No one should ever have to question their self-worth. No one should look at themselves in the mirror and see a hollow shell of something that used to be. No one should live everyday through the holes of a mask, one that smiles and hides the cracks of the owner. I believe it is a national tragedy, the way the minds of the young adults and the new generation has been warped to hate ourselves, to crack and conform under the pressures of our forefathers, of our society, of those who are not us. We are too big, we are too skinny, we are too loud, we don't speak up enough, we don't know what we're talking about, we know too much, we are enlightened, we are dulled.
It seems that there is a constant struggle for control in America--but it reaches farther than politics and elections and who casts the final ballot. It runs in the souls of tradition and change, the old ways and the new mindset. There is a continuing battle for who controls the mind of the young and the old, our thoughts, our processes, our words.
Through this struggle, the enemy of nations is born: self-deprecation.
Self-depreciation infects the mind with toxins, poisons meant to decay and destroy the soul and body. It invades the center of our thoughts, poking and prodding at us in our weakest moments, dragging us down farther and farther into our own abyss. It seems poetic, but for people suffering, it is terrifying--like standing over the edge of a cliff while someone tells you to jump.
There needs to be a campaign where people are told that it is okay to be different rather than being told to conform to society. Difference is what makes us who we are. Being different has made America what it is today--ever changing and diverse and striving to make things better for all. Difference is okay, and is never something to be feared.
It's okay to be big--to have stretchmarks across your thighs and arms and breasts and legs. It's okay to be thin--to have a flat stomach and small legs and a tiny waist. It is okay to be loud and to be heard. It is okay to be quiet and to ponder all that goes on in your mind. It is okay not to know the answer to everything, for knowledge is everywhere. It is okay to know a lot, this gives us the power to help enlighten and teach others.
You are enough, in every instance, and no one should ever have the power to tell you or make you believe otherwise. You are worth everything, despite what society might tell you. You are beautiful and needed. You are a work of art, made of many different colors and textures on a canvas of cosmic dust and star stuff.
Rise, and be. Whether you have a head full of thoughts or a mouthful of facts, be.
Be all you can, and let's go change the world.
