My Weaknesses Into Strengths

Day 10

Yes, I’m dyslexic and have a learning disability. Yes, I’m still talking about that again haha sorry. If we’re being honest, I probably will be talking about it until the day I die. What can I say it has affected me a lot over these years and has played a big role in my life. Some of it has been good, but mostly bad. Like most things in life, what happens to us is what we make of it. If we can turn it into a good situation well that’s even better. This is my weaknesses into strengths.

If you can’t tell where I’m going with this, I turned it into a bad situation. Yes, it all started at a young age. I could use that as an excuse, but what good would that do? I could have turned my ways around and changed directions in high school when I was old enough. But I didn’t, I let my faults and weaknesses still control me and have the upper hand on me for far too long. Yes, I screwed up and I understand that now, I won’t lie and deny that.

Don’t Stop Working

As I’m writing this right now, I now know there is room for improvement. From where I was and where I’m currently standing in life, and where I want to go in my future. There is so much more freedom and room to travel heading towards my future. With that, I still must put in the work. I can’t just think about it and talk about it. I must roll up my sleeves and start working on my skills that are below par and fix them.

That’s why I started writing and writing till my arm started to hurt over the years. I wanted to become a better writer. All though I don’t think I’m there I think, I’m moving closer every day. I hated books and reading, I was slow and embarrassed to read. I could hardly read just by myself, now if I get called on in class a teacher expects me to read in front of everyone? That’s not happening, I’m going to look more like a loser, and feel even more stupid than I already do.

Now I’m committed to reading, I know I can read books I just need to pick the right ones. As the years went on so did the number of books I read each year. The last three years I read 37 books and listened to 10 audiobooks. This year I’m committed to reading 20 books. My end goal is to reach 120 by my 30th birthday, will that happen I don’t know that’s a lot of books haha. I think maybe it was a little too big, so my realistic goal is 100.

Surprise

If I only reach 100 books in five years, that comes out to 20 books over a five-year span. 42% of college graduates never read a book after college. 70% of adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years? Now if you told me these numbers eight-plus years ago I would have been a part of those numbers. If I want to learn and become better and smarter, I need to learn from the successful people in front of me. They helped pave the way for me. I need to work on my weaknesses, especially with LD. Even if I want to stay average, I need to put in more work than others just to get by in life.

For years and years, nobody knew who I was and the kind of person I was. I finally realized a few short years ago when I started writing one of my books, that I have a unique story. Is my story better than others of course not? Is it different than most yes, probably a good percentage than most? I realized I need to stop hiding and search for that light at the end of the tunnel finally. For years I was on cruise control and just going at an easy pace in life just to get by. I was getting bored doing the same thing over and over, I needed something new in my life. I needed a change, writing this book changed me.

Lightbulb

Opening up about who I am to the world, and who I really was, scared me more than you can ever imagine. I was embarrassed about who I was and didn’t like who I was as a person. Why would I want to go write a book about my situation and start blogging about my life? That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard, and a waste of time. Well, I was wrong, before I started I only thought of where I was at the moment. I didn’t look to the end goal. I didn’t think about all the other kids that are dyslexic or confused and searching for a purpose like me.

It was like when Gru said lightbulb in Despicable Me. It just hit me, maybe the reason why I should do this is not just for me? Maybe I should do this for others and stop putting me first for once? Then I realized if I share my story so other kids will know that they aren’t alone and there are other people like them. If I could give them just a little hope knowing what you’re capable of doing if you keep working hard and keep trying your best. The sky is the limit for what you could accomplish, but don’t stop there, keep going. If a small percentage see what I’m talking about and it has the smallest impact on their life, then it’s totally worth it.

If my unique and crazy life so far helps them to keep going and realize we’re all different and all have weaknesses in life. Those weaknesses they thought they had maybe aren’t as bad as they used to think they were. Maybe one day they will look at it as a gift?