#yourvoices

[bradhorner]

@lincolncenter #yourvoices #kineticsculpture to the 700+ languages spoken in #nyc. (at Lincoln Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmQOEBFICM6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Another amazing submission by Josh, check out his tumblr at http://goshjoshwhyyousofly.tumblr.com/

We love getting submissions for YANA :) Feel free to submit a photo!

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Asha, Melbourne

Behind my smiles there's much more most people dont know. When i was born, i was actually a twin. But my other half wasnt strong enough to survive and died. to this day we still don't know weather it was a girl or boy. but i think it was a boy. Then 2 years later my mum got pregnant again, but the baby again wasnt strong and he yes he, died. I  grew up having a pretty normal childhood. my dad is a teacher but he gave me so much attention more then my mum even thought we were very close. When i was 8, one night i didn't want to brush my teeth so i made my mum carry me to the bathroom. as she did so we slipped on a bath towel and fell. my mum crashing onto the side of the bath. i broke my wall with my hands slamming into the floor. We rushed her to hospital and found out she had 2 broken ribs and a punctured liver or something. I know it sounds stupid but i was so scared she was going to die, that was the first time i spent visiting someone in hospital for 2 weeks. remembering i was 8 at this time. and after that i never wanted to see another needle or hospital again. 2 years later when i was 10. My mum picked me up from after care ( this place next to school kids from my school would go to if their parents had to work late which i went to on Thursdays and Fridays). I had the best day at school and i remember i was in the best mood. my mum seemed fine when she picked me up. When we got home, she said she had to talk to me and that i should sit down. I didn't really think it was anything serious. Thats when my mum told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I burst out in tears thinking she was going to die and that i was going to loose her for the second time in my life. i was 10 when she told me this. But she didnt and she got through it. I now have a much higher risk of getting breast cancer. Then in February 2010, my mum told me that cousin who we will call J kidneys were failing. J has a disability, so it was quit impossible for them to operate on her, because the risk of her not making it was higher because of the way she is. My cousin J of 27 years passed away after being diagnosed with her kidneys failing in April. At this time my dads mother was very sick with cancer, she had been battling since i can remember. My dad flew to Canada 5 times that year just to see her each time it got worse. Whilst in canada on july 16th my mum told me again to sit down because she had to tell me something. My mum told me she was leaving my dad. She left him on her birthday. My parents of 26 years got divorced and it pained me more than them. 3 months later my grandma passed away. The next 6 months went down hill for me, i was extremely depressed and the worst thing was no one knew. not a single person not even my best friend. no one suspected anything. i would cut and i would cry myself to sleep every night screaming in my sleep, i was failing school and i didn't care. i got so mad at the whole situation i cut up my school dress.  all i felt was alone, like no one understood or cared about me. No one knows this but i planned on committing suicide so many times, it not a joke. I had the pills in my hands ready so many times but something each time stopped me. Justin Bieber. i know its sounds stupid but he was what stopped me. the love i had for him was the only thing keeping me going. And what pains me is that every time my parents say don't waste your time on him, i wish so bad they would know how many times he saved their only daughter. I'm still battling depression, and am very suicidal, i have an eating disorder that no one knows about. but im trying and thats all i can do.

While reading this story I couldn't control my emotions. You seriously are one of the strongest people I know. It's crazy how much happened to you and you're still here today. I beg of you though, please, please..stop hurting yourself. I know it's stupid of me to sit here over the computer and tell you what's good for you and what's not but that isn't the only choice. You need to be happy for all the good things in your life and even if you don't understand right now why all this happened to you, one day it will make sense cause everything happens for one reason or another. I love you and so many other people do too. I can't imagine how it must feel for you to have lost all these people, but I know what an amazing person you are. I hope you can find it in your heart to stop hurting yourself because it really isn't worth it. And I love Justin Bieber to, and I know exactly what you mean by him being an inspiration to you. Much love to you and I hope you find something that makes you really happy and shows you that there is a better way. <3

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Greg, Rhode Island

Starting in elementary school, I got bullied quite a bit. The same group of kids would always start stupid rumors or say something to make everyone laugh. Back then, my friends didn't know enough to stick up for me. The comments continued into middle school and onto Facebook. They would call me fag, gay, and threaten me. I never let them get to me but it’s hard to forget what people say. I never fit into that group of kids. I always cringe when my friends got involved with them because I know they are only going to change for the worse. Recently, I've been under attack from the same people and some older kids too, people throw stuff at me in the halls and push me trying to start fights. High school has definitely been more difficult for me. I always feel like I’m being judged. My friend and I were being bullied so much that she turned to self harm and almost killed herself. I don’t know what I would do if she wasn't here right now. I know it will get better after high school. I can’t wait for the day when I graduate.

