[A18793715]

I watched this and it made me realize how many people have told me they look up to my strength because they can't imagine my life or anything along those lines. To me, really, they're just saying "I'm so glad I'm better off than you." Which is exactly what the lady in this video is talking about.

What do you guys think?

Stella Young: I?m not your inspiration, thank you very much | Talk Video | TED.com

[Sometimes psychotic]

I don't know that it's exactly that for everyone for me it's more like lifting more weight. I could do 15 reps of something at one weight but if they guy next to me is doing twice that weight I'm going to be impressed---to me disability is like lifting more weight at any given time but I say this having been though not walking at one point in my life and having been though reactive arthritis which makes it hard to get up in the morning and having been through psychosis that makes it hard to think. It's all a challenge...it actually is harder and if someone wants to look up to me then I say great....I don't think it's the same as pity.

[Angelique67]

I don't know, I'm not able to do much of anything so it's unlikely I'd be a source of any inspiration at all.

[A18793715]

@sometimes,'I can see your point. In my head, I see it as a constant uphill battle that I'll never win.

@angel, I feel the same way. Despite everything, I want to try college to try to do something in this world.

[Axiom]

Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed that talk. She seems like a very smart woman. And it was inspiring to see her talk, not because she's disabled, but because she had the guts to go up there in front of all those people and be so honest (I do not think I could have pulled it off) and because I think she really hit the nail on the head.

However, I'm not sure at all what this means for me and my diagnosis. I will have to think about that for a while.