To all of the people who are just starting to act their feelings about their gender.  I both pity and envy you.  While I don't know what's in your head now or what your journey will be like, I have enough experience that I can say you will travel from the pits of hell, full of depression and self-loathing to the pinnacle of nirvana, experiencing ecstasy beyond your wildest fantasies. 
There are so many tragedies that are documented, but I believe there are so many more happy endings that we don't hear about.
Thinking back on my own journey in would never have believed my life would have turned out so wonderful.  I am truly happy, and best of all I am me, no longer watching and wishing, but doing and being.

I would love to hear more stories with happy endings.  I have a few myself and would like to share.

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Quote from: Zerobeach on June 04, 2017, 06:57:40 PM
To all of the people who are just starting to act their feelings about their gender.  I both pity and envy you.  While I don't know what's in your head now or what your journey will be like, I have enough experience that I can say you will travel from the pits of hell, full of depression and self-loathing to the pinnacle of nirvana, experiencing ecstasy beyond your wildest fantasies. 
There are so many tragedies that are documented, but I believe there are so many more happy endings that we don't hear about.
Thinking back on my own journey in would never have believed my life would have turned out so wonderful.  I am truly happy, and best of all I am me, no longer watching and wishing, but doing and being.

I would love to hear more stories with happy endings.  I have a few myself and would like to share.

I'm only at the beginning of my journey to discover my happy ending or more importantly my happy existence. Your words are helpful and speak of things that I have to remind myself of constantly.  In another thread hear I just discussed how the slow process of transition right now is eroding my self-esteem and causing me anxiety and depression.  I'm getting through it but part of it comes from having faith in the fact that I'll one day reach that "nirvana" you speak of.  I have a number of friends on this forum and elsewhere who've reached a stage where they're experiencing much of that (although I don't believe I journey ever truly ends) so they serve as my inspiration and motivation.  Thanks for posting this, it does help to be reminded of this.

I am still in transition but feel so much better now. I accept myself and know my path is correct. I have a pretty good idea how I will end up and accept myself fully. I have meet so absolutely wonderful people on my journey. It is a difficult path but I grew from the experience. I accept change wonderfully now.

My journey is far from over, but my happy "ending" so far was getting established on my journey.  I faced some near-paralyzing fear prior to coming out to my wife and prior to going full-time.  I managed to power through it both times. 

After months to trying to tell my wife and getting panic attacks each time I tried, I finally heard myself saying the words, "I think I am transgender."  The happy ending to that step was hearing my wife respond by saying, "Whatever you decide to do, I will support you." 

When it came time to go full-time, I was really worried about how my neighbours were going to react.  I told my therapist about my fears, and she offered to do EMDR to explore the source of the fears.  I got to thinking how many sessions that would take, at a three week wait between sessions and realized that that just wouldn't work with my scheduled coming-out in two weeks.  Shazam: fear gone!  The happy ending was discovering that my transition was like a freight train with no brakes.

And here I am, a long way from done, but I never have to put on a male disguise again.

Quote from: AlyssaJ on June 05, 2017, 08:18:05 AM
In another thread hear I just discussed how the slow process of transition right now is eroding my self-esteem and causing me anxiety and depression.

I know!! Every day waiting on the next step is agony... If it wasn't for the supportive people around me I couldn't take it.

I'm so looking forward to that happy ending, but I know it's still a long ways off.