Believe in yourself

I hope this goes without saying but you have to believe in yourself before you start to pursue your dream. I want to share with you guys my story. How I got started. When I was younger I had a lot of confidence issues. I was bullied like many many others. I used to be scared to get on the bus because I knew the kids would pick on me for having a high voice, for my purple CD player and my favorite because I did gymnastics. From a young age, before I even knew the deffinition of most of these words I was called gay, faggot, queer. I used to run off the elementary school bus in tears on a daily basis. I know it sounds sad and I'm sure a lot of you had similar if not worse stories. I'm here to tell you that it gets better.

I had a friend when I first started gymnastics, more than a friend. A best friend. We were exactly a like, but one day he stopped coming to gymnastics. We stopped hanging out, and he stopped talking to me. He was severly bullied, to the point where an 10 year old boy considered plunging a kitchen knife into his stomach. I'm extremly grateful that he didn't and I have gotten back in touch this friend today but he tells me time and time again he regrets listening to those stupid kids that called him names and made him quit what he loved to do. I was forchunate enough to have friends and family that kept me going, that built me up and gave me the confidence to keep going. I want to be that friend to you all, please never ever give up on your dreams. People told me that all the time when I was younger, that if I kept at it I would get there and I thought the same thing that you do. That kind of thing doesn't happen to people like me.

My dream has always been to entertain and be in front of people, in front of the camera. I almost gave it up, not to long ago actually. It's at your breaking point, the time in your journey when you get that sickening feeling in your stomach telling you it was all a waste of time. That's the time you have to push through because that's when you get stronger.

I come from a very small town. Everyone thinks that it is impossible to make it out here. They say "things like that just don't happen out here." I said "why not!" Why does where you live have to determine your fate? Well it doesn't. You decide what path you go down and if you want to be a rockstar then go do it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I was a skinny akward looking teenager, nobody would have thought in a million years that I would get signed to a modeling agency in NYC. I didn't have the measurements, I had acne, I had confidence issues. I worked through it though, I figured out what I have to do to acomplish my goal and I worked for years at it. Even now I'm constantly striving to better myself and those around me still doubt what I already know I'm capable of.

So please, never ever give up on your dreams. Don't let the haters, the bullies and the people who have already given up on their dreams affect your futures. I believe in you, do you believe in yourselves?