Create a Green Zone Life- by Vicky Westra

When Pier and I first met it was love at first sight and we felt that we had each met our soul mate. Eventually, we got married and started to create our Green Zone Life, filled with joy, fun, excitement and adventure. We each had budding careers, purchased our first home and had plans for a future family. After many years of trying to have our own child, we concluded that adoption was the way to create the family we dreamed of.

After many years of going through the adoption process, we ultimately adopted our daughter Gabbi from an orphanage in Romania at the age of 27 months. We knew we would have some challenges to overcome, but not as significant as the ones we encountered. Because of the effects of being in an orphanage setting, Gabbi was extremely delayed on all fronts. However, from the start, I suspected that something else was going on, which started a series of testing of all types which concluded with the diagnosis of Autism at the age of 4.

Over the next several years, we would allow our situation, Gabbi’s behaviors and the diagnosis of Autism to keep us in the Red Zone. We lived in a place of frustration, worry and fear. It was definitely taking a toll on us individually as well as a couple.

I ultimately turned towards my spirituality (through spiritual teachings), my faith and the study of many topics including emotional management to find a path back to the joy that I and we had once experienced. I found, adapted and created some tools that I used to help me focus on what I wanted to create.

I came to the realization that every day, we get to choose what type of day we want to create. When we start making the choices that are aligned with who we really are more times than not, then those days start adding up and soon we can find ourselves creating a Green Zone Life experiencing emotions such as hope, enthusiasm, love and joy on a regular basis.

Where are you finding yourself today? Are you creating a Red Zone or a Green Zone Life? Did you know that you can choose? Starting today, you can make a choice that your dominant intention is to live in the Green Zone. That doesn't mean that you won’t have some red zone moments or even days, but you can predominantly be in a good feeling place more often than in a not so good feeling place.

Today, we find a big portion of our Autism Community living in the Red Zone. I know what that’s like because that’s where we were at as well. However, at some point, we made the choice to live life in the Green Zone and decided to start looking at life with Autism through our Green Zone lens.
For many years, all the stories and documentaries about Autism showed individuals and families living in the red zone with Autism! No wonder that many individuals today wish that they had never received the diagnosis.

Today, we are starting to see a Shift in that by what we are starting to see at the movies and through documentaries. Movies like “The Accountant” and “Temple Grandon” and shows like “The Good Doctor” and “Atypical” are helping to educate us about people with Autism and their unique talents and abilities. They are helping us step into the world of Autism to gain a better understanding about what people with autism may be experiencing. They also are showing individuals with Autism getting to experience life in the Green Zone by using their unique talents and abilities, but also by creating friendships and creating the life that they choose.

So, knowing what you know now, are you ready to create a Green Zone Life? We are excited to join with others that are ready to be ready. Just setting an intention to live in the Green Zone will start moving you in that direction. With more of us being empowered to create this for ourselves, we also can be a role model for others.

Let’s get a move on towards creating what we want!

From the Green Zone,

Vicky (and Pier and Gabbi too!)