Read through! #AutismAcceptance #IrePearlCentre.

One of the greatest lessons I ever learned in college was the ability to lead through, “The Power of a Positive Attitude.” When I was growing up it was always difficult for me to commit to things, always hard for me to get to that next level. A big part of that was based on my attitude. I didn’t know it back then, but I was blind from how my attitude was leading the direction of my life. As a kid, it was always tough for me to focus on what was needed to overcome my obstacles.

College did change me though. It made me understand the need to take my attitude that indeed dramatically changed in high school to another level again. This happened when I started to realize there’s a solution to everything. Indeed, some of these solutions are ever-changing as our society evolves and gains more knowledge, but I came to believe what my mom would always tell me: “There are no problems, just solutions.” This helped me tremendously. Whether it was getting accommodations for classes or even finding a way for an individual with autism, such as myself, to get a masters degree in strategic communication, the solution was there for me to find.

What I hope you take from this is that even though there is a great deal of uncertainty out there involving autism and disabilities, we must continue to push positivity in everything we do. There are answers out there to help our loved ones succeed. Getting down on ourselves will help no one in our pursuits for a better tomorrow. Our community is in desperate need of this. I know this might be harder for some, but I ask that you make an effort to lose yourself in your passions to make a difference for yourself and the lives of others.

Tell yourself, “There are ways to improve my life. There are ways to help my loved ones.” Make these your mantra. We spend so much time saying what we don’t have, what services we can’t find, what diagnoses we can’t get, that we sometimes don’t appreciate what we have today.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Strive to find the solutions. And if you can, do it with a smile. It can make a world of difference. It did for me.

This post originally appeared on KerryMagro.com.