Exposing The Myth Within Bullying That Can Be Fatal
The myth that you can tell if someone is being bullied by looking at them is just that a myth. The reality is you can’t. The problem caused by the myth creates a blind spot that can be fatal. Too often in the media you hear friends, parents, and school officials saying, “We had no idea they were being bullied.”
That is exactly what happened to China Howard and her family. This is just one of many such stories that break my heart every time I hear about them. I knew something had to be done. As a parent, myself, I would do anything to keep my children safe.
That is why it is important to learn the warning signs related to bullying. As a former high school educator, I spent a great deal of time helping students overcome the effects of bullying. There are specific things you can look and listen for to help protect yourself and your family.
Step 1 to making sure you are bully proof is to make sure you have a high personal value. A high personal value means that you value yourself. It means you know that you are special. That you are loved. That you are needed in this time a space.
When you value yourself, your value of others goes up. Think about the physical things you value. Do you know right where they are? Are they well taken care of? Do you keep them clean? I bet you do. The more you value something the more respect you give it.
If you’re like me, you have a junk drawer where all the little low value things are thrown. The things that are easy to replace. My question to you is, do you treat your life like it is in the junk drawer? I hope not. You are priceless. There is no one else like you.
Start treating yourself with respect and love. The more you respect yourself the more you can respect others. Every life is valuable. Every life is needed. Every life has the right to be lived to its fullest potential.
Step 2 is to take action on your personal value. Take action to treat yourself with respect. Say nice things to yourself. Dress up if you can. Take care of yourself by keeping yourself clean and drug free. Take time for a bubble bath if you enjoy them. Spend time being creative or on other hobbies that bring you pleasure.
I like to color and it is a great way to enjoy some time pampering myself. It is how I celebrate some of my wins for the day when I get my to do list done. I choose to shower and use nice smelling lotion because I have a very sensitive nose. It also lets me know that I am worth the time it takes to do the things I like.
Step 3 is help others. When you help others, you help yourself. If you are feeling down, talk to a friend about how you can help them. If you are having a hard time feeling like you belong, help someone by doing something for them. You can also do something for your community. You can pick up trash or paint over graffiti.
I live in Utah and we just had a bunch of snow. When I went out to shovel my driveway and sidewalk, I also did four of my neighbors. I know it helped them out and I got my exercise for the day. When I was done, I looked over the hard work I had done and felt proud of myself and my neighborhood.
You make the decision about how your life will play out. What happens to you doesn’t matter as much as your reaction to it. Bad things happen to good people and bad decisions can always be followed by good ones.
The next time you find yourself in a difficult position realize you are worthy of the test you are currently facing. Life happens for you not to you is something I am constantly reminding myself of. Whatever you are currently facing, I just want you to know you got this. You can do hard things. You are needed in this time and space.
My mission is to help end the trauma caused by bullies wither they be outside you or between your ears.