Tag: self-advocacy

  • being aroace

    me not wanting to have kids
    me not feeling attraction
    me not understanding what all the fuss is about
    me failing to express myself
    why do I have to reproduce?
    why do I need to fall in love?
    why do I want to exchange bodily fluids?
    me failing to understand expectations
    me finding words
    me finding support
    me finding resources
    me finally able to talk
    me knowing I don't need to do anything
    me knowing there are others like me
    me knowing that I can contribute
    me feeling proud to be asexual
  • The little plant

    Once there was a little plant.
    And like all little plants it wanted to grow and expand, to see, what the garden had to offer.

    But the big plants said: “You are a flower, so behave like a good little flower and stay in your bed. Be pleasant to look at and be fragrant.”

    Meanwhile all the little herbs could grow wherever and however they wanted. The little plant envied them and sometimes thought to itself, what it would be like to be as free as a herb.

    Then someday some weeds came along. They chatted with the big flowers and herbs but were met with some kind of distant respect. They also spoke with the curious little flowers and herbs.

    So the little plant made its first contact with a completely different kind of plant and was very smitten by their tales. They could move freely without the restrictions imposed on flowers or herbs. They were able to explore all the mysteries of the garden and beyond.

    And after a while the little plant realised that it never would be the kind of flower that all the big plants said it should grow into. At that moment the little plant started to grow more confident. Deep down in it’s roots the little plant felt, that in fact it was neither a flower nor a herb but a weed.

    When first it told the other flowers and herbs about it’s realisation it was met with contempt. But the little plant started to spend more and more time with the weeds and soon looked more and more like a weed itself.

    And when the time came for the weeds to move on and to explore another batch of soil in the garden the not-so-little-plant-anymore said goodbye to all the flowers and herbs it grew up with and went with the weeds.

    The plant then explored many more batches of soil, met all kinds of different plants, flowers, herbs and weeds alike. It made a lot of friends along the way and grew to be a big, strong weed.

  • Review week 27/2025

    Plus

    • I stood up for myself in a situation where I was misgendered
    • started with my case study assignment and got a good overview/concept to build upon
    • started a WordPress blog according to my summer 2025 PACT, accepting that not everything needs to be perfect to begin a new project

    Minus

    • I felt miserable after I advocated for myself, even though I know there is no reason for that
    • didn’t finish my case study assignment
    • delayed publishing of the first post because of overwhelming options while setting up, having these urge of perfectionism

    Next

    • asking myself questions to help me find out, where this bad feelings after an advocacy come from
    • working everyday after work for at least half an hour on the case study assignment
    • keep on publishing a post every day and let the blog evolve organically

    Based upon the Plus Minus Next journaling method from Ness Labs