If you set your mind to it and bravely take that first step to change your life, you can make the impossible possible.
I had first shared this post on my social media to join the #ThisLittleGirlIsMe campaign on Instagram, an initiative to inspire girls through the real-life stories of female role models. I was overwhelmed by the supportive and encouraging comments and messages I had received for it, so thought I share it here.
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This little girl was 12 years old. She was an empathetic and highly sensitive child who grew up with parents who love her, albeit it was in the '80s and '90s when parenting - despite its best intentions - often involved the cane, shaming and downplaying of emotions. It seemed like she grew up fine but deep down she was meek and often wondered if she was ever good enough in everything she did. From young, she loved to read and write but she had never thought her writing would ever be good enough for her to make a living out of.
10 years later, she became a reporter. The job felt totally wrong for a scaredy person like her as she had to come out of her shell to approach complete strangers for stories and put her words out for the world to judge. But with every phonecall she made, every story she wrote, every person she drew a worthy quote out of, she built her confidence. She ended up having a blast, writing and breaking news while travelling the world for 14 years.
She called it a day with her fulltime career when she decided to build the life she wants with her two children. She became a freelance writer, then wrote and published her first book at 40. Though she earns a tiny fraction of what she used to make, her heart is full. That 12-year-old had never thought she would one day hear from children and random strangers that her writing had touched and inspired them. She'd never thought growing up so flawed she could raise her own kids to be kind and empathetic, and be the catalyst for the books they are writing now.
To that unconfident girl that I was - and every girl who thinks she is not smart/strong/talented/pretty enough - you will blossom in your own time and in ways different from others. If you set your mind to it and bravely take that first step to change your life, you can make the impossible possible.
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#thislittlegirlisme is a global campaign to inspire girls via real-life stories of female role models. Do follow the hashtag and check out @inspiringgirls_sg and @inspiringgirlsint on Instagram.
Disclaimer: My opinions and reviews here are strictly my and my family’s own.
©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.
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