Here goes:

I got through high school and a competitive college with a 3.0+ GPA while going through various undiagnosed manic and depressive episodes.

I changed careers from clerical/administrative to IT nine years ago without any external/additional training. I taught myself web development and bluffed my way into an IT job without any previous experience. In fact, I even got a job teaching web development at the community college level. My development skills got me an offer from a major Democratic presidential campaign in 2004. I now work in the public sector managing a 12,000-page web site that gets around 40,000 hits a day.

No matter how rotten the economic situation or my own mental condition, I have always managed to hold a job of some sort, and pay most of my bills on time.

I am a self-taught musician and play a bunch of instruments, and have a three-octave vocal range. I am also blessed with perfect pitch, and can play most songs after only hearing them one time. I've taught myself how to use a recording studio and have commercially released (along with my band) a CD of my original music.

But this is what I am most proud of right now:
Today, I got out of bed, went to my day program, and spent the afternoon at a local cafe, reading and writing. This evening, I came home, and worked on a new song and called a good friend and talked to my mom as well. I survived today without hurting myself or anyone else. I am still here.