Friday, April 18, 2014

Construction Day

Construction Day
Construction day, operations are the same
My gloves fastened and my hammer in hand
I seek to build this world for others
It is
my purpose
my occupation
my life
Others live in the structure I create
They don’t realize what it takes

Construction day, demolition day for others
Trying to strip me of that which is mine
I’ve worked for you for dirt-cheap
All because I want a better life
I fall on the job, and this world I built for you
You take it and dispose of the means by which it was made


My lower limbs no longer work
Paralysis Rehabilitation I cannot afford
Strike me with my own hammer
But, this humiliation I cannot endure
I the creator, now the dependent
And you
You no longer create for me
You point fingers, shoot daggers with your eyes
Yet you can’t pin down who to blame
Office Day, the windows are washed
You take your lunch break and then you watch
Your faint reflection, the mist obscuring the view of the city
Preventing you from seeing all details present without a second view
Meanwhile, the medical bills on my wall I accrue
The numbers are clear
My funds are not
Your signature adorns the bottom of the billing statement as if you took pride
You operate in the building I helped issue, yet you help issue my demise
Construction Day, I will never see you again
I’ll never create
I’ll never comprehend
How detached I am from what I make
I never knew others would be so ungrateful when they enjoyed
The fruits of my labor
However, I’ll push
I’ll stumble
I’ll crawl
To make things normal
Vanquished?
I refuse defeat
Because accepting implies validity!
Paraplegic, yes
Failure, no
Construction Day is here once again
Now I’m doing what I’ve always done
I’m constructing my life
J.D

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Dealing with Anxiety

Dealing with Anxiety.
My world used to be free. There was no bubble, there was no cycle.
I used to go outside more often. I was in love with school.
Then there was this one day where I felt extremely nervous.
Everything changed, my whole world changed.
I had my first anxiety attack. 
I was sitting down drinking my usual daily routine of tea when I
suddenly didn’t feel like myself. I had an out of my body feeling.
Well, whatever that was, if it was an "anxiety attack", an adrenalin
rush, or even a sign from "God", it changed me. Before a stage
performance I would feel nervous, which I never really had. It's
fine because at the end of the day, I love performing. Stepping
outside the house was a problem, but now I cannot go one day
without going outside. My grades at school dropped in the
eleventh grade, which is horrible because I was told that is what
colleges look at. I was very disappointed at myself. If I was on
my best academic behavior during my junior year, I would have
probably received a scholarship to a SUNY or a private institute
 with an excellent Musical Theatre program.
I feel as if my anxiety affected that chance completely. It was due
to my attendance issues, this anxiety of being afraid of leaving
my house. I began to go to therapy. I was even on Zoloft. There
were times when the medicine was not working, but eventually
it took time to get better. Twelfth grade felt like a new school
year to start fresh again. I am now a freshman in college and
I can finally say I know how to manage my anxiety. Maybe I was
destined to feel nervous. It is a sign to relax. Truth is I had always
 been stressed with musical and acting activities at school and
outside of school; Including an internship at a nearby theatre.
Maybe this is just a part of growing up.

I've been changed for the better. I have learned that with time
and patience you can change and achieve anything. This is life
and it seems you can't always get what you want and that's okay
because you always have to conform and cope with what you have.

-Anonymous

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Perfection

Perfection.


