Teens Inspirational Quotes

Don’t worry if people think you’re crazy. You are crazy. You have that kind of intoxicating insanity that lets other people dream outside of the lines and become who they’re destined to be.

I want to be the best version of myself for anyone who is going to someday walk into my life and need someone to love them beyond reason.

I met a boy whose eyes showed me that the past, present and future were all the same thing.

Stop trying to be less of who you are. Let this time in your life cut you open and drain all of the things that are holding you back.

I can do this… I can start over. I can save my own life and I’m never going to be alone as long as I have stars to wish on and people to still love.

Throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable.

For so many years, I couldn’t understand why every time I thought that someone finally loved me, like… for real, they would eventually turn to vapor. Every person whom I’ve ever loved is trapped inside of my chest. I’ve breathed all of them in so deeply that I’ve nearly choked and died on every soul that I’ve ever given myself to.

Books didn’t make me wallow in darkness, darkness made me wallow in books.

I feel a resurgence of my 6-year-old self… that little warrior, goddess of a girl reminding me of who I was when I was little, before the world got its hands on me.

I look out into the water and up deep into the stars. I beg the sparkling lanterns of light to cure me of myself — my past and the kaleidoscope of mistakes, failures and wrong turns that have stacked unbearable regret upon my shoulders.

If ever I was running, it was towards you.

I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves and it’s what has made me irreversibly and just so forever in love with you.

Let this time in your life cut you open and drain all of the things that are holding you back. I’m going to help you forgive the things that you won’t let yourself forget.

To be inspired is great, but to inspire is an honor.

I love him in ways that I can’t explain to other people. They don’t understand… it’s not their fault.

The pressures on gay teens can be overwhelming--to keep secrets, tell lies, deny who you are, and try to be who you're not. Remember: you are special and worth being cared about, loved, and accepted just as you are. Never, ever let anyone convince you otherwise.

Does our purpose on Earth directly link to the people whom we end up meeting? Are our relationships and experiences actually the required dots that connect and then lead us to our ultimate destinies?

I fantasize the night sky to be like a cosmic blue print of my life as I close my eyes and unbutton my heart…. just in case anyone up there is listening.

I’ve grown up defined by this desperate, undeniable, ‘can’t breathe’ kind of space inside of myself and I’m afraid that the diagnosis is fatal.

I really believe that there is an invisible red thread tied between him and me, and that it has stretched and tangled for years — across oceans and lifetimes. I know that it won’t break because our souls are tied.

Something, somewhere, knows what’s best for me and promises to keep sending me people and experiences to light my way as long as I live in gratitude and keep paying attention to the signs.

I know that your soul is on life support and that you feel lost and like you’re completely spinning out of control, but you’re finding yourself — here, tonight… even in this darkness.

I write letters to you that you’ll never see.

Your personal truth is your gift to the world.

Starting over can be the scariest thing in the entire world, whether it’s leaving a lover, a school, a team, a friend or anything else that feels like a core part of our identity but when your gut is telling you that something here isn’t right or feels unsafe, I really want you to listen and trust in that voice.

DETOX your mind, body, AND your contact list.

I’m going to follow this invisible red thread until I find myself again… until I finally figure out… who I’m meant to be.

I just want your voice aimed at me again. I want to absorb the direction of your eyes…

You can't make a fan of everyone. Stay true to your story, characters, music, art or whatever it is you do and fuck everyone else who doesn't like it. Life isn't perfect.

Everything hurts right now and nothing is helping because as the pain is getting worse — so is the love.

This is your life – not your parents’, teachers’ or significant other’s. If you ever find yourself on a path that just doesn’t feel safe anymore, you have every right to stop the car, get out – change your shoes and start walking.

I never want you to deny anything about yourself because you have grown up thinking it’s unacceptable or inconvenient for the people around you.

A friend is someone who can brighten your day with a simple smile, when others try to do it with a thousand words.

I wanted to know what it was like to be a drug addict, and have an eating disorder, and have a loved one die, and fall in love. I saw my friends going through these things, I saw the world going through these things, and I needed to understand them. I needed to make sense of them. Books didn’t make me wallow in darkness, darkness made me wallow in books, and it was books that showed me there is light at the end of the tunnel.

