My Blessings in Spite of (Or Perhaps Because of) my ASD

Post Reply New Topic

I'm entering some trouble in my life, and I wanted to do what every person in my situation (AS or NT) would do -- b!tch. But then I thought about it. I may have some troubles, but I have a lot to be proud of, in spite of (or perhaps because of) my AS.

-- I have a college degree from a decently competitive school, and a high probability of getting accepted into a master's program when I apply next year

-- I worked in Washington DC for a trade association for 18 months, doing communications work for the most part

-- I am currently employed (even if it isn't the job I had in mind for myself)

-- I have certain social skills that are better than NTs, probably because I have made myself a more astute student of NTs.

-- I think I'll live the rest of my days with a comfortable middle-class lifestyle

There are definitely troubles. For instance, I still have a very hard time getting meaningful social connections. But with all of the negativity floating around on this forum, I wanted to offer something positive. I wanted to offer an example of how I have thrived in spite of my AS, or in a few instances, because of my AS.

Apologies if this is the improper forum. I just wasn't sure where else to put this.

This made me smile - things are rough right now for me, but when I'm feeling more like myself, I do a lot of 'gratitude-checking.' I'd actually say that's the most significant part of me - I constantly remind myself of how darned lucky I am. Actually... instead of derailing your thread, I'll make my own, I think =p

In any event, because folks like us tend to see negatives more clearly than the positives, I think it's important to make a conscious effort to remind ourselves of the upsides in our lives.

all humans tend to focus on the negatives. that's why keeping a gratitude list is so helpful. good going, lotuspuppy.

Perhaps I should make gratitude lists more often. I always thought that focusing on the positives in one's life made one complacent and unable to change. In other words, I wanted constant, aggressive growth, and saw gratitude as getting in the way of that. Well, at what price does agressive growth come at? Sometimes it makes you lose perspective.