29: DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH SPECIAL: Pursuing a Work-Life Balance When You’re Disabled - Emma’s Story

This is a special episode to mark Disability Pride Month, which falls every July. My guest is Emma Livingstone, a married mum of three, who, in 2018, founded a campaigning movement called "UP - The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement", to improve care services for adults living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Emma was diagnosed with CP in childhood, but it was only when she reached adulthood that she realised how monumental the barriers were to her living her best life with all the challenges posed by her disability.   Throughout my interview with Emma, we touch on some of the practical ways that Emma finds her balance, and the power that shifting into the mindset of “owning” your disability, has had for Emma.   The principles of self-acceptance and empowerment are core tenets of Disability Pride Month. Similarly, self-acceptance and empowerment - for example of setting your boundaries and deciding what your priorities are – are core tenets also of finding a work-life balance that works for you. So, a lot of our conversation, while focusing on living with a disability, actually - unexpectedly - pointed to  some of the universal foundations of the pursuit of balance.   Being proud of yourself and your choices, while remaining open to showing your vulnerability, is not an easy balance to strike. This is a challenge that Emma has faced head on. In doing so, she has learned that embracing vulnerability, asking for help, and living in the moment, are some of the greatest assets to finding balance when living with a disability. To read more about my interview with Emma, go to www.a-fine-balance.com/podcast.