He looked at me, that first day, like he had just found something he’d lost a thousand years ago.

I could watch him do this until morning — never asking questions and never interrupting his work. I worship quietly — his intense focus and attention to detail and then, out of no where, I realize the inconvenient, inappropriate truth: ‘I love this man… and it has swallowed me.

I know that this process of ‘me changing my life’ doesn’t just end once I set fire to this list of things I hate about myself. Tonight isn’t as much of a new beginning as it is a violent end and I know the real work hasn’t even started yet.

Don't settle for being an option; become a priority.

How you spend your time when you are not working or studying says everything about who you are and what is motivating your life.

Be the girl you want your daughter to be. Be the girl you want your son to date. Be classy, be smart, be real, but most importantly be nice.

In the old days, when travelers would get lost, they would follow the stars and I love that idea. I wish that I could rely on something as simple and magnificent as a star for all of my aching questions.

Never give up. Dare to Dream. Dare to believe.

I want you to trust yourself, baby. Love is all that matters and you’ve always known that. You’ve known, since you were a very little girl, what your life is meant to be about…

Please… Whoever you are, whatever you are… I believe in you even though I don’t completely understand you. I feel you around me even though I can’t exactly describe what I’m feeling. Sometimes things happen to me and I know that you’re there and I’m humbled by the lack of coincidence that exists in the world. Whatever you want from me, it’s yours — just please help me. You know how I get when I lose control, and I find myself constantly being pulled back there these days.

But I love you and I want you and I need you. Can’t you see that? This world has nothing to offer me if it doesn’t include you.

As long as I didn't say it aloud, it wasn't real

Don't be afraid to grow up, Peter. It's only a trap if you forget how to fly.

When all you wanted was to be wanted, you wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now.

This is for all the teens/young adults/adults who feel like they’ve been left behind. You’re not behind. You have time to find yourself and love and adventure. It’s all out there, and when you’re ready to push yourself out of your comfort zone and look for it, you’ll find it.

She now saw that she wanted a boy to do more than follow her in blind devotion. She wanted a boy to challenge her, to tell her about things she'd never thought of, to show her new points of view.

I ruin everything. I think that a bullet must have passed through my heart when I was very young, causing me to bleed out slowly, over things and people and every white surface that I’d ever come across.

The cards give you images and symbols to focus your vague intentions and transform them into action. Your will is the magic. In other words, you are the magic. If you can create something in your heart and then act on it to make it happen, that is magic. Very simple, very straightforward—no witches, no spells, and no broomsticks.

It feels like the world is folding up around me, like origami paper, and I’m trapped inside of its breathless center.

I don’t ever want to hurt anyone, but I really wish there was something like a reset button on my life.

You haunt my days and dreams.

I wish that love could be broken down the way it breaks me down.

Divination is the quest to understand more about the past, present, and future. In other words, Tarot readings are an attempt to understand ourselves better and discover how we might live better in the future.

You battled monsters. You sweat and cried your way to this one prolific moment where you finally realize that those dark days and sleepless nights were pre-requisites to your becoming.

Being a Dream Girl is never going to be about what you look like or how much you weigh. After all, our physical appearances are just reflections of our inner worlds. What makes you a Dream Girl is your emotional sensitivity, your self-awareness, and your ability to communicate who you are effectively and compassionately in the world.

The Fall will always be yours and mine…

If you don't feel you have any choice in a situation, self-esteem and confidence plummet. But once you understand that you do have a choice, self-esteem will improve. You aren't a helpless victim anymore. You decide how you deal with a situation. You aren't just reacting to life; you're creating your life.

In the moment of decision, may you hear the voice of the Creator saying, ‘This is right road, travel on it.

Time' is the most threatening four letter word.

I love you when you’re happy. I love you when you’re sad. I love you if you’re angry, And I love you if you’re bad. No matter how you feel, I love you all the time. Oh my sweet, dear baby, I love you all the time.

Love is my drug of choice, even if it comes laced with pain and disaster.

I’m tired of justifying why I love someone. I’m done with the explaining.

We live in a world where there is such a clear definition of what a girl should be that it takes almost no effort at all to completely hate ourselves.

