When I first came to college, it was a time that I was trying to figure out, 'Who am I? What makes me special?' and I started to find most of my value in the fact that I was thin.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
What makes something special is not just what you have to gain, but what you feel there is to lose.
When younger, I was thin as a rail. As I've grown older, I've put on weight. I have continued to love myself in all those roles. Part of my spirituality, I always tell people, is to accept yourself for who you are.
My father was an artist. When life was harder and he couldn't get jobs, he painted houses, but he was artistic. When I went to see his work, it was special. Somewhere along the line, I felt I was special. I didn't know why.
I had discovered that I'm much less special than I thought I am. So whatever I find true for myself, other people might also relate to.
Every body type is different - that's what makes you unique. What makes you special is you, and you are different from the next person.
No matter what age you are, or what your circumstances might be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.
It was my father who taught me to value myself. He told me that I was uncommonly beautiful and that I was the most precious thing in his life.
I've realized that I'm more important than food is. I love a big slice of pizza, but I love myself more. Being thin is about changing the way you think about yourself. It's about saying that you deserve to be healthy.
I do know one thing about me: I don't measure myself by others' expectations or let others define my worth.
What makes me unique is that I'm normal.