I hid my disabilities at work. Now I know they don’t limit my worth.

After being diagnosed with several chronic illnesses in my late teens and early 20s, I had to re-evaluate my relationship to work at an age where I’d been taught work defined worth. The systems around me reaffirmed this message, especially the workplace itself. After navigating several health crises, I gradually learned my worth wasn’t determined by what I could “do,” and that it was more important to listen to my body and myself.