I never want a girl to lose all hope that her life can’t completely turn around, even if she feels that she is at the edge, standing on one foot, and ready to say goodbye.

Acts of Kindness Transcends All Languages - Kailin Gow, Amazon Lee Adventures

Words are so powerful. It can win wars, create kings, and sustain civilizations. - Wordwick Games by Kailin Gow

Be gone. You are not welcome here, Beast.”, FADE by Kailin Gow

That last time you kissed me my heart slid past your teeth down into the center of your chest… trapping us both in a stainless cage.

If I had an .MP3 of your heartbeat… I might actually get some sleep.

There's something to say about inspiration - when it comes into your life...the feeling is insatiable.

Remember, nothing happens before it’s supposed to, so trust that, as you are striving for authenticity and personal excellence, the recognition of your life’s purpose is nearing closer.

For a long time I shined my light for someone other than me. But not anymore. Now I shine bright for me. You can create light even when everyone's left you behind because that's what you do. It's what I do.

It’s funny how life moves in a complete circle sometimes. There might be lots of bumps in the road and maybe even a few cliffs, but it’s a journey, and sometimes it can bring you to the most wonderful places.

So, if she’s the only one in the class of ’22 who’s really out for now, if her existence can provide cover for half her graduating class to stand up for something without saying things about themselves they can’t yet say, that’s enough. That’s plenty.

So much has been done to my body, and still, somehow, not enough.

He could pour himself into my little paper cup heart and my emptiness would finally have a meaning.

A hero is also someone who, in their day to day interactions with the world, despite all the pain, uncertainty and doubt that can plague us, is resiliently and unashamedly themselves. If you can wake up every day and be emotionally open and honest regardless of what you get back from the world then you can be the hero of your own story. Each and every person who can say that despite life’s various buffetings that they are proud to be the person they are is a hero. Now I do have to mention the real heroes of The Trevor Project, the men and women volunteers, all of whom stand up day after day answering the calls of desperate teens whose circumstances have pushed them to the edge of the abyss. To take that call, and say yes, I will be the one who saves this life takes such courage and compassion. Hemingway’s definition of ‘grace under pressure’ seems fitting as the job they do is every bit as important, and every bit as delicate as a soldier defusing a bomb.

I had to beg for your forgiveness and scream for your mercy.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I tried to push my body through his and completely disappear.

This is life before you know who you are going to be.

It is foolish to believe that you are insignificant.

They should know that just because things get difficult, it's no reason to believe God is on vacation.

I want to understand the strings that are tied between me and certain other people and if they really can stretch through infinite time and space without ever breaking. Are soul mates real, and is my life ever going to make sense?

I had a lot of tire marks on my heart and mind, but I used those marks and scars to survive.” ~Love is respect ♥~

The ‘love’ we had was dead before it started. I am not willing to revive something that isn’t worth saving.” ~Love is respect ♥~

You is a thorn on my side that caused me to bleed to death, but I never had the strength to take it out.” ~Love is respect ♥~

There is always light to be found in unexpected places.

Despite how lonely or broken down you might feel, we need you with us helping to make the world better, kinder and safer, especially for the little girls coming up.

I feel like a paper cut just waiting to bleed.

I wondered if hurdlers ever thought, you know, "This would go faster if we just got rid of the hurdles.

Teachers always say—"we will never know unless they tell us”. We tell them, but they ignore us… …I did tell you, I always tell you.

Bullies have issues within themselves and they are uncomfortable in their skin. So, they’d rather make someone feel bad to pick themselves up.

You do not have power over me to make me feel bad about myself.

I wish on one of the stars for divine orchestration and save the rest of them for all of the other girls in the world who will feel like I do tonight.

Your passions don’t have to connect to one another and no one needs to sign off on them. Passion isn’t logical… it’s only the fuel which keeps our souls alive. Let it be that simple.

I have lived my life backwards as compared to my peers. Everyone did incredibly stupid things as teenagers and pre-teens. I didn't. I was the one telling everybody that they were incredibly stupid. Now that they are all past that stage and we are all much older— I am the one doing incredibly stupid things. I have figured that I've earned that right, by now! You have to earn the right to be stupid.

