A Day In The Life Of Molly Spence- How She Works With Her Disability To Spread Her Message Of Independence

1. First, please introduce yourself, what you do and what your disability is? 

Answer: Hey, my name is Molly Spence. I am a blogger, published writer, and disability advocate. I’ve written for and managed my personal blog, Molly’s Zone for nearly three years and I’ve been involved with the independent living movement for two. My work has been featured on sites such as The Mighty, Project Wednesday, Telecom Toolbox, and Unwritten. My disabilities are: mild cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia), generalized anxiety disorder, & clinical depression. 

2) Can you tell The Abler readers what 24 hours in the life of Molly Spence looks like?

Answer: Each twenty-four hour day is never the same for me; honestly, I struggle horribly with my moods and level of motivation and I’m really awful about not having a set routine in place; most of my  afternoons and evenings are spent writing drafts or drumming up ideas all hours of the night. I get floods of inspiration at any given moment in time. Those hours are my most inspired. I spend a lot of time attending conference calls for the various organizations I’m involved with. I clean and cook dinner sometimes. I am going to have to build some structure in my life. I’m not an early riser, but I love my morning coffee. How much I get done in one day depends on my energy level. 

3) Do you think having a disability helps or hinders your professional/personal life and if yes, in what ways?

Answer: I feel that having disabilities serves as both a hindrance and a help to the two sides of my life; professionally, as a writer I have gained a fan base and a lot of confidence in my craft. I’ve gotten to travel & experience things that most people don’t have the chance to, so I am blessed there. As for my personal life, my biggest obstacle isn’t cerebral palsy nowadays; it is my battle with depression and anxiety that can make life really difficult. Cerebral palsy is one thing I’ve come to comfortably embrace; I am what I am. It is a battle to stay motivated & focused at times but I keep moving. I love all of the people I’ve gotten to meet and I’m so happy my writing is spreading to so many around the world. Seeing an article of yours reach readers in places like Singapore & Budapest is super awesome! 

4) What are three of the most invaluable lessons you have learned about yourself regarding your disability?

Answer: Three of the most invaluable lessons that I have learned about myself on this journey is that: I’m tougher than what I ever thought I could be, friends are a priceless treasure, and to stop being so hard on myself (which is one thing I still struggle with). I have grown to be rather resilient. I haven’t quite found my voice in life yet, but I am working on it. Life situations and my survival have shown me that you can go through any situation and come out on the other side. Becoming a part of the writing world has truly been therapy for me; I’ve made so many wonderful online friends and I love getting to share my life with so many. I am a perfectionist and i’m always second guessing life; I still have a tendency to be hyper focused on those around me instead of my Savior above me. I still don’t think I have this “social life thing” down to a science just yet. 

5) What do you hope society learns from the many different types of disabilities in the world today that they have yet to learn or understand?

Answer: The one thing I hope that society comes to realize about the disability community is that we are just people. We are all just trying to make it in the world and contribute the same as everyone else. We hold just as much potential and a voice as loud as any other person. We deserve to be heard just as much as anyone else. Times have improved certain aspects for those with disabilities but I still feel as though society doesn’t pay enough attention to us. We aren’t valued as much as we should be.

If you could back and tell the little girl, and the teenage you any advice to prepare them for life later on what would it be and why? 

Answer: Growing into adulthood, I really have not changed much and if I could I would go back and tell both the little girl and the teenage me to quit being so shy and to speak their mind. I would tell them that they will go through a lot, just by letting people take advantage of them and by giving into the power of hurtful words that serve no beneficial purpose. At almost 27, I would tell them that they are stubborn and that will never change unfortunately. Learn to love who you are fully and don’t worry so much about if people like you or not; even in adulthood, I tend to obsess over that.I would say to them “you are and always will be your worst critic”.  Don’t let life steal your joy. Don’t let people use you. Stay away from toxic friends that don’t have your best interest at heart even though they make you believe so. I would alert them that they possess a writing talent because I would have loved to discover it earlier. I found out during my second year of college. I have always asked myself “what if?” How much would it have altered both my personal life and public school experience for the better? Oh, and don’t take on so much in life, I tend to do that and stress management is an issue for me, so overdoing it will never work out well. And, please don’t ignore what I said although I know the younger me would. Older is wiser. I would tell them these things in hopes that it would make my transition a little easier. Be prepared to be an intensely emotional and anxious person; focus your strength and energy on Christ. He is your best friend. And please know you are loved. You always will tend to be filled with the worst self confidence and you will lack trust in what others say. You’re also very stubborn and ambitious; you always will be. 

Where do you see yourself in the next five years either in your professional life, personal life, or both?

Answer: In the course of the next five years, I hope to see my writing career blossom into a beautiful flower once more. Full of color, inspiration, and life.  My career hasn’t been so active lately, and I would like to focus my time and attention on that fully; I have so many projects that have been left unfinished. Such as a fictional project, and various other non writing related endeavors to embark on. I hope to meet someone special in this time frame. I also hope to be a stronger, more settled version of myself. I want myself to fully know who she is without being afraid to say how she feels and what she thinks. I want to be more outspoken. I hope to continue advocating, but I doubt I will be traveling in years to come. I’d love to just work from home. My mother and I are also in talks to start an online craft making business and boutique during this time span, so I’m looking forward to that. My books will also be sold in this online store.

same conference, 2017 Spokane Washington

Presenting at the 2017 April conference,

Pictured in photo with Molly, is friend Emily Robinson

What inspires you to keep pushing forward during difficult moments in your life?

Answer: My mom is my rock. As I mentioned before, my emotional and mental well being has been quite the challenge for the past ten years or so. Those difficult days always make me question ever detail of life. I can live days that are so wonderful, so inspired, and so profoundly clear and understood. I’m always reminded of how far I’ve come during those days. Others leave me emotional; as I said, it is a continuous struggle and a lot of it derives from the stress I put on myself. I over do life. I’m an overachiever. My mom is my greatest joy & inspiration. She keeps me up, moving, and motivated during the hard times. She’s always helped me to focus on what I can do, instead of what I can’t. 

If you were to write your autobiography what would you call it and why?

If I were to write my autobiography, I would title it Molly’s Journey because life truly has been an interesting journey full of learning experiences and personal growth. I would format it as a  faith based self-help book. 

What three words would you use to describe your life's journey thus far?

I would describe my life in three words by saying its been: blessed, enlightening, & a great teacher. I never expected to accomplish as much as I have; God has brought me so far. 

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Social media:

Twitter: @mollys221

Instagram: mollywvsilc