I spent a large portion of my life trying to be invisible to others. In fact, I became quite the expert. I knew exactly how to dress so that I wouldn’t be noticed. An outspoken person by heart, I drowned my voice in silence; never attempting to be the first person to speak up (or even at all), in a group. Why would anyone strive to be lost in the crowds? Well because for most of my life I was involuntarily thrust into the center of most people’s attention, but for what I felt to be the wrong reasons. I was teased very much throughout elementary and middle school for my slim figure. People were so focused on the fact that I was skinny that they failed to attempt to get to know me as a person. As a result, I did not get to know myself because I became so withdrawn. I believed that once I gained the weight, that things would be okay and I would be much happier with myself. My comfort with myself and around others was contingent upon my weight gain.
However, as my body maintained its slim figure I was faced with this question: Do I continue to wait for my body to change or do I take a risk, be myself and not allow others’ perceptions of me dictate my happiness? I decided on the latter. I realized that I could lose out on building exceptional relationships with others if I continued to isolate myself. While it was a risk to come out of my shell, but what I learned is that despite what I may not like about myself, there were and still are people who accept me for who I am. Most importantly, I learned the benefits of not allowing fear to control my life. My willingness to release my fears of how I would be perceived by others gave me the freedom to begin my journey to self-acceptance. It was not and at times still isn’t an easy process. But it was a necessary one if I ever wanted to truly live my life.
Whitney:
Middle school is a tough time for lots of kids. For me, it was tough because I learned a lot about myself at that time. Those lessons were sometimes easy, most of the time, it was hard. One topic that I can share that helped to shape acceptance of myself was my teeth (CHEESE!). In the 7th grade, I was self-conscious about it. I didn't have braces yet but I obviously needed them. I remember one day in gym class, there was a boy who also needed braces. Whether my teeth were in worse condition than his were or vice versa, he felt that it was important to pick on me! Some days I would ignore him, tell him to shut up or say whatever retorts came to my attitudinal mind. One day in gym class, I was so proud of myself. This boy said, "That’s why you look like bugs bunny with ya bucked teeth!" I replied instantly, "So what! Bugs Bunny is my favorite character & if you don’t like my teeth, THEN DONT LOOK AT THEM!" The boy stood in shock as I strut away to rejoin the game in gym.
My point here is that, I was unhappy about part of my physical appearance but, I learned to accept myself. Yes, I wanted braces and I eventually got them. My mother always told me that I was beautiful; beauty comes from within, which reflects on the outside. I had to accept that just because I didn’t posses a picture perfect smile it didn’t make me a bad, mean, ugly, nice, pretty, kind, type of person. And to do that means to be comfortable with how you look. If you want to change something about your physical appearance, fine, but if your mind is not together, it does not change a thing. Don’t change because someone else wants you to, but because it’s your choice. The world will always have an opinion; your opinion of you is what shapes everything about you. So begin to accept who you are because it all starts from within you.
Whitney:
Middle school is a tough time for lots of kids. For me, it was tough because I learned a lot about myself at that time. Those lessons were sometimes easy, most of the time, it was hard. One topic that I can share that helped to shape acceptance of myself was my teeth (CHEESE!). In the 7th grade, I was self-conscious about it. I didn't have braces yet but I obviously needed them. I remember one day in gym class, there was a boy who also needed braces. Whether my teeth were in worse condition than his were or vice versa, he felt that it was important to pick on me! Some days I would ignore him, tell him to shut up or say whatever retorts came to my attitudinal mind. One day in gym class, I was so proud of myself. This boy said, "That’s why you look like bugs bunny with ya bucked teeth!" I replied instantly, "So what! Bugs Bunny is my favorite character & if you don’t like my teeth, THEN DONT LOOK AT THEM!" The boy stood in shock as I strut away to rejoin the game in gym.
My point here is that, I was unhappy about part of my physical appearance but, I learned to accept myself. Yes, I wanted braces and I eventually got them. My mother always told me that I was beautiful; beauty comes from within, which reflects on the outside. I had to accept that just because I didn’t posses a picture perfect smile it didn’t make me a bad, mean, ugly, nice, pretty, kind, type of person. And to do that means to be comfortable with how you look. If you want to change something about your physical appearance, fine, but if your mind is not together, it does not change a thing. Don’t change because someone else wants you to, but because it’s your choice. The world will always have an opinion; your opinion of you is what shapes everything about you. So begin to accept who you are because it all starts from within you.
