that work for me. Work for me beyond my deficits and limitations, labels, stereotypes or stigmatization.
Dorrin B. Rosenfeld says
THis is so important!!
Second Chance to Live says
Please feel free to share. Thank you, Dorrin! Craig
Second Chance to Live says
Thank you, Dorin. Have a refreshing day. Craig