I wanted to share this on Easter which is a day of joy to most

*INSPIRATION WARNING!* 

In my 28 year career as an Emergency Services Specialist a large part of my job was spent with individuals who were close to deaths door. One of the biggest recurring emotions that came across strong was regret. Regret of not accomplishing things put off, not being a good enough parent or spouse or wishing they could have done many things differently in their own lives. One of the things I learned through this was to grasp every second of life available as we never know what is around the corner in life. Denying yourself is one of the worse possible things I can imagine and I decided no more. I would never live my life under the mandates of another and feel joy and amazement every day even when it is not easy to do. I have succeeded and that is why I know each and everyone of you can as well. I started my journey late in life at 47, but now my life is bigger and brighter than ever. I am out in public and have been since January 1st, 2014. I have accomplished things I never knew I could. I am now a Lobbyist at our State Capitol for GLBT rights and mentor several new transitioners. This post is not a brag about what all I have accomplished, but notice that you too never have to deny yourself or life confined to misery or conditions. I beg each and every one of you not to die with regret, but depart this Earth in peace and joy knowing you did not waste one single moment and you lived on your terms. It is possible, it is realistic and it is within your grasp. Please make sure the only emotion you have when your time has come to be love and joy! Stop by Facebook sometime and see I am genuine with these thoughts and all the adventures my new life has provided. Happy Easter and may life begin anew for all of you!! 

Inspirational words there!

A note from me: don't be too bothered about your health, eat all the chocolate you damn please.

Quote from: Kimberley Beauregard on April 05, 2015, 04:18:45 PM
A note from me: don't be too bothered about your health, eat all the chocolate you damn please.

That is one of the best things about being an older transitioner! Who cares about the waistline, chocolate is good!! Lol

(I'm translating the OP as "go for it!")

I'd love to "go for it," but -- I haven't figured out what I'm "going for".

I spent a half century trying to be what I thought other people wanted me to be (which nearly killed me), and have spent the past 10 years trying to figure out who and what I am under all that crud so I can live as "the real me."  I'm mostly out as what I've figured out so far -- gender non-conforming male -- but I'm fairly certain that's not all.  I suspect I want to transition, but I don't know if that's "the real me" wanting it or I'm just assuming that's what I want because it seems like "everybody" is doing it.

It's like being stuck at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere and trying to read a map that turns out to be just one big coffee stain, and I'm really hungry and tired and would really rather not spend the next three days wandering around dirt roads that go from nowhere to nowhere just looking for a place to eat and sleep.

Thank you Jessica, very inspiring, hugs.

Quote from: Asche on April 05, 2015, 07:41:33 PM
I suspect I want to transition, but I don't know if that's "the real me" wanting it or I'm just assuming that's what I want because it seems like "everybody" is doing it.

Once again Asche, I get an eerie deja vu from reading your words. I posted something similar a few years ago in this thread:

Quote from: suzifrommd on August 05, 2012, 02:53:15 PM
Could this be peer pressure?

Thing is, I spend a lot of time on Susan's, and go to a Transgender support group twice a month. Both places are very supportive, and I've heard amazing stories how transition changed and vastly improved lives. Many of the women I've met in person are proud of themselves, present in an attractive way, are intelligent and accomplished, and generally show transition in a very positive light.

Who wouldn't want that?

If I hung around mostly with rich bankers, and saw what their success bought, heard tricks of the banking trade, and how much they liked being bankers, wouldn't I think for a moment about taking up banking as a profession?

Quote from: Kimberley Beauregard on April 05, 2015, 04:18:45 PM
Inspirational words there!

A note from me: don't be too bothered about your health, eat all the chocolate you damn please.

Well I wouldn't go THAT far. I have too much and really bad things happen.

Actually taking care of my health is the best thing I ever did, I feel like a brand new person. And believe it or not HRT has helped me along in that regard by more or less pushing me to the doctors office.

Transitioning itself is a huge step forward for our health. My blood pressure is proof of that. Thanks for sharing the inspirational post.
Mariah

Thanks a lot for sharing this, Jessica!

Quote from: suzifrommd on April 05, 2015, 07:52:02 PM
Once again Asche, I get an eerie deja vu from reading your words. I posted something similar a few years ago in this thread:

And thanks again for your kind words.  At the risk of sounding creepy, I'll admit that I always get a warm glow in my heart when I read your posts.

Sometimes it seems so simple.  Why not transition?  The idea of living out the rest of my life as a man doesn't sound all that attractive (like living in black-and-white), and when I look at it objectively, I'm fairly sure that the people in my life would accept me if I did transition.  I'm close enough to retirement that in the unlikely event that my company used it as an excuse to get rid of me, it wouldn't be much of a hardship.

I met again with my gender counselor last night, and she confirmed some of the things about being a woman and especially about how women (generally) relate to one another that most attract me to the idea of transitioning.  She's said all along that, in her opinion, my main gender-related issue (and maybe my main issue in general) is dealing with my self-doubts.  So maybe all I really need to do is to overcome my procrastination.

----

But the tigers come at night / with their voices soft as thunder.
As they tear your hope apart / as they turn your dreams to shame.