I found the 10 Questions posed to Lady Gaga in the Time magazine (March 12, 2012) quite inspiring so I’d like to share some of the content with you.
Lady Gaga has just launched the Born This Way Foundation to inspire bravery in young people as well as their parents and the worldwide culture. The Foundation aims to work towards a kinder and more accepting society.
Lady Gaga was bullied as a child for being ‘different’. All I can say is thank goodness we are all born different – imagine what a boring world this would be if we were all exactly the same! Being different is what makes this world exciting and actually grows us as ‘individuals’. But being different also opens one up to criticism and rejection. Not being like all the other sheep in the pen can be difficult! Often we find it is easier to criticize than to value and appreciate our differences.
The reporter asked Lady Gaga how an 11-year old girl could live our her idea. This was her reply. “She could go up to one person in class who maybe is not one of the cool kids and say, ‘I really like your T-shirt.’ That would be her one great loving and accepting deed for the day.”
And to the question of how she achieves so much. She gives much credit to the close relationship she has with her mother, but adds “one of the things I hope to impress upon everyone is that all it takes is just one person to believe in you.”
So my challenge to you is this. Don’t only affirm qualities in those people you consider to be cool, the ones you compliment hoping they’ll accept you in return. Affirm and compliment the ‘not-so-cool’ people, the underdog, those who battle to find their place in society. These are the people who need your words of encouragement so much.
And your children? And your spouse? You are in a particularly unique and special position to boost them, show them their incredible worth and love them to the fullest. To achieve great things, it takes just one person to believe in you.
Let us all aim to do one loving and accepting deed each day.
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