I have been working on my presentation for an anti-bullying event being held next week in Texas.
For months I knew this was coming. And for months I had an idea of how I wanted to present my story in order to inspire others to find their own "awareness". For days I typed and deleted. I was trying desperately to say "Hey! Look at me. I have a story to tell. I WAS that kid." Blah blah blah.
And then it hit me.
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with me. While my story may be inspirational, it alone will not save another child from dying. There will undoubtedly be people in that audience that connect and relate to where I have come from, where I presently live within my own head, and what my desires for the future are. However, me feeling sorry for myself and asking others to take that pity train with me surely does no good.
When I realized that the angle of what I had to present was just as important as the content, the ideas flowed.
As soon as I took myself out of the equation and replaced me with our young people, it became so obvious.
Spreading awareness isn't about telling your story, or where you have been. It's about showing people, first hand, what that story has taught you. It is about creating a place where tolerance is not something we try to teach, but a value we possess and pass on to others through our own actions.
We all have a story to tell. And it is an incredible thing to do so. But not this time. It is our young people's turn to be spotlighted, not the young person I used to be.
For more information on the event visit Make It Stop.
For months I knew this was coming. And for months I had an idea of how I wanted to present my story in order to inspire others to find their own "awareness". For days I typed and deleted. I was trying desperately to say "Hey! Look at me. I have a story to tell. I WAS that kid." Blah blah blah.
And then it hit me.
This has absolutely NOTHING to do with me. While my story may be inspirational, it alone will not save another child from dying. There will undoubtedly be people in that audience that connect and relate to where I have come from, where I presently live within my own head, and what my desires for the future are. However, me feeling sorry for myself and asking others to take that pity train with me surely does no good.
When I realized that the angle of what I had to present was just as important as the content, the ideas flowed.
As soon as I took myself out of the equation and replaced me with our young people, it became so obvious.
Spreading awareness isn't about telling your story, or where you have been. It's about showing people, first hand, what that story has taught you. It is about creating a place where tolerance is not something we try to teach, but a value we possess and pass on to others through our own actions.
We all have a story to tell. And it is an incredible thing to do so. But not this time. It is our young people's turn to be spotlighted, not the young person I used to be.
For more information on the event visit Make It Stop.
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