Author: Al Baker

Kesha

Posted on by Al Baker
KESHA
“I was often bullied and shamed into hiding the things that made me unique. I remember hanging up the velvet pants I had made by hand and asking my mother to take me to the GAP to buy some normal clothes at one point. That experiment failed miserably. because it just wasn’t me. When I think about the kind of bullying I dealt with as a child and teen, it seems almost quaint compared with what goes on today. The amount of body shaming and baseless slut-shaming online makes me sick. I know from personal experience how comments can mess up somebody’s self confidence and sense of self worth. I have felt so unlovable after reading cruel words written by strangers who don’t know a thing about me.” People Magazine

Demi Lovato

Posted on by Al Baker
DEMI LOVATO
“Just because someone has a mental illness doesn’t make them any different from you and me. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans has a mental illness. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2011. The more you talk about mental health, the more awareness it raises and less taboo it is to talk about.” People Magazine

Yara Shahidi

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YARA SHAHIDI

“Everyone has dealt with their share of random negative comments. It all comes down to how you handle it. For me, it’s about having constructive conversations instead of ignoring the issue. I found a lot of success in saying: Hey,  wondering why you feel that way? And this is how I feel.”  Seventeen Magazine

Lyrics

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WHAT LYRICS HELP OR INSPIRE YOU?
Everyone at Hey U.G.L.Y. has been helped by lyrics, especially when we are in pain. Knowing the songwriter felt the way we do makes our burden a little less heavy and helps us not feel all alone. Comment below and we’ll post them here. You can also email your comments on any of the lyrics listed. PreventBullyingNow@heyugly.org 

Finding Encouragement – Your True Inner Voice

Posted on by Al Baker

Finding Encouragement – Your True Inner Voice

By A.J. Mahari (aka Soul)

Within each of us, there are numerous voices often that compete for our attention. It can be difficult to decide which one to listen to, particularly when their messages are all quite different, sometimes conflicting, and even alluring. One voice, however, is the speaker of truth. Among all your inner voices, your true inner voice is the one which encourages you, gives you hope, and pushes you to trust and believe in yourself. Conflict within oneself is often caused by dueling voices inside of each one of us. As we move through life, we get mixed messages from the various aspects of ourselves. Some of our voices, such as the naysayer or saboteur, can speak so loudly that they drown out the voice of truth. Listening to your true inner voice – often the voice of understanding, support, and self-assurance – can help lessen and even resolve internal conflict.

If you’re looking toward the future but your faith in your ability to succeed in life is wavering, you will benefit from finding and listening to your true inner voice. You can connect with it by remaining relaxed and alert, while listening carefully. If you have trouble distinguishing your true voice from the others, meditation may be helpful. You may hear many voices as you meditate, but the one you should pay attention to is the one that speaks to you with love, understanding, and compassion. It will bolster your spirits and urge you to go after your dreams. And it will never cause confusion, remind you of past mistakes, or cause you to doubt yourself.

The more you listen to and believe in what your true inner voice is telling you about your value and your potential, the stronger that voice will become. And the more you disregard the voices that can interfere with your resolve to succeed, the quieter those voices will become. Saying no to the voices that are judgmental and make you feel ashamed will help you stop being critical of your failures and afraid of success. By finding and strengthening your true inner voice, you will be able to ignore internal conflict and pick out the one that speaks the truth.