I don't know about you, but scholarship season has been happening for me with many of the deadlines completing on March 1st. Part of me initially thought that there was no way I would get awarded any of them, but eventually I had a sit-down chat with myself and explained that there was no way to know unless I tried. Throughout the process, I found that I had to really get in touch with, and own my story. People always say that who you are makes you different from everyone else. Most of the time it just sounds like a cliche, but when it comes to scholarships or applying for a job or any other new opportunities, if we do not own who we are we miss out! It's not easy to talk about the things that I tried to convey, things reserved only for those that are trusted. But the scholarship process forced me to really explore what makes me unique, the combination of life experiences that are uniquely mine. It’s not a competition or comparison, just owning it. To say that my life has been perfect and I grew up without any negative effects would be one big fat lie. I struggled. A forking LOT! I struggled being the kid in Kindergarten trying to enjoy recess when a classmate asked me what it was like to “have your daddy die”. I struggled with fitting in while wearing glasses, braces and a perm all at once. Oh, the 90’s. I struggled to be the one who got called out of class to talk to CPS because my mother had slapped me in the face on school campus where people saw it. I struggled with academics because of the chaos at home and an immune system that did not function at full force which made me miss a ton of class. I struggled with grown men propositioning me for sex as a teenager. Some of whom were my parents’ friends. I struggled to understand why I was so underweight and got made fun of for being the “skinny girl” I struggled to make it look like I had it all together while I was falling apart inside. So, when it came time to write about some of the obstacles I have overcome in my life, I wondered how I could talk about any of that without sounding like a whining whiner. And then I remembered a time when I was in a group setting and told a small part of my story. After doing so, I had a man in a wheelchair tell me thank you for my honesty, because he “never knew pretty people had problems too”. No joke.. Exact words. That voice in my head reminded me that I know how to tell my story in a way that talks about the hope others can have knowing they are not alone in struggle. As I was writing, I focused on what I have learned from those experiences, not how I have been hardened by them, but instead the doors of opportunity they opened for me to become the woman I am today. Because without those experiences, I don’t know that I would care about some things as passionately as I do, and be as resilient and relentless and focused on building a better life. I don't know that it would be as passionate about helping other people who struggle, or find so much joy in explaining that it’s OK to be different. Most of all, I know that I do not have to be ashamed of my struggles. When I embrace them, own them, and let them be, I become a little more free to be uniquely me.,
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AuthorI'm Michelle, and I've got a full plate! As a full-time dietetics student, step-mom, wife, study coach, and tutor in my late 30's, some days I'm barely scraping by. But, no matter what is on my plate, it's always gluten free! Categories
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