Keep Holding On (24 page)
Authors: Susane Colasanti
Starting now.
Dear Readers,
When I was a teen, I would have been mortified to admit that I was being bullied at school. My junior high and high school years were the worst time of my life. Kids picked on me for being a science nerd. They picked on me for not wearing the expensive sweaters and jeans everyone else had. They picked on me for doing weird things like writing song lyrics on my sneakers (this was back in the day before writing on your sneakers was cool). I was embarrassed by all the ways I didn’t fit in.
I am not embarrassed anymore.
After I left for college, I realized that being weird is awesome. You have to stand out if you want to make a difference in the world. I couldn’t believe I’d wasted so much time wishing I fit in with a bunch of people I’d probably never see again for the rest of my life. Suddenly, I was surrounded by hundreds of accepting people who rocked their unique qualities. My real life had finally started and I was determined to never look back again. Of course, writing teen novels involves looking back every day. But that’s okay. Now that I can hopefully help you guys, enduring those bad times was worth it.
Surviving painful times builds strength. You can use that strength to help other people who are going through
similar experiences. The torment I survived sparked an ambition to reach out and help other teens feel less alone. That sense of purpose motivated me to become a teacher. And now I connect with way more teens as an author. That’s why I love my job.
I know what it’s like when this life thing gets beyond exhausting. Some days it feels like you’ll never be happy again. On your worst days, the days when it seems like everything is going wrong, when you want to hide from the world and never come out, please know this: I was in that dark place, too. And I made it to the other side. I created a life that makes me happy. If I could do it, so can you.
The most important thing I want to tell you is this: Never give up on your dreams. No matter how many people say it’s impossible, no matter how difficult your journey is, you can create your ideal life. Your heart’s desires can become reality. Make things better now by taking steps every day to get closer to the life you want.
And never, ever give up.
Whatever you’re going through, please know that you are not alone. Friendly neighbors are out there who want to help you. Here are a few of them:
Above the Influence—
abovetheinfluence.com
Being above the influence is about being yourself—and not letting people pressure you into being less than you. It’s also about having positive influences in your life and knowing that you can be a positive influence on other people. You have the power to reject the negative influences that can bring you down, including the pressure to use drugs, pills, and alcohol.
To Write Love on Her Arms—
twloha.com
To Write Love on Her Arms is a movement dedicated to presenting
hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. If you are worried that you or someone you know may be at risk for suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1.800.SUICIDE.
A Thin Line—
athinline.org
New issues like forced sexting, textual harassment, and cyberbullying have emerged, which now affect a majority of teens in the States. A Thin Line was developed to empower teens to identify, respond to, and stop the spread of digital abuse in their lives and among their friends. The campaign is built on the understanding that there’s a “thin line” between what may begin as a harmless joke and something that could end up having a serious impact on you or someone else.
It Gets Better Project—
itgetsbetter.org
The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach—if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project reminds teens in the LGBT community that they are not alone—and it
will
get better.
The Trevor Project—
thetrevorproject.org
The Trevor Project is determined to end suicide among LGBTQ
youth by providing lifesaving and life-affirming resources including their nationwide, 24/7 crisis-intervention lifeline at 1.866.4.U.TREVOR.
Love Is Respect—
loveisrespect.org
Love Is Respect is a joint project between the National Dating Abuse Helpline and Break the Cycle to provide resources for teens, parents, friends, and family. All communication is confidential and anonymous. The National Dating Abuse Helpline at 1.866.331.9474 is a national 24-hour resource that can be accessed by phone or the Internet, specifically designed for teens.
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)—
rainn.org
RAINN is the nation’s largest anti–sexual assault organization. It operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at
rainn.org
. The hotline’s services are free and confidential. RAINN leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims, and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.
Stay Teen—
stayteen.org
The goal of Stay Teen is to encourage you to enjoy your teen years and avoid the responsibilities that come with too-early pregnancy and parenting. The more you know about issues like
sex, relationships, waiting, and contraception, the better prepared you will be to make informed choices for your future.
Leave Out Violence (LOVE)—
leaveoutviolence-us.org
Leave Out Violence was created to reduce and help eliminate violence in the lives of teens and their communities by initiating a movement of youth spokespeople who communicate a message of nonviolence.
… Starting Now.
Back in high school, I felt like my real life wouldn’t begin until I left for college. The waiting was excruciating. But then I realized that my real life was already happening. And while there were lots of things I couldn’t control, there were many changes I
could
make to improve my life.
Your Ideal Life is a presentation designed for teens of all ages. My goal is to motivate participants to identify their goals, then work toward achieving them. I want to inspire teens to turn their dreams into reality. Participants learn how they can improve their lives and the lives of those around them by maximizing positive energy. Working toward goals while trying to make the world a better place is a synergistic approach to creating a happy, productive life.
The presentation includes a workshop component. I guide
participants through the process of identifying what’s most important to them, considering both short- and long-term goals. Everyone then develops a viable plan to take daily steps toward reaching the goal that is most important to them. All participants take away a tangible reminder of their heart’s desires and ways to begin making them reality.
I believe that by focusing on the things that matter most to us every day, our thoughts, words, and actions will all be affected in positive ways that will help move us closer to achieving our goals. Your Ideal Life helps teens explore what they can do to improve their lives right now and encourages everyone to make positive choices that will shape both their present and future.
Teachers, librarians, school administrators, and conference coordinators may schedule a visit by contacting Susane at
susanecolasanti.com
.