Before I discussed what being successful means. In that I also mentioned how society has exceptions for someone to be successful. These expectations often cause us to put ourselves down when in reality we are doing just as good as everyone else. We often focus on another individuals path instead of our own.

Why does society feel the need to give expectations to anyone? While you may hear having a mental illness doesn’t define you or mean anything to what you can accomplish, someone may also be impacted by their mental illness daily. Society continues to make an individual with a mental illness an outcast. If a person has a panic attack in public, people stare at them. If a person who suffers from schizophrenia begins hearing voices, people call them crazy and try to stay away from them. We want to make people feel welcome, but when their actions don’t conform to what we expect to see we make them feel less than.

It’s important for people who are affected by a mental illness not let societies judgement impact their success. Their success may be to get out of bed for the day, while another persons success is graduating college. Everyone has a different path and it is important that we acknowledge this so that we can overcome what society wants. You may be afraid of the judgement that comes with this. However, focusing on the fact that someone’s judgement isn’t going to help you succeed is what matters.

No one person can tell you how to live your life. You must always remember how you want to live your life and what you want out of life.