Your anger always got the best of you and me. Your emotional abuse was at an all-time high. ~Love is respect ♥~

I isolated myself from people on purpose, because I didn’t want any problems. I didn’t want to feed your starving low-self-esteem.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I feel like I am frozen with fear, and the walls are closing in on me.” ~Love is respect ♥~

My heart is swollen from the hurt and abuse.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Many struggles lay within my soul. I had many battles in my head, and when I tell you I had to work on myself...it wasn’t easy.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Every day, I laid in your bed I was your prey.” ~Love is respect ♥~

There’s only so many times you can fight before the only person you fight for is yourself.

Teachers just don’t understand bullying hurts.

I always tell my teachers, and I thought it was going to get better.

What’s the point in telling the teacher when the innocent people are ignored and get in trouble, and the bad kids always get away with everything?

When I am at school, I smile to block the hurt. When I am with my family I can always be myself.

We shouldn’t give anyone the ability to rob our children of happiness. Bullying shouldn't be taken lightly. Bullying is a Silent Killer!

I can speak up for myself, but I decided you are not worth my time. You do not have the power to bully me anymore. I know who I am.

Do not stand up against a bully alone.

Do not ignore being bullied, because it will never stop.

Stand firm, speak up—because silence is not golden, instead, it is deadly. Do not ignore being bullied, because it will never stop.

One might say, I am too young to experience bullying. Believe it or not, bullying happens to kids who are younger than me.

If your teachers don’t listen, tell someone who you trust. Let them be aware of the situation, regardless of whether or not it is ongoing. Let them know every single time it happens.

Mom lies down next to me and we both stare at the ceiling in complete silence. “Boys are like candy,” she suddenly says. I grin. “Really, Mom? That’s your advice? Boys are like candy. What is that? Forrest Gump on teens?

I tried explaining, but my voice wasn’t heard. How is that fair? I wondered to myself—why wasn’t my voice heard and why do the good kids always get in trouble for defending themselves?

I might be little but I am fierce. I might be patient, but I am quick, and when I am quiet that means I am focused. You have a fire under your feet and nobody can put out those flames.

I was your ‘yes’ girl. That was the problem, I never told you ‘no’ because I tried to fix you. I learned it is impossible to fix the pieces when the glass has shattered. There will always be bits of pieces scattered that are not repairable.” ~Love is respect ♥~

One thing I notice, a person can change everything about themselves, but one thing they cannot change is their character. They can hide in the shadows, but sooner or later, the shadows will eventually fade away.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Inspire, celebrate, and empower our Black males. Support them in becoming confident, intelligent, strong, capable, and powerful Black men, teens, and boys. There’s GREAT power in Black male positivity!

When I am being bullied, my teachers never listen. They always think I am making it up—or they will try to sugar-coat the situation. They fail to realize that children have feelings too, and we deserve to be heard.

This has been the worst year because teachers do not understand bullying hurts. This has been a rough year because I had to fight for peace. But this has been the best year ever because I finally took up for myself.

There's a girl calm people don't know about. It's a girl teen standstill. A motionless peace. It doesn't come from anywhere but inside us, and it only lasts for a few years. It's born from being a not woman yet. It's free flowing and invisible. It's the eye of the violent storm you call my teenage daughter. In this place we are undisturbed by all the moronic things you think about us. Our voices like rain falling. We are serene. Smooth. With more perfect hair and skin than you will ever again know. Daughters of Eve.

You thought I was weak because you tore me apart with your words. The sad thing is…you thought you were in control, but you never were…no you never were because you were never in control of yourself.” ~Love is respect ♥~

As girls, we will do anything for the person whom we love. We will scale buildings in the rain or run through fire if it means saving our love’s life. There is absolutely nothing more life altering that the fire burning inside of our souls for the one we want most…

Social media is the “Greatest Hits” album of our lives.

