Stand Strong: You Can Overcome Bullying (and Other Stuff That Keeps You Down) Read Online Free PDF Page A

popular or more athletic or smarter. If we can be critical of ourselves, why can’t we encourage ourselves too?
    There were times in high school when I seemed to take one hit, one snub, one cruel comment after another. I’d be dragging around with my head down, feeling sorry for poor, poor Nick. Then a classmate would walk by and say, “Nick, you’re looking good today!” Or, “Nick, that speech you gave in class was wonderful!”
    A single kind word or a little bit of encouragement wouldchange my whole attitude! For weeks, I’d hang on to those positive words and use them to keep myself out of the doldrums. It’s a little crazy that we can allow one mean or cruel or nasty comment to send us into despair or depression. Why not focus on the good stuff, the kind words, and the gifts we’ve been given instead?
    So here’s my suggestion for a simple, easy-to-apply, no muss, no fuss first step to building your antibully 1.0 operating system. Be a friend to yourself. Forgive your mistakes, your flaws, and your failures. Be kind to yourself instead. Focus on the good.
    Be a friend to yourself. Forgive your mistakes, your flaws, and your failures.
    What have you got to lose? There is so much to be gained by this attitude of self-acceptance and self-love. You will be braver, more resilient, harder to hurt, happier, more positive, and more likable. To begin this process, write down some of your strengths and successes on a separate sheet of paper. Make a list of those things that you do well or things that people have complimented you on. Include things you’ve accomplished, problems you’ve solved on your own, repair jobs you’ve done, good decisions you’ve made, cool things you’ve created, goalsyou’ve reached, risks that have worked out, and people or even animals you’ve helped.
    B E THE M IRACLE
    One of my guiding philosophies is that if you can’t get a miracle for yourself, be one for someone else. When I was feeling bummed out as a teen, it really helped lift my spirits if I just stepped away from my problems for a while and offered to help other people with theirs. I’ve benefited so much by trying to be of benefit to others. It’s made me so much stronger—strong enough to handle anything negative or hurtful that comes my way.
    A California teen named Michael wrote to my Life Without Limbs website to share his own story about the blessings that come from being a blessing to others. Here is what he wrote:
    I was born premature with a crooked feet [
sic
] and a bad lung where I couldn’t breathe well but had surgery on it and on my right eye 10 times but thank God I am still here today.… I’m trying to be the best I can be—I am going to Los Medanos College to become a special ed aid one day to help special needs kids. That’s what I really would love to do. People made fun of me a lotgrowing up. I used to do all kinds of bad stuff and try to get my security from people to run away from my problems. I have learned to forgive people and not let them get me down and also not be controlled by the things I used to be enslaved by. I studied the Bible with my church friends and learned a lot about God, myself and my life. On April 4, 2010 during Easter I was inspired to get baptized and live a new life for God.
    If you are having a tough time dealing with a bully or someone who tears you down—or if you have difficulty understanding and appreciating your own value—try volunteering to help at a local charity, a facility for the disabled, a veterans’ hospital, or a homeless shelter. Ask some adults in your life, such as a teacher, a school administrator, or your minister, if they know of a place where you could make a difference. I promise you will be grateful for the experience. It’s likely you will come to feel better about yourself, and that will make you stronger emotionally too.
    If you feel like you haven’t done enough with your life so far, set some reasonable goals and go after them step by