What's the meaning of perfection?
See, I've seen life through its actualization
Never been one to accept acclamation
Or adoration let alone aspiration
Instead I've lived under authorization
Of this world left with no celebration
So tell me, what is perfection?
I was made to be under a classification
Of those with no communication
Left unable to defend themselves; a victim of confliction
I'll admit I never had real friends as a child
Considered real mild with that innocent smile
'Till I found the world and went wild
Turned Jekyll and Hyde
I always wanted to hide
That life I was living; a complete lie
'Cause daddy used to beat mommy in the dark
And never once was there a bark
Never a clue about this dark life hidden like an ace card
Then when daddy left the picture everything went back to normal
Until someone stole my innocence and sex became all informal
And from there friends became an illusion
The only thing left was drugs as my only solution
Then alcohol became an admiration
Boys and sex a form of accommodation
Tell me now, am I living a life of perfection?
I cried myself to sleep every night and thought of dad
How he beat mom and left me; it makes me so mad
Every other feeling gone and I ain't even sad
See, it infuriates me to know
You had all the side hoes
All in seperate homes
But that's just how your life goes
And I was left with no hope
As mommy used to beat me and my heart acquired holes
Every hit, my toes would curl
My head would begin to swirl
Until eventually I would hurl
And found my life pathetically disgusting
I remember howling
I will forever be hurting
Have I reached perfection?
Only feeling alive through intoxication
No longer part of civilization
I am now under declassification
My soul under deprivation
Far away from perfection
But a step closer to detoxification
Getting away from devastation
Healing my soul from this exploitation
Ridding my humiliation
Walking towards intellectualization
Living the life of liberation
And that is what I call a living perfection.


-A

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

My Hidden Identity

My Hidden Identity. 


I’m tired of living in a shell. Veiling my 
true identity with someone 
who is just there to please 
everyone else but myself. 
How do I break away from that 
without losing everyone that I love? 

In my parent's mind, and some 
of my friends, I shouldn’t have tattoos 
or piercings. I should wear dresses 
or skirts more often.  I shouldn’t play
sports. I should cook more often. 
I should wear my hair up. 
I should lose weight. 
I shouldn’t wear sneakers as often. 
I shouldn’t listen to rock or metal,  etc. 
It frustrates me because it’s like 
I’m being stripped of what 
makes me unique, of what 
makes me who I am. 
I’m tired of the ordinary. 
More importantly, 
I’m tired of pretending 
as if I'm ordinary. 
I feel like my whole life 
I’ve been trying to fill 
in the shoes of a perfectly 
traditional daughter who solely 
exists for everyone’s satisfaction 
except her own. I want my reflection 
to show who I am, and not who 
everyone else wants me to be. 
Is that too much to ask?
-­R.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Love

This one has no title
I've learned something these last few months. You can fall in love with the wrong person. You can believe that the person you’re absolutely in love with is the one for you, but then you find out they’re not. They’re not the person you thought they would be and they won’t fight for you when something big happens. They just allow it to happen and move on as if your relationship did not happen.
Then, you suffer through excruciating emotional distress thinking that you've lost everything you wanted and needed. You go through the worst days of your life thinking that nothing will be the same and that you've become worthless.
You sink into an indescribable depression, not sadness, but true depression. You begin to go to school not caring about how you look and you cry every night because you think you will never get “the love of your life back.” You put yourself through s*** because you think you deserve it.
But guess what? You don’t. In reality you gained the freedom to find the real person who will care and fight for you. A person who will not just move on the moment you do something incredibly stupid. The person who will fly miles away or drive a few minutes away to see you. They won’t deny you and that will be the right person for you. In reality, nothing was your fault. It may have seemed that way, but it wasn't. Sometimes relationships don’t work and no one is worth your suffering unless you are suffering together and are working through your problems.
So don’t cry and harm yourself over some boy or girl who you “lost”. They lost you and now you can find your Prince Charming or your beautiful princess. You've been given another chance at love, all you have to do I be yourself and wait for love to come to you. It will never be easy, nothing ever truly is, but if it’s worth fighting for within so many people then it’s worth waiting for as well.
- Ashley

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Fitting In

Hey!!

Here is a video created by Gina. Within the video, Gina speaks about her life and how it was/is for her fitting in.

Please Watch and Enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzOawQ1-D0sfaHZzT3ZWVnpub0E/edit

PS: The sound quality is a bit harsh, so we apologize for the inconvenience!!