Love is surrounding you, just like the sunbeam on the flowers that gives them the energy to grow.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Smile, you rose above it all because Life is good ♥” ~Love is respect ♥~

Your manipulations were so powerful to the point that I psyched myself out. Love is a dangerous game—with you, I lost every single time.” ~Love is respect ♥~

People see my body, but my soul is lost, and I do not have anything left to give.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Your verbal abuse was torture.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Walking away has a different definition than leaving and never returning. I walked away, and within a couple of weeks, I returned to my abuser.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Sometimes we have to slow down to enjoy the smallest things that we wouldn’t ever take the time to notice.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I let another human being dictate and control my life. I was used for amusement, and the joke was on me.” ~Love is respect ♥~

How can I respect a person who neglected me on purpose? To earn respect, you have to give it.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I wasted my life on a hopeless and helpless soul who would never be willing to change—nor would she/he feel remorse or see her/his errors.” ~Love is respect ♥~

As I walk in my truth, you are like a ghost in the wind that will never be found again.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I was dying on the inside because I willingly gave you my soul. I was crying nearly every day on the outside because I trusted you...” ~Love is respect ♥~

Our soul ties were beyond toxic.” ~Love is respect ♥~

It is not my shit, nor is it my problem. I am free and loving it! In that order!” ~Love is respect ♥~

I do know is at the beginning and end of the day, I know I paid my dues.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Life is meant to be enjoyed, not trying to dissect yourself worth to others or even yourself.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Your poetry--it doesn't deserve to be locked away, hidden from the rest of the world. And neither do you.

I kept waiting for the part where I’d finally know who I was — some flashing, neon moment of relief, but it never came.

I had to defend myself because I was tired of hurting and being bullied.

I tell my teachers, but they never do anything!

I did what you told me to do. I always tell my teachers, and I thought it was going to get better.

Words hurt my feelings. It really hurts when everyone else laughs too. It is not a good feeling. Not a good feeling at all.

I tried telling my teacher about it, but she/he ignored me and told me ‘not right now’ and to get in line.

I did tell you, I always tell you.

I have to defend myself because if I don’t, I am going to be a target for everyone to push around.

I tried explaining, but like always, it went unheard.

We are deeply hurting inside and out because our feelings are constantly being ignored.

You thought I was weak because you tore me apart with your words. The sad thing is, you thought you were in control, but you never were... no, you never were, because you were never in control of yourself.” ~Love is respect ♥~

My heart has been bruised, and the scars will never heal because they will always be visible. Maybe they need to be visible as a reminder that I cannot go back.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Standing naked on the beach with all of my secrets between my legs, I look out into the water and up deep into the stars. I beg the sparkling lanterns of light to cure me of myself…

Life is giving you another chance to plant your seeds. Take care of them by watering them, nurturing them throughout all seasons, and watch your flowers bloom.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I'm working hard to have a good life. You don't need fancy things to feel good. You can hug a puppy. You can buy a can of paint and surround yourself with color. You can plant a flower and watch it grow. You can decide to trust people, the right people. You can decide to start over and let other people start over, too.

My grandmother lived a remarkable life. She watched her nation fall to pieces; and even when she became collateral damage, she believed in the power of the human spirit. She gave when she had nothing; she fought when she could barely stand; she clung to tomorrow when she couldn’t find footing on the rock ledge of yesterday. She was a chameleon, slipping into the personae of a privileged young girl, a frightened teen, a dreamy novelist, a proud prisoner, an army wife, a mother hen. She became whomever she needed to be to survive, but she never let anyone else define her. By anyone’s account, her existence had been full, rich, important—even if she chose not to shout about her past, but rather to keep it hidden. It had been nobody’s business but her own; it was still nobody’s business.

However, the other side kept asking me over and over again, was it worth it? Was it worth being bitter and angry all the time? It showed me that I was killing myself slowly every single day. My heart was heavy, and my brain felt like it was going to explode. I had had enough.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Even if we try to conform to ideals and strive for perfection, we will always be pulled back to our core identity because it’s the path of least resistance for our souls – an energy force that wants nothing more than for us to honor and accept who we are and discover what we’re meant to do in the world.

Teachers just don’t understand how I feel inside. They think since they asked us to apologize, their job is done. It isn’t done, because I still hurt from the name-calling, hitting, humiliation, sleepless nights, and from feeling alone and depressed at school.

