Consider This…What If…

Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to visit the MEO Blog, as you join me through lessons learned and benefits earned from the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style). Sometimes at the start of a thing…standing at the base…there is no doubt that it is a steep hill to climb. If we throw into the mix a (dis)ability, or simply not feeling well, it can leave us to ponder…should we…or should we not…even try. If you ever have, are, or may in the future, ponder if you should work your way back into the workspace…I ask you to consider…what if you did…or what if you didn’t.

As I began to write this blog, I couldn’t clear the question from my mind, what if? What if I had just accepted the limitations that come with others who have been diagnosed with the same (dis)ability that I have. When I initially started researching what in the world my (dis)ability was, and what it meant for my livelihood and quality of life, it was absolutely devastating. The more I Googled, the heavier my spirit became. All kinds of what ifs…the negative ones…swirling around in my head. My imagination began to run wild and play out scenarios that had not even happened yet, and as of 12 years later, have not happened or have been managed far beyond those negative scenarios that were playing out in my imagination.

As we know, (dis)abilities are different and affect each one they attach themselves to, differently. How they affect us can be different, how we manage them can be different, our treatment of them and for them can be different, how we handle them physically, mentally and emotionally can be different. So, we can have the same (dis)ability as someone else, but it’s the variables that are mentioned above, and some, that determine the output. I had a decision that I had to make, whether I accepted my research as my story or I could consider some what if’s…the positive ones…and open my laptop and apply, apply and apply again, until someone said ‘welcome’…in order to start the journey of writing my own story of how I realized my battery was low and found a charging station.

It was during this time that it became obvious that my battery was running pretty low, although I was hopeful in my spirit. I couldn’t see the charging stations needed to recharge me with what I needed to press forward; navigating through a new way of doing or not doing things that were my norm. As I look back, I realize that if you charge a battery without understanding what kind it is, so that you know how to charge it, it likely will not fully charge and operate at maximum capacity. I would eventually find the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style), and it would become my charging station. From the Intake Specialist to my Employment Counselor (EC) and Benefits Specialist, they took the time to understand my goals, skills and abilities and walked me through the process of what I call the maze back into the working world.

My cups were empty or partially full in areas that I didn’t realize. When you have a (dis)ability, it happens. Sometimes you have to be focused on the reality of what’s happening in your body, mind and/or emotions to ensure that your cups are filled with the things needed to get from where you are to where you want to be. Once I started the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style), I had something else to focus on and something to be hopeful about…possibility. Because finding a job is a job, I woke up with purpose. I was on a mission. Nothing was easy about it…the applications…the assessments…the interviews…the thank you for applying but…emails…none of it’s easy…but I ask you to consider with me…what if I had not…

From my first customer service job…which we already established in previous blogs, I was not crazy about at all 😊, very grateful for it though, but it was a means to an end that helped me step into my current role on the opposite side of the table. I would become one of several other clients who switched chairs and are now EC’s, helping others down the same path we took, using the same charging station – Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style). So, as I consider…what if I didn’t take the customer service job, because I really didn’t want to, but my budget really wanted me to. What if I wasn’t patient, sometimes maybe not so much, and gave up during the 2.5 years in between when I started my first job back into the workspace and my ultimate goal of returning to Vocational Counseling. When I consider this…what if…it is met with gratitude for the opportunity that the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style) opened up for me to be re-charged…doing a different thing a different way…so that I continue to rise in the morning with purpose…when I was searching for a job and now that I’ve navigated back into the workspace. It’s a maze and sometimes you have to adjust…but it’s not a journey you have to take alone.

Thank you, as always, for sharing your time with us. Always look for your charging stations in people, places and things! And remember, flexibility opens up opportunity and new experiences that may exceed your expectations. MEO exceeded my expectations! Take good care of yourselves and keep looking up!

 **If this is your first visit to our blog site, please feel free to visit previous blogs. If you’re interested in more information regarding applying for the MEO Ticket to Work Program…click here: https://myemploymentoptions.com/apply-now/