Round Pegs, Square Worlds: Challenging Conformity: A Story of Resilience

By Michael Donohue and Lara Schaeffer

For the duration of my life, I have felt at odds with myself, choosing between my head and my heart.
My strong sense of fairness and justice from an early age caused a deep desire for peace in the world. Even if it was just my world to start. Sometimes, this resulted in completely negating myself for the peace of others. Other times, this meant that I couldn't at all understand why others mistreated me.

Worse, I went through my life feeling emotions in extremes, and any affront to me cut right through my heart.
When I tried to understand why others weren't motivated by my same will for peace, I never considered I experienced the world differently than them.

I discovered I am autistic after 61 years of life, and while it doesn't magically amend my lifelong feeling of being unaccepted, it has certainly shed light on my experiences.

From failed relationships, unemployment, a custody battle, and countless moments of sabotage and ostracizing, no amount of hard work or preparation guaranteed me success at work or in life.

My adult autism diagnosis, in retrospect, shed light on the many instances in my life when I was used and taken advantage of.

If I knew then what I know about myself now, perhaps I would have loved myself more, not been so self-critical, and used my talents with my health and happiness in mind.

I've come to find that my mind is a gift, full of fantastic ideas, that if I had known were valuable, I would have better valued the differences that made me unique.

Round Pegs, Square Worlds is my story of navigating my life unaware of my autism, putting together the missing puzzle pieces in light of knowing myself better.

This story is intended not only for fellow neurodivergent individuals but also to foster an understanding of autism spectrum disorder and advocate for autism awareness.

This book is centered around autism for adults and is tailored for individuals seeking to envision a more inclusive society and a peaceful world. It explores the appreciation of diverse ideas, viewpoints, and problem-solving skills through the lens of neurodiversity. By addressing themes such as autism awareness, self-discovery, resilience, personal growth, fairness and justice, peace, unique talents, creativity, and diversity and inclusion, this comprehensive exploration resonates with those navigating the spectrum, promoting understanding and fostering a more inclusive and empathetic society.

Understanding autism means a better world for everyone, where the unique talents of autistics are recognized and appreciated for the creativity they bring to any situation, industry, or relationship.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CPW8GJVB
• ISBN13: 9798868057670
• Release Date: December 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"