Don't Stop Project

I’ve come to terms that it’s okay to have feelings. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to feel what I feel. My entire life I’ve always had to keep everything inside me. I’ve had to pretend nothing was wrong. I had to smile when I wanted to fall to the floor and just lie there. I had to because I had my younger brother depending on me. If I began to fall apart, he would too. So I had to always pretend that everything was okay, even though I had no idea if it was going to be or not. I felt guilty being sad. I felt like I would have been judged if I cried. I felt like I would be perceived as incapable of taking care of my brother. So I never did. And to this day, I still don’t. Because I’m suppose to be the reliable one, the go to person, the strong one. And that’s the problem. I always felt like I was suppose to be a certain way. I was always made to feel like I was going to be weak if I showed my emotions. And to this day, I still feel like everyone’s watching me. And if I tell anyone what I really feel, they’ll just be annoyed that I can’t deal with it on my own. So I always felt alone because I always made myself feel alone. But I’ve realized that I’m not alone. Someone does care. I can reach out to someone. I can feel comfortable having these feelings. I can because the only way to feel better is if I finally let them go. And that’s always been me. A bottle. But I’ve come to terms that these are my feelings and I have to accept that. And you know what. It’s okay. I’m going to be okay.

Woke up today feeling positive. Everything seems to be going in my favor, for once. Good things come to those who wait.

- Tao Te Ching

You're never alone. Don't stop living your life. There are so many people who care about your existence.

Don't settle for anything less. You deserve more than cheap love. Believe me, I know it may seem like this is everything, but you'll find a real man, just be patient. We deserve better than cheap people! Don't stop yourself from being truly happy!

You won't know how it feels until it happens to you. When you say NO to a man and he tries to convince you, you are being sexually assauted. "1 in 5 college women will be sexually assaulted this year unless something changes." Please talk to someone and get help. You are not an object, you deserve better.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Emotional abuse, physcial abuse, it's the same thing. You don't hurt a person you love in any form of abuse. It's not okay to put your hands on someone, period. Abusive relationships will only get worse, trust me. I know it's hard, but don't stop thinking about yourself. You deserve better, we all do. Find help.

Body image is one of the leading factors of suicide. It deteriorates your self-esteem and can lead to depression. I used to hate my body, especially when I gained 30 pounds almost instantly. I didn't want to go out because I hated the way I looked in clothes and I didn't want to try to meet new people. You have to learn to embrace the beauty in yourself, to accept yourself as you are. There is no one else like you. I know it's a hard long road, but don't stop trying to get there.

I'd like to ask you to share your story with young adults around the world who may be in a similar situation as you. About 31,000 people in American commit suicide a year. These people think they are alone, they have no one to talk to and they don't know that people like us care about them. If you'd like to possibly save the life of someone, please send a video of you talking about your story. If you're unable to video, please send a type written paper explaining your story. Or, if you'd allow me to interview you, I'd love the opportunity to do so!

If you've ever been in this type of relationship, please speak up and share your story with everyone. You never know if that one person who's contemplating drastic measures will see that they are not alone.

She learned to love herself and her life. You are never alone!

Who I am.