The story of how a passion saved my life

My first year of high school ended in a good note. My lack of social life had the upside of getting top grades, and this had the unexpected effect of quieting down my bullies. I took that deal without hesitation, I gladly stepped into my new nerd role.

As a kid, I had found that reading was an outlet to let my mind rest. I enjoyed feeling like someone else for a moment. One day, I found a book in English. I could not read it and it was beyond frustrating. That frustration nagged at me every time I listened to a song in English or I had to read subtitles in a movie.

I enrolled to study English when I turned 15. The best birthday present I could have asked for. It was the decision that would shape my entire life. I will always be grateful to my mom, who supported my wish and hustled to pay for my classes.

I won’t bore you with how much I loved it and how obsessed I became with practicing it. But I will say this, learning this beautiful language opened a new world to me. Not only a world of new cultures and different lifestyles, but also a new internal world. It changed me.

I slowly started gaining confidence. My classmates there appreciated my talent. I had never felt accepted like that before; I finally had a space to be me. The more I practiced, the better I got at it and the happier I felt.

There’s no one out there who had a perfect childhood. We all have baggage of some sort. I had to deal with forms of abuse and the consequences of it. Regardless of what challenges you faced, they were equally hard and important for you as mine were for me.

What we all have in common is that we all need that outlet that lets us breathe. We need to feel good and we need it every day.

I owe my entire life to learning English. Making life-lasting friendships. Getting good jobs. Travelling. Meeting my husband. Moving to this amazing country. This entire life happened because I followed something I enjoyed.

What have you always wanted to do and put off? What do you do to take care of yourself? Are you doing something you enjoy every day?

If you are in need of inspiration, here you have some ideas to try:

• Find peace in nature – go for a walk
• Relax with a book – find an easy read
• Strengthen relationships – call a friend
• Empty your mind – start a journal
• Have fun doing something new – pick up a new hobby
• Quiet your mind – practice meditation

Love,

Celia