Middle and high school hallways always seemed infinitely long to me. Many agree that these very hallways are the backdrop for adolescent insecurity. You're either alone or with an entire gaggle of friends. You either know people and can smile at them, or have to awkwardly shuffle along with your face towards the ground.

Being invisible is a sad existence when you're younger. You see everything going on around you and even if you are not blatantly rejected, you just don't feel included in anything. You want nothing more than to be randomly invited to the mall after school one day, or to get one of those nice letters your grade school teachers would have you write and put in paper bags, or to be asked to a school dance. While so many classmates seemed to relate to the "She's cheer captain" part of the hit "You Belong With Me," you screamed, "and I'm in the bleachers!" Just waiting for someone to scoop you up and tell you they're sorry for ignoring you for all these years.

Now, though, I realize that feeling invisible actually taught me a lot about life.

I'm not saying that I'm glad I never raised my voice, but I can't go back, and the perspective that I gained from being a wallflower is what now fuels my passions. You start to realize no one can save you, and you gradually begin building yourself.

While some classmates gathered around the corner gossiping about who was dating who, you were paying attention to the lessons you were being taught in class. You were slowly gaining the courage to someday have the knowledge required to really, truly understand the world around you. Soon, you realize that a lot of the reason you feel so small is because you've always refused to use your voice. But once you do, I can promise that it will be stronger and more honest than you ever imagined.

If you are still feeling invisible and small, I can tell you one thing for sure: you'll be just fine. It took me forever to open up to people, or to interject my ideas in a class project, or to contribute my opinions to improvements at work. But the knowledge I absorbed from focusing on the right things propelled me to a point where I am truly thankful for the way things felt back then.

I would also like to point out that you are not actually invisible at all. You never were. The few who noticed you were more reliable, intelligent, and kind-hearted than any of your other classmates. And they'll never leave your side. Those who seek you out in such a rough place in life will be there for you through everything.

Just think of the end of the "You Belong With Me" music video. Who ends up happy? It's the honest Taylor, the one who was brave but vulnerable. She may have had to feel small and invisible to get there, but it was all worth it in the end.