if you don’t mind I’d like to tell you a
story of a young girl who fought a long
and tough war with herself
in fact I shouldn’t use the word fought
for I’m still fighting fighting to love
myself for me and understand that this
is how my mother made me I won’t lie it
took a lot of courage for me to come and
stand here before you today and share my
story I came from a place that became
the norm to degrade myself and
distinguish which parts of my body
needed diminishing I spent time giving
each scar on my body it’s special
attention I spend time telling myself
that I needed to change things that I
needed to put down the fork and pick up
some running shoes that I needed to wear
long sleeves so my arms they don’t show
when my scars they won’t know when my
fears they won’t grow but if you ask me
how many times I told myself that I did
well on that test I’ll pat myself on the
back for every mile I run or simply told
myself that I’m trying hey Nadia props
for not dying
that was until I decided that nobody’s
opinion on me can never faze me
and so I told my inhibitions to be quiet
I told them that no matter what you
cannot shake me you cannot break me
because this is how mama made me before
I get into how I discovered the virtues
of self-love I feel it is imperative I
tell you about how I got to the point
where I didn’t even know how to love
thyself about 11 years ago at the tender
age of 4 I got into an accident that
left with second and third degree burns
on a significant amount of my thighs my
lower back and my arm ironically enough
the accident is as a result of someone
telling me that they didn’t like my
attempt at pancakes and of course me
being four that shattered my heart
two weeks later now the scars had healed
and I was back home running around
making more pancakes
but what I didn’t know was that those
scars would develop into wounds no one
ever talks about how hard it is to wake
up and face yourself in the mirror like
a stranger on a blank date who just
wants to see someone else soon enough I
convinced myself that I had now been
branded in my mind I was ruined
would I ever look the same is there
someone I can blame my hatred for me I
could not team days turned into weeks
that turned into months and years of me
questioning why it had to be me and why
my body was now tainted painted by scars
that went across my thighs like rivers
that chart a course of pain and disdain
because i filled my head with lies and
soon enough i had even more scars scars
caused by my refusal to accept me from
me and scars caused by my refusal to
understand that beneath his skin stood a
girl who was raised to believe that she
is beautiful her future bountiful and no
matter what you do to her you cannot
shake her you cannot break her because
this is how mama made her if I could
reach out to my younger self I would
tell her that she is strong and in the
face of adversity she rose to prove them
wrong
I would tell tell her to take less time
telling herself that these scars are
blemishes and instead cherish them it
took me time to appreciate that
to appreciate that these are the medals
of honor that I wear because I fought no
I am fighting a tough war with myself
and every day that life beats me and
gets me black and blue I get back up and
rearming myself with nothing but love
for me and the belief of a brighter
destiny today ladies and gentlemen the
ball is in your court
you see when it comes to shaping the
future of our beloved continent it must
start with you you need to have the
strength to love yourself whether you’re
any with anyone or you’re by yourself
you need to understand that this is who
you are you are covered in prosperity
with a sprinkle of blessing and no
matter what they do to you
they cannot shake you oh they can never
break you
because this is how mama made you thank
you
story of a young girl who fought a long
and tough war with herself
in fact I shouldn’t use the word fought
for I’m still fighting fighting to love
myself for me and understand that this
is how my mother made me I won’t lie it
took a lot of courage for me to come and
stand here before you today and share my
story I came from a place that became
the norm to degrade myself and
distinguish which parts of my body
needed diminishing I spent time giving
each scar on my body it’s special
attention I spend time telling myself
that I needed to change things that I
needed to put down the fork and pick up
some running shoes that I needed to wear
long sleeves so my arms they don’t show
when my scars they won’t know when my
fears they won’t grow but if you ask me
how many times I told myself that I did
well on that test I’ll pat myself on the
back for every mile I run or simply told
myself that I’m trying hey Nadia props
for not dying
that was until I decided that nobody’s
opinion on me can never faze me
and so I told my inhibitions to be quiet
I told them that no matter what you
cannot shake me you cannot break me
because this is how mama made me before
I get into how I discovered the virtues
of self-love I feel it is imperative I
tell you about how I got to the point
where I didn’t even know how to love
thyself about 11 years ago at the tender
age of 4 I got into an accident that
left with second and third degree burns
on a significant amount of my thighs my
lower back and my arm ironically enough
the accident is as a result of someone
telling me that they didn’t like my
attempt at pancakes and of course me
being four that shattered my heart
two weeks later now the scars had healed
and I was back home running around
making more pancakes
but what I didn’t know was that those
scars would develop into wounds no one
ever talks about how hard it is to wake
up and face yourself in the mirror like
a stranger on a blank date who just
wants to see someone else soon enough I
convinced myself that I had now been
branded in my mind I was ruined
would I ever look the same is there
someone I can blame my hatred for me I
could not team days turned into weeks
that turned into months and years of me
questioning why it had to be me and why
my body was now tainted painted by scars
that went across my thighs like rivers
that chart a course of pain and disdain
because i filled my head with lies and
soon enough i had even more scars scars
caused by my refusal to accept me from
me and scars caused by my refusal to
understand that beneath his skin stood a
girl who was raised to believe that she
is beautiful her future bountiful and no
matter what you do to her you cannot
shake her you cannot break her because
this is how mama made her if I could
reach out to my younger self I would
tell her that she is strong and in the
face of adversity she rose to prove them
wrong
I would tell tell her to take less time
telling herself that these scars are
blemishes and instead cherish them it
took me time to appreciate that
to appreciate that these are the medals
of honor that I wear because I fought no
I am fighting a tough war with myself
and every day that life beats me and
gets me black and blue I get back up and
rearming myself with nothing but love
for me and the belief of a brighter
destiny today ladies and gentlemen the
ball is in your court
you see when it comes to shaping the
future of our beloved continent it must
start with you you need to have the
strength to love yourself whether you’re
any with anyone or you’re by yourself
you need to understand that this is who
you are you are covered in prosperity
with a sprinkle of blessing and no
matter what they do to you
they cannot shake you oh they can never
break you
because this is how mama made you thank
you
Please follow and like us: