Visible and Invisible…Effects of Hope

Welcome or welcome back! As always, thank you so much for visiting for the first time, or returning on this journey with us. I continue to look back at how the dots connected for me to get from where I was, living on SSDI, to fully back into the working world. My (dis)ability didn’t go away but I was fortunate, in what feels like a Divine way, to make my way to and enter into the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style). That encounter has taught me more than I realized at the time. Some things are visible and obvious; others have had effects that I didn’t realize until I started writing this blog. It’s good to reflect…think about our pathway from there to here…what changed…can change…or needs to change for us to change locations in our capacity to hope for the unseen and maybe even the unimaginable.

I believe that the effect of hope, starts out invisible, but eventually becomes visible. It starts on the inside and makes its way to the outside. Initially, no one can see it, yet we can feel its presence and even its absence within. It’s a thought in our minds about ourselves, a person, place or thing, that eventually shows up in our actions…in our effort or lack of. If we feel strongly about a thing, we tend to put more effort into it. But, if we don’t believe we can, or that a thing can get better, sometimes it becomes harder to believe beyond what we see…that can make it harder to make a move.

While on SSDI, I had a strong desire to work. I had worked since I was a teenager. Even with the challenge of learning about and navigating the ebb and flow of a (dis)ability I’d never heard of, the disbelief of my reality was emotionally debilitating at times. I felt stuck and had to fight to believe that my reality at the time, was just a chapter that would be in the middle of my final autobiography…nowhere near the end. It takes a lot to believe beyond what you see, hear or even feel. I had to keep believing, it’s all I could do at the time…and I’m glad I did. No matter our (dis)abilities, the depth and width of our abilities can still make a difference in the lives of others, in homes, agencies, corporations, etc.

My self-esteem and self-concept had taken a hit. Sometimes, we can’t do the things we used to do that bring us joy, the way we used to. But if we still have the capacity and desire to learn a new thing, we just may find that there is joy in that too, even more than the old thing or the old way of doing a thing. Working has always brought me joy and even lifelong friends. Being out of the workspace for almost 4 years had its effects, far beyond what I realized at the time. My confidence had been punctured and had become deflated during the time that I was on the outside, looking into the working world, as a spectator. It was obviously a slow leak, as I didn’t notice it until I started working with my Employment Counselor (EC) at My Employment Options (MEO). My confidence grew while on my first job back into the working world.

The support I received through the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style), my EC and my Certified Benefits Specialist is priceless. I certainly couldn’t have paid for it while on SSDI. 😊 It is a free service with tremendous life-long and life-changing value. With the complexity and changes that happen within the SSA Benefits theatre, I was so happy to have a Certified Benefits Specialist on my Team-MEO. It was a beautiful thing that my Certified Benefits Specialist speaks SSA Benefits, because I did not and still do not. She was able to decipher; decode and then translate information I needed to make an informed decision about what was best for me as I navigated my way through the process of returning back to work. She made it less scary and educated me about the safety nets in place so that I could try…but if I couldn’t, my benefits didn’t go away.

When I look back, I’m so grateful for the little seed of hope in me, that grew strong enough to make me believe that I could work again…try…and succeed with priceless support via the Ticket-To-Work Program (MEO Style).  It can take so much longer to do things without support. Some of the support we get is tangible and some is not. It could simply come in the form of motivation, inspiration, encouragement or a living example of what’s possible.

Thank you so much for your time and whether you are someone with a (dis)ability who knows that your abilities far outweigh the (dis) associated with some of them; or if you’re part of the support structured around someone with a (dis)ability, we hope you find something in this blog to give you a seed of hope of what’s possible. Thank you MEO for watering my seed of hope!!

Until next time…take good care of yourselves!

 **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/