LizzieVelasquez

looks surprised

What?!?!

The first one. The little horses. Because there's more opportunities to make friends with them.

Such a well thought-out question.

I absolutely do have days where things get to me. I have a lot of confidence in myself. BUT I am human, and there are times when comments get to me. But I've always said "No matter what, with the good comes the bad," so I can't let it sink in.

It came to me by accident.

When I was a sophomore in High school, our assistant principal asked me to speak to 400 9th graders, and I told her "no." And then she told me to think about it, and I did. And luckily I did it, and i knew right then and there that that was what I had to do the rest of my life.

My first speech was about my story, and the things that I've gone through, as far as bullying.

You could've heard a pin drop in the room. It was so quiet.

And then at the end - kids who were super-tough and seemed like they wouldn't show emotion couldn't even speak because they had tears in their eyes, and they were so touched by what I had to say.

After my first speech, I actually googled how to be a motivational speaker, and then I made an email address, and I emailed a bunch of random places, and said "If you need a speaker, I'm your girl."

I didn't include that I've only done one speech in my life. And I started using that to build my experience, until I started getting paid for it, which probably wasn't until 2 or 3 years later.

And the rest is history (to say the least).

They were ... let me ask them... one second.

walks outside of room to ask parents

So they listened to me and were very comforting. They never let me see that they were upset. They were always very positive with me. Positive, and reassuring.

Chocolate chip cookie dough!

Every day people, like people from around the world who email me and tell me their stories. That's what keeps me going.

I get all kinds of messages. In general, it's people who - in the beginning of the email - will tell me the struggles they've had, but after they hear my story, how much better their life has gotten and how happy they are.

I've gotten emails from Australia, Japan... all over the world.