- Gina
xoxoxoxo
- The Beauty and Strength Within

Using The Words Gay/Retarded

How do I feel about the words Gay and Retarded used in sentences?
It's mean and hurtful. Don't get me wrong, I am guilty for using the words. Typing up this post makes me really think about the use of the words. What makes something "gay" or "retarded"? Being wrong, broken, or not your "style".
What if I said "Oh my God, this computer is so 19 year old girl!" Okay that's a stupid example, but you get what I mean. We are taking a normal group of people and making them seem like its wrong being them.
First of all you are born retarded, so its NOT their fault. That also means that their is NOTHING wrong with them. Second of all, for personal reasons, I am a firm believer that a person is born homosexual instead of being introduced to the Fabulous Life :)
So saying that something is Gay or Retarded? NO. Get a dictionary and learn the proper term for saying that something isn't working for you, or not your style.
Stop discriminating, and yes I am talking to myself as well.
- Julie L.

This Is Me

This is Me

Sitting alone in a 
room, thinking "Why
is this happening to
me?" The voice of the
people mocking you
"Fat, ugly, Beast."

 
You cry yourself 
to sleep, wanting
to yell to your friend
"Help" but no sound 
comes out.

 
Your heart is aching 
like a poison drop
wanting to cure it
but time runs out.

- Maria

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

High Life

High Life Poem.

Let me just illustrate
A story of those who discriminate
Nothing left to imitate
Those who just assimilate
The ones that just anticipate
Originate, Reciprocate
The hate in which they indicate
People will never change
Instead they chose to arrange
All that hate, keeping us in chains
We try to get out of this mess
Get all full of stress
Away from success
A step away from depressed
Where's the progress?
There's nothing but oppression
Empty expressions
Useless regressions
Where's the world when aggression is in charge?
Where's the world when transgressions enlarge?
So let me tell you know, I don't imitate
I just simply originate
The lyrics to get you questioning your faith
Not in God, but in the world
Don't it make you want to hurl?
You get curled and twirled by a life with so many swirls
Never really knowing when to stop until you impregnate a girl
The ladies catching the guys hoping love is as precious as a pearl
Never knowing when to stop
Always hitting those Tabaco shops
Running to your famous corner spots
Wild'n out like you're flipping your bikini tops
Let's talk about getting wild, down the road it really leads
Doing shady things and other various unknowing deeds
Never really focused on what this road actually reads
Smoking all that weed
Only to conjure up the need
Making you all into little thieves
Never really seeing the munchies or fatigues
I'm spitting this rhyme for a dream I once dreamt
Different than the one M.L.K. did once present
But not too far cause we both had a dream, but my dream was to repent
And get rid of life's torment
Make positive words your only supplement
This world will never be your ally
Focused on seeing you die
Questioning your faith, leaving you to ask "Why?"
Undoubtedly getting high just to get by
It's easy just to stand by and let out one big sigh
But, before I go remember me as that good guy
Trying to get by with my own war and battle cry
So thereby, I love you too
But I don't deny this is the last goodbye I'll get from you.

- Amber S

Depression

Depression


If I had a nickel for every time I was made fun of for my weight, I'd be a millionaire. If I had a dime for every time I got depressed I'd have almost a trillion dollars.

It's not easy being the eldest in my family, a lot is being posted onto my shoulders and it sucks. I'm expected not to make errors; I'm expected to comply without fighting back. It's not me. It has nothing to do with what I want. Why can't my family be happy once I'm happy? Why do I have to follow their norms and once I don't comply why do they get mad? Why does it feel like I'm not wanted at home, and home doesn't feel like home?

These are all the questions (with some exceptions) that run through my head about 6 times a day. I've never tried self harm. I have on the other hand tried to commit suicide. I've tried it twice and each time I chicken out. I'm always wanting the easy way out and it hurts to think about it, but s*** feels like its not real. I know people reading this are thinking, "What's he blabbing about?". I'm tired of being depressed. I'm tired of hiding things from my parents;  I'm tired of not being me. Why do I have to worry about what they think? Is it 'cause I seek their approval? Sometimes it feels like I'm not good enough; What's my purpose? I'm so lost, and I can't find my way around.

