"I don't care if you don't like me... I like myself!"
-Nubia R. Harrell
(My 3 year old niece)
We all know how the saying goes, "Kids are cruel". But wouldn't it be nice if we could all just brush off the things people say and not let it affect us negatively?
Like most of us, I experienced bullying as child, well into my teenage years. I wasn't the most outspoken person back then, plus, I had a temper and didn't know how to fight with my words but was too scared to throw them hands and get suspended (which ended up happening later anyway but that's another story for another post).
I spent years of my life tip toeing around folks trying not to say or do anything that might upset them in effort to be liked or accepted. But when they ended up not liking me anyway, I figured, hell, I might as well just gone and be myself. I mean, they didn't care about upsetting me. Hold on, let me take a sip of this drink real quick...
For example:
1. In 8th grade, there were a group of girls that were not so nice but were kind of popular and talked to me, the new girl at school. I asked my mom to organize a sleep over to bond with my "new friends". Well, not only did they behave like animals, they spread rumors about me after I invited them into my home.
2. I often talk to people about how I'm not getting cast in anything lately. Their suggestion is always to "switch up my look". So, I went and auditioned for a company that I had previously auditioned for but this time...I had straight hair. They commented on the change and still didn't cast me.
3. "If you stick it out with him during his rough times, he will reward you." Well, been there, did that... a few times. Soooo do ya'll see a man rewarding me? Oh okay.
See what I'm getting at here?
Look, the moral of the story is, do you. It's always going to be people who don't like it. But, there are also going to be folks that LOVE it. And as long as you, like you... you straight.
If I could give any advice to younger Brit who struggled with low self esteem because of the cruel things that people said, I would say, "Don't trip, every one of those people are going to be following you on every social media platform, liking your post and sliding in your DMs in about 15 years."
Karma is a mother-shut-yo-mouth, ain't it?
-BRIT
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