Introduction:
Weallhaveheardthesaying,"Sticksandstonesmaybreakmybones,butwordswillneverhurtme."However,thetruthisthatwordscanbejustasdamagingasphysicalviolence.Theycantearusdown,shatterourself-esteem,andleaveusfeelinglostandbroken.Butwordscanalsobeincrediblypowerful,inspiring,andlife-changing.Inthisstory,Iwillsharehowonesimplesentenceimpactedmylifeforever.
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Growingup,Iwasalwaysshyandintroverted.IstruggledtomakefriendsandneverfeltlikeIfitin.IoftenfeltlikeIwasinvisible,likenoonesawmeorcaredaboutme.Itwasalonelyexistence,andIlongedforsomeonetoseetherealme,torecognizemyworthandvalue.
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Oneday,whenIwasinhighschool,Iwassittinginclass,feelingasinvisibleasever,whenourteachersharedaquotebyMayaAngelou.Itwasjustasimplesentence:"I'velearnedthatpeoplewillforgetwhatyousaid,peoplewillforgetwhatyoudid,butpeoplewillneverforgethowyoumadethemfeel."
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AssoonasIheardthosewords,somethinginsidemeshifted.Itwaslikealighthadbeenturnedon,illuminatingeverythingIhadbeenmissing.Suddenly,Irealizedthatmylifewasn'taboutbeingpopularorfittingin.Itwasaboutmakingadifference,aboutleavingapositiveimpactontheworld.
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Overthenextfewweeksandmonths,Ithoughtaboutthatquoteconstantly.IstartedtopaymoreattentiontohowItreatedothersandhowtheymademefeel.Ibegantostandupformyselfandspeakoutwhensomethingdidn'tfeelright.Istartedtotakerisksandtrynewthings,confidentintheknowledgethatIwaslivingmylifewithpurposeandintention.
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Eventually,mynewfoundconfidenceledmetoauditionfortheschoolplay.Ihadneveractedbefore,butIfeltdrawntothestage,totheideaoftellingstoriesandconnectingwithanaudience.Tomysurprise,Iwascastinaleadrole.
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Thefirstrehearsalwasnerve-wracking.Ifeltlikeeveryonewaswatchingme,judgingme,waitingformetomessup.Butthen,aswestartedtorunthroughthescenes,somethingmagicalhappened.Ilostmyselfinthestory,inthecharacterIwasportraying.Ifeltaliveandvibrantandpowerful.
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Afterthatfirstrehearsal,thedirectorpulledmeasideandsaid,"Youhaveagift.Youhavesomethingspecial.Keepworkingatit."Thosewordswerelikeawarmembrace,likeapatonthebackfromtheuniverseitself.Theygavemethecouragetokeepgoing,tokeeppursuingmydreams.
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Overthenextfewmonths,Ipouredmyselfintothatplay.Irehearsedtirelessly,memorizinglinesandblockingandchoreography.IpushedmyselfharderthanIeverhadbefore,determinedtoprovethatIhadwhatittooktobeagreatactor.
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Finally,openingnightarrived.Thetheaterwaspacked,buzzingwithexcitementandanticipation.AsIsteppedoutontothestage,Ifeltasurgeofenergyflowthroughme.IknewthatthiswaswhatIwasmeanttodo,thatthiswaswhereIbelonged.
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Theplaywasahugesuccess.Wegotstandingovationseverynight,glowingreviewsfromcritics,andpraisefromourpeers.Itwaslikewehadcreatedsomethingspecialtogether,somethingthattouchedpeople'sheartsandsouls.
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Afterthefinalperformance,aswewerealltakingourfinalbows,thedirectorcameuptomeandsaid,"RememberwhatMayaAngelousaid.Peoplewillneverforgethowyoumadethemfeel.Youmadethemfeelsomethingtonight.Youmadethemfeelalive."
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Thosewordsstuckwithmelongafterthecurtainhadclosedandthetheaterhademptied.Irealizedthatactingwasn'tjustahobbyorapassionforme.Itwasmypurpose,mycalling,myreasonforbeingalive.AndIknewthatIwoulddoeverythinginmypowertocontinuepursuingit.
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Overtheyears,Iwentontoactindozensofplays,fromlocalcommunitytheaterproductionstoOff-Broadwayshows.Istudiedactingincollege,honingmyskillsandlearningnewtechniques.Ievenlandedafewsmallrolesinindependentfilms.
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ButnomatterhowmuchsuccessIachieved,Ineverforgotthewordsthathadinspiredmeallthoseyearsago.IalwayskeptMayaAngelou'squoteclosetomyheart,remindingmyselfthatitwasn'taboutthefameorthegloryorthemoney.Itwasaboutmakingpeoplefeelsomething,aboutleavingapositiveimpactontheworld.
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Today,asIlookbackonmylife,IrealizethatthosewordshaveshapedeverythingI'veeverdone.They'vegivenmecouragewhenIfeltlost,hopewhenIfelthopeless,andstrengthwhenIfeltweak.They'veinspiredmetobeabetterperson,toliveamoremeaningfullife,tomaketheworldabetterplace.
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I'velearnedthatinspirationcancomefromanywhere,atanytime.Itcanbeasimplesentenceinaclass,aquoteonaposter,oraconversationwithafriend.Butnomatterwhereitcomesfrom,ithasthepowertochangeourlivesforever.
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I'velearnedthatweallhavesomethingspecialinsideus,somethingthatmakesusuniqueandvaluable.Andit'suptoustofindthatsomething,toembraceit,toshareitwiththeworld.
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I'velearnedthatlifeisaboutmorethanjustgettingby,morethanjustsurviving.It'saboutthriving,aboutfindingjoyandmeaningandpurposeineverymoment.
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I'velearnedthatwordscanbebothweaponsandshields,thattheycanhurtusorprotectusdependingonhowweusethem.
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I'velearnedthatthepowerofwordsisnotinthewordsthemselves,butinthefeelingstheycreate,theconnectionstheyforge,thememoriestheyleavebehind.
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AndI'velearnedthatnomatterhowsmallorinsignificantwemayfeel,weallhavethepowertoinspireothers,tomakethemfeelsomething,toleaveapositiveimpactontheworld.
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Soifyou'reeverfeelinglostordiscouragedorinvisible,rememberMayaAngelou'swords.Rememberthatpeoplewillneverforgethowyoumadethemfeel.Rememberthatyouhavesomethingspecialinsideyou,somethingthattheworldneeds.Andrememberthatyouhavethepowertochangeyourlife,andthelivesofothers,withyourwords.
