Bullies~R~Yucky :/

"Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all." ~ Earnest Shackleton

"The human race only has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter." ~Mark Twain

To reach a point where we love and respect ourselves so much that the harsh words of another person serve no other purpose than to amuse us, is a level that should be the goal of each and every student in each and every classroom across America.  As adults, we have an opportunity to figure out what role we play in each child's life and work towards building their self esteem sky high so that they are able to achieve this state of "untouchable". Serving as an example of happiness and positivity at all times, goes a long way. Young people are drawn to happy people and they begin to want to mimic what they see displayed constantly. Teach those around you the way to live happily and positively at all times in all circumstances. Your day to day happiness should have nothing to do with your obstacles but rather your way in which you look at them. Your perception and frame of mind is in your control at all times. Make a commitment to yourself to always be in control of your own thoughts and then don't let yourself down.......LIVE IT!

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Being Bullied:
When faced with the actions of a bully, instead of being hurt or upset, choose to look for the lesson you are able to learn from that situation. In what way are you able to be in control of the exchange between yourself and someone who is obviously on a mission to intimidate you or belittle you? By finding a way in which you are in control, strips your bully of all of their power. At the point where you have made a conscious decision to be on the lookout for ways to be POSITIVE in all things, you immediately hold every single moment in your own hands. At the point where you may be approached by a bully do you feel scared or powerful?? When someone places them self in your path full of negative behavior, have they not helped you by revealing their need for your help instead of making you search for them? Look at this as your chance to make a lasting impression on them. Force yourself to see them as someone who is unhappy and needs help. When you think of them as needing help, they become severely less intimidating. Their need to bully others to make themselves feel better is merely a cry for help and an easily identifiable sign of weakness.  I am quite sure the bully will soon forget the names and faces of those they made cry as the list grows but the one who smiled in the face of their nastiness will leave a lasting impression. They will feel confused and try to figure out why their tactics were ineffective. They will instantly recognize the one they were unable to affect as different from the rest and will most likely have no desire to risk being unsuccessful again.

"At the end of the day, love and compassion will win." ~ Terry Waite

Understanding the Bully:
Knowledge is power. When you start to think about what must be going through the head of someone who feels the constant need to hurt others either verbally of physically, you begin to realize just how strong weak they are. Often times, the people who pick on others do it to feel tough or strong because they have been made to feel powerless somewhere else. They are unhappy in some other area in their life and their bullying is an outlet for the frustration they feel about being unable to fix their own problems. A bully’s background and family life are often times to blame for their lack of empathy when they deal with others. While it is difficult to feel sorry for someone who may cause you a great deal of stress and embarrassment, your changing of your view of the situation is your first step of empowerment. Bullying has been around forever and will forever remain in all areas of society. Your only defense is to refuse to let it frighten or affect you negatively.  

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Ghandi

Make a difference:
As important as it is for you to make sure that you are not open to being bullied, it is equally important for you to stand up for those who have not found a way to defend themselves. Being aware of a situation and doing nothing to improve it, is little better than taking part in it your self. If you feel that your safety will be in jeopardy by stepping in, then find someone close by who is more able to do so. To acknowledge a situation and call attention to the wrongness of it, is to take a step toward changing it. Stand up for yourself and others. There is great joy and self pride in helping others and making a difference. And never, ever lose hope that change can be made.

"You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the whole ocean does not become dirty." ~ Ghandi

10/20/11

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