I know what it feels like to be alone, to be empty, and to feel like nobody cares about you. Those feelings combined feel terrible, especially when you’re a teenager. I have come to realize that these four years of my teenage years are going to be the hardest ones yet. Why? Us as kids, try so hard to fit in, even if it means changing our clothes, hair, the way we act, and even the music we listen too. We all just want to fit in, and because of the world we live in… It’s become so hard. Society has tainted who we really are, it has forced us to believe that a size ten, thigh gap, set of huge muscles, and plastered on smile is beautiful. In all actuality, who we really are is something truly breathtaking.

 

  We go to the simplest to the most drastic measures to insure that people like us, it is physically impossible. No matter how much we change, we cannot guarantee that everyone will like us. It’s hard to accept that, but we must. We cannot live for everyone else; we must live for ourselves in order to be happy. If we continue trying to live for others, we will never experience the amazing things that this world has to offer. If people don’t like you, well, it’s their loss. They’re missing out on the opportunity to meet someone as great as YOU.

 

  I have spoken with many teenagers my age, and even some who were younger than me. 80% of the kids who I have talked to, were either suicidal or self-harmers. It blew my mind; we shouldn’t be feeling like this, we should be living, making mistakes, learning from them, and making more mistakes. We should be trying things we never thought we would, falling in love, and preparing for the future. We can’t do any of those things; if we don’t have someone to talk to and a little support when the world is placed on our shoulders. This is where Teens With Hope comes in. I have designed Teens With Hope to help those in need, the kids who have too much stress, the one who feel alone, and for anyone who is on the break of giving up.

 

  My hope is that with this, I will put a little hope and light back into those who’ve lost it. You’re probably wondering how this is my inspiration. My real inspiration is YOU. You’re the reason I am doing what I am doing. I may not know you; you may live hundreds of thousands of miles away from me, but just knowing that I put a smile on your face or numbed even just a fraction of your pain is enough.

 

You are my reason to keep going, you are my HOPE and my LIGHT.