Teenagers – From the most indifferent to the most brilliant version of yourself

• “Middle school is one of the worst times because I was bullied by a famous girl group in my school. They thought I was not pretty and cool enough so they stopped talking and hanging out with me. The fact that I like brass and countryside music is also a reason for people to start making fun of me.”
• “The worst part of the day was when I picked up Taylor from school. I knew things were going wrong for her. At lunchtime, she sat down at the cafeteria table and her friends started getting out of the way and isolating her.”

My dear friend, it may be a little confusing when I start the article with two such short dialogues. But, these are honest words from a famous country singer and her mother, recorded in an interview with the Examiner (USA).

I think you will be quite surprised when you hear the name of this singer. She is Taylor Swift who has been named as the “once-in-the-mill artist and writer” with a Facebook channel of 76 million followers and an Instagram page of 236 million followers. It would be a fatal mistake to not mention the academic achievements of this multi-talented girl: an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts at New York University, and also many other titles such as actress, musician, singer, director, businessperson, etc.

Well, here comes the question: Taylor Swift has nothing to do with the problem you are having, right?

I don’t think so. I believe that she is a suitable role model to share with you – teenage girls and boys who have big dreams but are currently struggling with a lack of self-belief of having to face peer pressure and bad starts at school every day that you just cannot share with your parents.

Today, Taylor has become a worldwide famous person who has the ability to inspire, spread passion and energize hundreds of millions of hearts around the globe, not only in the art of singing but also in the joy of doing music. She aims to spread the message of confidently believing in yourself and overcoming all adversities to continue writing your dream journey.

But no one knows that this natural-born talent has gotten through her period of middle school with many difficulties and depression when being shunned by friends, calling her love for country music boring and uninteresting.

Taylor once shared that, “I was sitting in school alone, no one talked to me or invited me to hang out, so I thought I would write a song about it.”

What have you seen?

Whenever she is sad, the girl starts to write new music. Although those songs may continue to be unpopular, even derided, she still writes.

That is not only a way to help Taylor overcome sadness, make friends with herself when she is most lonely, but it is also the first steps that brought her to a music career when at the age of 14, Taylor became a female singer.  youngest ever to receive a Sony recording contract in Nashville.  And when she was 16 years old, she produced her first single called Tim McGraw – the song soon reached the top 100 on the Billboard charts, and reached the top 10 of country music in 2006.

Following that, a series of other personal music events of Taylor opened, officially bringing her name to the entertainment industry and fans around the globe.

And did you know?

After she released her first self-titled album, a group of girls who bullied and shunned her in middle school went back to Taylor, wore her t-shirts, and asked her to sign autographs on the album they brought.  .

This is the proof that the harsh words others say to you, hurt you, even insult or humiliate you, they don’t remember – only you – who always embraces that sadness and only tortures herself.  If you ignore them, focus on what you love, believe in the meaning of your presence in this life.  It is completely possible to calmly continue on your own path.

Taylor Swift also mentioned that “If I didn’t suffer and feel sad every time I got out of school, I probably wouldn’t have the energy to write good music like I do today.”

This means that all the pain, the negativity, the rejection that other people bring to you – are just catalysts. Your job is to take those risks in every relationship, then take on yourself. Open your heart, listen to your inner voice, acknowledge all your feelings and experiences every day.

Each of us – although different in skin color, hair, voice, even background, but you know what?  To come into this world, we were all excellent warriors from the beginning!  We had to fight with 250 million other “brothers” in the father’s sperm to get into the mother’s egg, and be born as healthy as today!

Your job now is just to continue to focus on finding the values that you love in life – like Taylor, she wrote songs when she was lonely.  Never stop believing that you are a unique version of yourself in this world, create the person you love the most, regardless of the bad things that other people may attach to you!

There is a saying I read on Facebook that I think all the girls and boys who are on a journey of self-discovery will love:

“Negative words are just noises
Just put on headphones and everything will be fine.”

So alas, have you prepared your headphones, cut off all the “noises” and opened the windows to your own world?

Much love,

Truly Inspired