That Went Well

[Kate T]

Awesome Melissa!

Forgive me if I sound like some sort of interviewer and you are certainly right, "results may vary" but what I am hoping I guess is that people who are unsure how to take that full time step can read your story and others and gather ideas to help them on their journey.

So it sounds like you had a core group of people close to you who were supportive both at a personal level but also at a work level, who perhaps had some prior knowledge of your transition so they were ready to support and back you up so to speak and perhaps also provide an example / leadership model of acceptance? You also sound like you have a very firm handle on your own identity, emotional state and needs. Was this always the case or did you have to develop this self acceptance and maturity with the help of professional counselling?

BTW understand COMPLETELY about the sense of relief once it is all out there. Funny thing is it wasn't just me who felt this, but also my wife and kids as well as our staff at work.

[Zooey]

So it sounds like you had a core group of people close to you who were supportive both at a personal level but also at a work level, who perhaps had some prior knowledge of your transition so they were ready to support and back you up so to speak and perhaps also provide an example / leadership model of acceptance?

I don't know that I'd describe it that way. I DID have a group of friends who had known about me for a long time that I also work with, but none of those people were in that leadership meeting. I'm not particularly close to those people; that meeting was purely informational for them. It just so happens to be the case that our leadership team (and the vast majority - perhaps all - of the people in my studio) are very open-minded and willing to be supportive. Again, I'm exceedingly fortunate in that way.

You also sound like you have a very firm handle on your own identity, emotional state and needs. Was this always the case or did you have to develop this self acceptance and maturity with the help of professional counselling?

Thank you. I'd say it was always the case, or at least that i've always had an aptitude for that, and spent the last year full-time-except-for-work learning more and more about myself. Counseling certainly helped quite a lot, but mostly as a sounding board while I worked through issues. I tend to try to deal with things head on, and so I've done a lot of personal work tackling my insecurities. For example... When I noticed I was getting excessively self-conscious about my shoulders, I forced myself to wear tank tops out all weekend. This is not to say that I don't have insecurities; I have a list a mile long. I work hard not to let them dictate my behavior though. I think that constantly working on things like this also gives one a pretty good sense of how different situations and challenges can affect their emotional stress level. By the time I went full-time, I was very comfortable with my identity and the business of living my life. Work was the last remaining vestige of the old me, and once the legal changes went through I couldn't shed it fast enough.

Put another way... I went full-time at the point when doing it legitimately felt like it was going to simplify/improve my life in more ways than it was going to complicate/damage it. I believe I picked the right moment for me, but only time will tell.

[Krististeph]

Slam dunk, sister! Good for you!

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Put another way... I went full-time at the point when doing it legitimately felt like it was going to simplify/improve my life in more ways than it was going to complicate/damage it. I believe I picked the right moment for me, but only time will tell.

Transition is about quality of life..that's it.

I'm super happy that you did such a good job improving your quality of life and you were blessed to get the rewards.

[Jennifer-GWN]

Spot on Melissa. Well done.

[Nadya]

Congratulations! That's wonderful news!

[Eryn]

Congratulations!
I look forward to (and also dread) following your path.
Thanks for sharing your experience and the link to the "bible"!