I know many can relate, but please, if you're reading this, don't feel alone. I'm here suffering the same fate. If you're reading this, you're awesome. I know it's not much, but when I get compliments on days I'm depressed I feel like a king. So maybe that makes you feel awesome too. Well I'll leave you with happy thoughts, hopefully I added a day to your journey. It's been a long 19 years and I'm tired of feeling alone... Maybe you don't have to. Remember, you're awesome.

~ Your fellow traveler in this universe


- Joel

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Scoliosis

Pain and Success

My story goes like this.....I was a happy child. In school not so much. I had a few friends, but some other classmates just loved making fun of me. I don't know if it was because of my height or the fact that I was born with Scoliosis, but I was still bullied. Other classmates excluded me from games, sitting with them, and they called me names.
It was very hard. I decided to not tell my parents or teachers because I wanted to try to cope with my pain. Other kids called hunchback, but that didn't stop me from doing good in school.  Sometimes it's good to ignore what other people say because in the end, you're the one that will do great in life.
They're going to feel some sort of guilt in the long-run.
- Karen

Monday, February 3, 2014

Sexuality and Religion

Sexuality and Religion

Wow. Where do I start to begin talking about these two topics?

First of all, many people say that you can’t be gay or LBGT and still love God. To those of you who agree with this way of thinking, I have one simple response—f*** you guys!


In high school one of my greatest and deepest struggles was trying to be who I really wanted to be. I guess I was afraid of other people and what they were going to say; the friends that I could possibly lose along with the fear of losing my parents. Even though my parents always said “We’ll love you no matter what you are,” in my head I doubted them and questioned whether they were truly going to love me for who I was or whether or not they were going to treat me like some piece of s*** on the floor. I believe it is true that you really find your "true-self" in college. During my freshman year in college, in a woman’s studies class, we were assigned to write about our deepest secret. When this assignment was given to us I immediately thought in my head “Hell no! I am not telling anyone I am gay.” So I wrote a phony paper on some other deep secret. However, one of my classmates, who I am now close and great friends with, came out during class as a lesbian. This broke me down to tears because at that moment I thought, “If she could do it, why can’t I?” But even in that moment of revelation and her moment of bravery, I still did not have the courage to come out.


So I decided to go find answers in the church, which I initially thought was going to be a horrible idea in fear that I would be belittled because of who I was.  I began seeking advice on what to do. There I met an older gay man who is a disciple at the church and who was on the same boat as I was when he was younger. So, we hanged out and he helped me come out to my friends and family.  He asked me why I was afraid of coming out and I explained to him that since I was a child in school I’ve been called gay and that if I came out I wouldn't want to let those people know that they “won” in a way.  I did not want to prove them right. He then told me that in actuality they weren’t winning because they just wanted to feel better about themselves. He taught me that allowing my thoughts of them “winning” defeated me. I was ultimately hurting myself because I had all this baggage on me that was affecting how I lived my life. 

I share my story with you today because I know there are many other people like me who have to face situations or challenges in their lives where they feel alone, deserted, and lost. However, through my experiences I have learned that you are not alone. There are people that care.

I am one of those people.


Which is why I urge you to support this blog and hopefully you can get a lot of positivity, inspiration and love from it!

“The minute you think of giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long.”- Unknown
- Christian

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Bipolar Disorder & Psychosis

Being Depressed.

It's losing all your friends and gaining an enemy whom you have somehow fallen in love with because it became a part of you. The black shadow that follows you. The relationship to your bed  grows stronger than any relationship you have ever had and you forget who you are. It's a feeling that you can't just "brush off." You want to talk about it, but you don't. You constantly hear that you can't be sad because someone has it worse. But what about you? Crying to God, asking him why you? But the funny s*** is that you don't even remember believing in him. What is depression? It's a cold, a tumor, a parasite, a broken hand. You can't just get over it...

