Have you ever heard the saying of “cutting off an inch?” Maybe not. I heard it from Calli Torres. It means that the things that happen to you and mean things people say about you, takes something away. We’ve all dealt with that.

Stanger: “Can we stop talking to her now?” One inch.

Stranger: “Uh no. She’s not my type.” Another.

Girl from middle school: “No one will ever love you so you should take that idea out of your head right now.” And Another.

A “friend”: “I don’t know. You didn’t make the cut.” A couple more.

Stranger: “Oh she’s the chubby-er one, right?” And Another.

Yes, these are all things I have heard people say about me. And yes, I do remember them because at the time, they took off an inch. I use to hear these hurtful things people said when I was younger and think about them for days. What did I do? What did I say wrong? If I were skinnier, maybe they wouldn’t say these things.

Well guess what? I am a 4-foot-10-inch person and I don’t have any more inches to give!

There will always be people that you come across in life that are just plain negative. They will never have anything nice to say. I’ve only had to deal with a small amount of this kind of stuff compared to other people. There are some people who have spent their whole lives making themselves smaller in order to fit in. Well I’m here to tell you – no ask you, please don’t let anyone take an inch.

The opinion that should matter the most to you is your own. Don’t strive to fit in; fight to stand out. If someone has something rude or nasty to say about you, turn your head and be proud that you are a bigger person that they will ever be. We live in a society where girls are taught that size 0 is the deal size and boys have to be tough and never cry. Or that this life over that life matters more. It needs to stop. You have your opinions; that’s fine. But when those opinions begin to affect someone else’s life, that isn’t okay.

No one in history made a difference by sticking to the “in-crowd”. Be happy that you’re brave enough to be different. And if you are someone who has been scared or worried to be open about who they are or what they like, try giving yourself a chance when you’re ready. Stand tall. Instead of putting your head down and blending in when you walk, try looking straight forward with a smile on your face. You’ll be amazed at the overwhelmingly great feeling it give you.