You said you loved me to hold on to me. All I did was fight with you, day in and day out. I wasn’t ever your enemy. You were your own worst enemy, you just happened to keep me in your shadow.” ~Love is respect ♥~

You only said you loved me to hold on to me. All I did was fight with you day in and out. I wasn’t ever your enemy. You were your own worst enemy, you just happened to keep me in your shadow.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Life is short, but I never thought my life would end this way. I have myself to blame for that. I saw all of the red flags, but I ignored them one at a time. Every time I ignored them, I was buying more time, I received more time, and I gambled with the time that I was given. It shows you that buying time is temporary because sooner or later time runs out.” ~Love is respect ♥~

At the beginning of the day, it is all about the choices I make. It is about what I am willing to sacrifice—one thing I do know, I am not willing, and I do not want to sacrifice my life for anyone.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Can you identify the source preventing you from feeling good every single day, from loving yourself unconditionally and making your dreams come true? Is it a voice in your head or a gut wrenching ache that compromises your inner peace and doesn’t allow you to accept the love around you? Is there one thing, or maybe many things, keeping you from forgiving your past and moving forward, tormenting you with lies like “You don’t deserve real love so just settle for whatever you can get,” “You’re not smart enough to achieve your dream so don’t even try,” or “Look at your past… you should hate yourself way more than you actually do!”? Welcome to your Little Monster.

I think it all basically breaks down to something like this: You have to look and feel great first. If you eat well, exercise and get enough sleep, you will have ample energy and the proper self-confidence to create and produce beyond your wildest dreams! Looking great and radiating positive energy, while presenting your highest quality work, is what will always make you the most valuable and only logical choice in whatever it is that you reach for.

When a person says they are tired, they have more to give. When a person is done, there is no turning or looking back. There’s no such thing as looking over your shoulder. Bury it, leave it be, and let it rot.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Recognize that you have been chosen to be alive, right now, at this exact moment in time and know that none of that is random. There is something about you, your past or your future that is required at this exact moment in history. We need to know who you are and what you have been through.

I did not want to fight. I had to fight. If I didn’t, everyone else would have picked on me. Not only would I have had one bully, but maybe two, three, four or who knows how many. I had to do what I had to do since the principal, assistant principal, and my teachers weren’t doing anything about it.

When some people hurt you, they do it on purpose and keep it moving. It is up to us to let that shit go...if we don’t, we will always and forever be walking down a dark, gloomy road filled with anger and hate in our heart as it takes over our soul and way of life. It isn’t worth it.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Although many things may still need to happen before you identify what your exact work will be, I know that every single person whom you’re meeting and every experience that you’re having is necessary to you discovering your purpose. They are points on a map leading you to the moment where a match will finally be lit and you will be able to see through the darkness.

I conclude, at the beginning of the day, it is all about the choices I make. It is about what I am willing to sacrifice—one thing I do know, I am not willing, and I do not want to sacrifice my life for anyone, not even for you.” ~Love is respect ♥~

What is a student supposed to do? When we try to prevent a situation, we are told to be quiet and sit down. The teachers never listen, yet they always say, tell the teacher. Why? When teachers don’t listen, they do not care, and they just do not understand.

Stand firm, speak up—because silence is not golden, instead, it is deadly. Do not ignore being bullied, because it will never stop. Throughout my challenges with being bullied, I learned I have a choice, I have a voice, I have power over my thoughts, and my bully does not have power over me. Do not stand up against a bully alone.

There were times when I thought I had to take sides. One side of me wanted me to stay bitter because it felt like I was a sellout. That side of me kept me busy day in and out. When it came to that side of me, it made me a prisoner. It drew a thick line between war and peace. Nevertheless, that side made me so bitter and angry all the time. I never had peace...and sadly, I never smiled. I gave people power over me because I was always angry.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I’ve learned to bully doesn’t only involve attacking someone physically or verbally; it is so much more. Bullying consists of invading other people’s property, humiliation, mind games (pretending to be someone’s friend), manipulation, making threats, spreading rumors, showing aggressive behavior, and/or excluding someone from a group on purpose.

In all the tales of adventure Clara had ever heard, it was never young girls, who were daring. It was always boys running off to rescue a friend or fetch much-needed medicine or stumble into good fortune. Clara knew girls would be daring if given half the chance. And she intended to take that chance, right from under the pale nose of Mr. Earwood.

