SAY NICE THINGS.

"We are beautiful, no matter what they say. Words can't bring us down."

Yes, I believe 215% that everyone is beautiful. Fat/thin/short/tall/black/white/zit-faced/messy hair/perfect skin/blonde/brunette/red-head -- YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. No matter what anyone tells you, you were perfectly created by a God who doesn't make mistakes. Maybe you don't 'fit in' at your school or workplace. Maybe you aren't stereotypically gorgeous. But who defines pretty? Not me. Not the captain of the football team. Not your boss. Not the girl who sits next to you in math class. Not the kids whispering behind your back at the mall.

The whole 'words can't bring us down' thing is what really gets me. Whoever said 'sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me' is an idiot. Because words hurt. You can't tell me that there hasn't been a time when someone told you something that made you feel bad about yourself.

- You're ugly. - Looks like you could lose a few pounds. - Oh hey, zit face. - You're too fat. - Too skinny. - Too short. - Too weak. - Too not good enough. -

Insert whatever negative comment you've ever been told. Maybe you've heard it a few too many times. Words stick in your mind for hours, days, possibly even years. Even when you know it's not true...even when you know that they were just joking...just being a jerk...it becomes glued into your memory, and it hurts. For example, my senior year of high school: we were sitting around in spanish 9th period (yes, that's how vividly I remember this conversation) just chatting about anything that popped into our heads. Of course, we started talking about relationships and falling in love and typical teenage communication. In the middle of our conversation, my friend (who will remain nameless) suddenly says "yeah stefani, like anyone is ever going to like you enough to marry you."


ouch.


I know that he was just messing around. I believe 100 percent that God has created someone who is going to fall madly in love with me...and I with him. But on a rare occasion, when people start asking me too many questions about why I'm always single and if I'm ever going to date anyone, I think about it. That little voice in my head replays a three year old comment that is probably only remembered by me. "Like anyone is ever going to like you enough to marry you."

I'm not upset. I don't want your sympathy. I'm simply using this as an example of how the things that we say can have a much longer impact than we could ever imagine. Words are powerful, use them wisely.

Challenge: say something nice. To a friend, a family member, a stranger. It doesn't matter if you know them or not. I dare you to say something positive to one new person every single day. You could save their life. Or, at the very least, make them smile.



peaceandlove<3