"My advice to anyone going through the same thing would be to pull your best friends close to you and don’t pay attention to those who try to provoke you. People will always talk, it’s your job not to care. Stand up for yourself and what you believe in and you’ll go far." - Greg

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Jackson, 17, Tennessee

Let’s see, back in middle school, back before I even know myself that I preferred boys over girls, people already jumped to the conclusion that I was gay. Even though I had never spoken on the subject, the rest of my school was convinced that I was gay, when I wasn’t even sure myself. My classmates liked to refer to my middle school as “boot camp” or “Hell” because their rules were far too strict, and allowed little to no self expression. My 8th grade year, I had Algebra I 4th period which included lunch. At the end of lunch we had to walk single file to throw our trays away, and single file out of the cafeteria, and EVERY SINGLE DAY the same boy just had to call me “queer” or “fag”, and I heard it, every single day, I didn’t show that it hurt me, but when I was that young, I didn’t have the self confidence that I do now, so it just really hurt that someone I don’t even know would belittle me simply because he thought I was gay. Some days, I would ask my friends to take my tray just so I wouldn’t have to hear him say that, and I couldn’t talk to my friends about it, because I didn’t even know if I was gay at that point, so I just had to listen to it day after day, week after week, month after month, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it, because living in the rural south, according to most, gays are equivalent to dirt on the ground. It might not sound like much, but it’s something extremely personal to me that I never speak on. thanks(:

You shouldn't ever let other people decide for you who you are and what makes you you. You are all your own person and deserve to be the best person you can be. You are amazing exactly how you are and it is up to you and only you to decide who YOU are. That boy had no write to judge you before you even got the chance to make your own choices. I hope everything is okay right now and you're happy with who you are, because we all love you<3 

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Patrick, New Jersey

"My youtube video has changed thousands of girls lives. I have stopped girls from ending their lives and cutting and hurting themselves and gave them confidence. Check it out. I also help girls on my tumblr" 

His Tumblr - i-am-famous-cause-of-you-haters.tumblr.com

His Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDwaurYIExY

Patrick is a boy who isn't making videos and writing to girls for attention, he is out there to help them and change their minds about thinking that they don't matter. Check out his video and his tumblr for some inspirtation. His photo submission to YANA can be found on our blog :) THANKS FOR THE HELP AND SUPPORT PATRICK!

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Samara, 16

I’m Samara, this is my story. I moved at the beginning of my fourth grade year when my mother remarried. Immediately I didn’t like the other girls in my grade, I could tell there was something off about them, but I hoped like me, they had faced abuse or neglect and that was the cause of the strange behaviors. I was wrong. I was isolated and picked on every where I went, they were harsh, and cruel. Their words dug deep, to this day I still feel the sting. We finally made it to junior high (sixth grade) after a long two years. Joining four smaller elementary schools together for junior high did not help my situation any. My bullying clique began to grow, and soon the bullying became physical as well as verbal. I was beaten up at least twice a week.I entered a severe depression in the middle of my sixth grade year. I began cutting in the seventh grade. I was diagnosed with anorexia in the eighth. My eighth grade year, a girl broke my nose, and another gave me a serious concussion. The summer following eighth grade, I finally opened up to someone, at church camp. Some of the girls were there, and I shared my story of childhood abuse. The girls used this against me. My freshman year rolls around, and things haven’t changed much. Except one day after basketball practice, I never saw it coming. I was jumped, beaten, and then sexually assaulted. Everyone in the locker room just watched. No one stepped up, they just stood and stared. I was tormented and taunted by everyone in the school. I was isolated and beaten down…I am 5’9 I weighed 97 lbs. I stopped eating and sleeping all together. I attempted suicide two weeks later.I changed schools five months later. I’m on the road to recovery, a year later I still struggle with the side effects. I haven’t seen the last of those girls yet, they follow me around and often try to corner me. But I made it. With only God at my side.

Samara, your story brought tears to my eyes. I can't believe that people like this exist. Stories like yours will show people the severity of what is going on with bullying. People's whole lives can be altered and ruined because of one bully in middle school or high school. Trust me when I say to you, you are so strong. You dealt with so many problems and you didn't deserve any single action they did. Bullies no matter what the situation don't have the right to be bullied. You are beautiful and amazing and strong and an inspiration to so many who are afraid to speak up. I believe that you will be and do something so great one day, and taking your life because of these kids isn't worth losing your future. God will be by your side forever, don't forget that and please don't give up. Much love<3 

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Anonymous

Last year i tried to commit suicide. school was stressing me out & boys kept screwing me over & left me feeling worthless & brought down my self esteem. i didnt know what else to do so i thought suicide was the only way out. i began cutting my wrists & basically the cops came to my house & took me away to this 48 hour suicide watch place it was awful. when i came home i felt even more depressed & was about to overdose on pills. i realized it wasnt worth it. i wish i could come off anon...

Listen to me. School and boys are a 'right now' thing, not a 'forever' thing. All those assholes who don't know how to respect a person aren't going to be in your life for much longer. Just pull through. You're strong. You'll make it and you're going to be something amazing. You can't let things that are only for 'right now' bring you down forever. You deserve better then that and should get the respect you need. You can always come talk to us off anon and we won't post anything if you don't want us to. You're an amazing person trust me, and you're right it wasn't worth it to overdose on pills, it never is. Much love<3