Your words manipulated me, and I fell for it every single time. Your eyes and words were like a snake. I was hypnotized by your lies. You squeezed me to the point that I suffocated, died mentally, came back to life, and was under your spell. Loving you was cruel, but the craziest thing about it all was that my dumb ass somehow felt safe.” ~Love is respect ♥~

We all are going through something in life. Some of us are battling demons that are in our way or our inner demons. Either way, we can accept it or make the choice to want better for ourselves. It won’t be easy, more than likely, it will be a challenge, but it will be worth it in the end.” ~Love is respect ♥~

We teach our children to study hard, to strive to succeed but do we teach them that it's okay to fail? That life is about accepting yourself? That there is no stigma in seeking help? Our Indian culture is based on worshipping our parents. We grow up listening to words like respect, obedience and tradition. Can we not add the words communication, unconditional love and support to this list? I look at the WHO research. The highest rate of suicide in India is among the age group of 15 to 29. Do we even talk to our teens about this? That evening, I am standing in the balcony, sipping some coffee and looking at the sunset. The children have taken the dogs and gone down to play on the beach. I spot my son. He is standing on the sand, right at the edge of the ocean and is flying a blue kite. The kite goes high and then swings low till it almost seems to fall into the water and all I want to say to him is that soon he will see that life is just like flying a kite. Sometimes you have to leave it loose, sometimes you have to hold on tight, sometimes your kite will fly effortlessly, sometimes you will not be able to control it and even when you are struggling to keep it afloat and the string is cutting into your hand, don't let go. The wind will change in your favour once again, my son. Just don't let go..

I stare past her at the inspirational kitten posters. There's one of a soaking-wet kitten climbing out of a toilet with the caption "it could be worse!" "Just tell me whatever it is you're thinking," Mrs. Paulsen says. "Whatever is going through your mind right now." "I hope they didn't actually drop a cat in the toilet to get that picture," I choke out. "...Pardon?" "Nothing. Sorry.

My teachers would think the problem was solved. It wasn’t… because the same person would still pick on me, just more quietly, so the teacher wouldn’t hear him. It only got worse, and more people began to pick on me because they knew they were not going to get into trouble. I was miserable going to school every day.

Not easy having her for a mom. When did her ambitions die? If I had to guess, the day she graduated from Martha Stewart’s School for Stepford Housewives. Never inspirational, she’s more of an embarrassment for an already unpopular kid like me. What can I say? I’ve got plain-and-ordinary running through my veins. Maybe that’s why I can’t shake this stench of unremarkable. It goes back generations.

Bullies have issues within themselves and they are uncomfortable in their skin. So, they’d rather make someone feel bad to pick themselves up. I wonder why people want to be so cruel with their words. The kids that bully me are so rude, nasty and disrespectful. How can a person feel good for making someone else feel bad? I do not understand.

After you walked into my life, I was living and walking in fear every single day. You hypnotized me, and once upon a time, you were my favorite sin. I was exposed to evil in the worst way ever, but I know whether I survive in this coma or not, I have released any blocks, roots, soul ties, and attachments that once held me down.” ~Love is respect ♥~

One might say, I am too young to experience bullying. Believe it or not, bullying happens to kids who are younger than me. When I am being bullied my teachers never listen. They always think I am making it up—or they will try to sugar-coat the situation. They fail to realize that children have feelings too, and we deserve to be heard. Teachers just don’t understand bullying hurts.

Love was a losing game. We never found love in our relationship because our so-called love was never built. We couldn’t build love in our relationship because it was all a lie. Our relationship was toxic, and our troubles multiplied. We never got anywhere. The only thing we did was dig a bigger hole than there was before. Without words, we distracted each other’s peace.” ~Love is respect ♥~

How is the fair that the respectful children always get in trouble, but the bullies always get away with shattering lives. I am tired of you all tolerating bullying at your school! You all should be ashamed of yourselves! You all need to put a stop to bullying instead of condoning it. Take the wool off of your eyes and see the truth for what it is--and it is the bullying; known as the Silent Killer!