Living with Mania

Wanting to jump off a f****** building because I saw it in a movie and, yup, it looked cool! And buying a yacht because you always wanted one. Its having sex with everyone because, hell, they look great! Feeling like you are high every moment of everyday! Mania isn't being happy, it's dangerous. And honestly, I just rather be depressed.

I have Bipolar Disorder. I does not mean I am a monster, or a weirdo. It just means that I am really really happy, or really really sad. I dealt with it, so can you.


- Julie L.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

A Bit of Encouragement for the Day!

“1. When your friends ask you to hangout, and you don’t feel like it, don’t go. Don’t ever do things halfway or do something that makes you uncomfortable. With everything, give all of yourself, even the pieces you never knew existed.
2. It is okay to not know. Everyone always despises the phrase, “I don’t know” but no one tells you that it is okay to not know. The becoming is more important than the being, anyways.
3. If someone ever makes you feel less, in any way, you have every right to walk away. You have every right to cut out toxic people in your life. To close the door on people who make you feel bad about who you are or what you stand for. Friends don’t tear down, they build up.
4. Loss is always going to happen. Just like paint will always chip and rain will always fall, loss will always be part of life. No matter how much I don’t like it, or avoid it, it is going to walk my way at several times in my life. Learn to embrace it and learn to get closure.
5. Give yourself a chance. Stop saying, “I don’t think I can” or “But what if I am not able to?” and give yourself a chance. This may be cliche, but try to believe in yourself. When you get older, your knees won’t work the same and you won’t have the best memory, and you are going to wish you’d given yourself a chance years sooner.
6. Fall in love. Don’t be guarded before you fall in love. You could fall in love three times and still not find the right one, but none of it is going to make “the one” matter less. Don’t fall into that idea that your first love has to be your best love. Fall in love as many times as it naturally happens.
7. Firsts are going to be messy. First loves, first kisses, first dates, first failed tests, first college class, first time you drive a car, first time you ride a plane - first times were made to be imperfect. Just because it’s messy and all over the place, doesn’t mean it can’t be good or worthwhile.
8. You want another scoop of ice-cream? Go get it. Get three more scoops of ice-cream if that is what you want. “Fat” is not the opposite of beautiful and it is not the opposite of happy. Don’t let anyone tell you that your body type isn’t beautiful. Beauty is a social construct, create your own, become your own.
9. Let yourself be alone. Loneliness is not a bad thing. It is healthy and normal. Everyone needs to spend a good portion of their life alone. We learn who we are when we are alone; life is less crowded and more clear when we are alone.
10. If you aren’t happy where you are, change it. Quit your job, move, become a vegetarian, get a new hobby, pick up an old hobby, whatever you do - make sure it benefits you. Life is too short to not be alive, to not be passionate, and overflowing.”

(This was found on
www.Tumblr.com . Anonymous author)

Saturday, January 25, 2014

The Beginning of a Global Change.

Hey to ALL!

If you are currently viewing this page then you are one extremely awesome person =).

This page was created to inspire, uplift and join together different people from around the world who are struggling with SOMETHING. This something can be your appearance, your gender, your weight, your sexuality, a birth defect, your flaws, drug addiction, religion, bullying, etc. The list could continue infinitely!! However, this page will only go to show that whoever you are, YOU are NOT alone. Here you will find many people who struggle with their own demons and are trying to overcome them. This page will become your safe haven whenever you need to get away. Feel free to post, read other people's posts and get inspired!!! Keep in mind that this is a fairly new blog therefore, blogs are still being made and are in the process of uploading. However, please subscribe to the blog in the hopes to better your own self, but to spread some love around the world <3. With that said, enjoy your time on this blog.

P.S: If you would like to post on the blog some of your experiences, feel free to email your posts at thebeautyandstrengthwithin
@yahoo.com

xoxoxoxo


- The Beauty and Strength Within