Though I am not full-time, I have been doing part-time for about two years now. I have to say the old adage of "Attitude is everything" is about everything. Attitude can come from faking it, or owning it. I know the difference well. As a very shy person and uber engineer, I often got nominated for customer calls with the sales guys. My inner chameleon learned how to do sales guy, as readily as it learned how to do guy guy.
That faking attitude was never enough to jump the hurdles of shame and guilt. Only after a lot of hard work, gaining back some self-esteem and self confidence, dropping the shame of being trans and a good portion of the guilt, have I obtained true success. I achieved my life long dream of being seen as and accepted as a woman. Well, lets say no laughing teens, no rocks, no peasents with pitch forks and torches.
I am 6ft tall, tend to overdress some for rural West Virgina, but I am a big city girl. I get the occassional way too long look. Perhaps even more than those I notice. I tell myself it's because of those factor plus being a member of another minority, thin(ish), in a land filled with very overweight people. Sure, look closely and you see the big frog hands, extra-large feet, super-sized super orbital ridges, that may be a wig (which it is), the deeper voice and more. But I live those days and evening as the real me. Experiencing joy. Feelings! Even having some passion rather than the WTF it doesn't matter attitude of my past.
I try to always focus on the positives. It is way too easy to slip into the negatives and derail your day, if not your life. I wish learned that over 30 years ago when I first tried transitioning.