I knew you were bad for me, and I still couldn’t let you go. I suffered because I kept going back. Every day, when I laid in your bed, I was her prey. I was used and abused. I was once a person with high self-esteem. The first day we crossed paths, I got caught in your web, and I didn’t even try to break free. You didn’t let me come up for air, because you kept drowning me with your lies and abuse one after another. You were a thorn in my side that caused me to bleed to death, but I never had the strength to take it out.” ~Love is respect ♥~

I think about all of the times I’ve knocked on death’s door. The flashbacks give me the strength to want to fight, but they always make me realize I was given chance after chance to change my life. I guess I thought I was untouchable, and life would continue to toss a coin— when I tossed a coin in the air, I always use to say heads, and there it was—I won. Therefore, I always gambled with my life, and now I do not have room to gamble anymore, because I am here. Life is kicking my ass because the only thing I can do is think of the past and think about the what-ifs.” ~Love is respect ♥~

When people bury you in the sand, what they fail to realize is that the tides come in slowly but surely. When the tides come in slowly, start wiggling your way out, so by the time the huge tides arrive, you are already out and dusting the sand off. They never take the time to look back to see how you do it, they just think you drown. When they wonder why and how you made it, it’s because they made you stronger. They also don’t realize—there’s always a solution to a problem.” ~Love is respect ♥~

Imagine the case of someone supervising an exceptional team of workers, all of them striving towards a collectively held goal; imagine them hardworking, brilliant, creative and unified. But the person supervising is also responsible for someone troubled, who is performing poorly, elsewhere. In a fit of inspiration, the well-meaning manager moves that problematic person into the midst of his stellar team, hoping to improve him by example. What happens?—and the psychological literature is clear on this point.64 Does the errant interloper immediately straighten up and fly right? No. Instead, the entire team degenerates. The newcomer remains cynical, arrogant and neurotic. He complains. He shirks. He misses important meetings. His low-quality work causes delays, and must be redone by others. He still gets paid, however, just like his teammates. The hard workers who surround him start to feel betrayed. “Why am I breaking myself into pieces striving to finish this project,” each thinks, “when my new team member never breaks a sweat?” The same thing happens when well-meaning counsellors place a delinquent teen among comparatively civilized peers. The delinquency spreads, not the stability.65 Down is a lot easier than up.

Dedicated to every strong soul who is in a domestic violence relationship, please know that you are not alone. There is no need to swim against the tides. Release your fear and know you are loved, wanted, cared for, and you are someone very special. You are strong enough to sweep the fear from your soul. You are bold enough to look fear in the eyes because, after all, you are the one who holds the keys to unlock how you want your life to be. You have what it takes to grab life by the hand because life is meant to be lived, enjoyed, and loved. ~Love is respect ♥~

In 2003, Meryl Streep won a career achievement César Award, the French equivalent of an Oscar. Streep’s words (my translation) acknowledged the enduring interest of French audiences in women’s lives and women’s stories: "I have always wanted to present stories of women who are rather difficult. Difficult to love, difficult to understand, difficult to look at sometimes. I am very cognizant that the French public is receptive to these complex and contradictory women. As an actress I have understood for a long time that lies are simple, seductive and often easy to pass off. But the truth—the truth is always very very very complicated, often unpleasant, nuanced or difficult to accept." In France, an actress can work steadily from her teens through old age—she can start out in stories of youthful rebellion and end up, fifty years later, a screen matriarch. And in the process, her career will end up telling the story of a life—her own life, in a sense, with the films serving, as Valeria Bruni Tedeschi puts it, as a “journal intime,” or diary, of one woman’s emotions and growth. No wonder so many French actresses are beautiful. They’re radiant with living in a cinematic culture that values them, and values them as women. And they are radiant with living in a culture—albeit one with flaws of its own—in which women are half of who decides what gets valued in the first place. Their films transcend national and language barriers and are the best vehicles for conveying the depth and range of women’s experience in our era. The gift they give us, so absent in our own movies, is a vision of life that values emotional truth, personal freedom and dignity above all and that favors complexity over simplicity, the human over the machine, maturity over callowness, true mysteries over false explanations and an awareness of mortality over a life lived in denial. In the luminous humanity of their faces and in the illuminated humanity of their characters, we discover in these actresses something much more inspiring than the blank perfection and perfect blankness of the Hollywood starlet. We discover the beauty of the real.