Young Writers Society

How many of you pretended to be someone that you are not, just for the satisfaction of “fitting in” with other people? I have. But what I found out is that the more you pretend and act like someone you are not, the more you lose who you really are. I believe that everyone has a gift inside, sadly some of them get brutally murdered. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a killer in our midst and it is wiping us out one by one. Like a fierce lion, quietly, patiently observing the weakest in the pack, and when the time is right, they strike. Approximately a million people globally die of suicide per year. I too almost lost a friend to suicide, and it really got me thinking how detrimental and heinous this “disguised killer” can be. Like a parasitic predator it preys on its victims, striking their minds and inserting poisons consisting of lies, anxiety, self doubt and much more. How many of you have thought this? The lies that you were told. You’re not good enough, you will never succeed, why can’t you be better?

Read closely, Prince EA told a story about Harry Houdini, master magician and illusionist and he once claimed that he could break out of any jail cell in the world, all he had to do was walk into the cell with his street clothes on. “I'll be out of there in 1 hour, no problem” he said. A few days later a very old jail down south had heard about Houdini’s claims and they accepted his challenge. Many people gathered outside of the prison on the day of the event. Full of confidence, the master magician walked right into the cell as they shut the metal doors behind him. The first thing he did was he took off his coat, then very strangely he took off his belt. Secretly hidden in his belt was a 10 inch piece of steel, very tough and flexible. The master magician then got to work.

In about 30 minutes, that energetic confidence that he had when he walked in, faded away, just by the click of your fingers. In 1 hour Houdini was bathed in sweat, as if he was escaping a sauna. By the end of 2 hours, Houdini in defeat, collapsed against the door, which then……opened. It opened because truthfully, that door had never been locked.

But we cant say that's true can we? Because that door was locked, it was firmly and thoroughly locked…..in Houdini’s mind. As if the best locksmith in the world had put his lock on it. Likewise how many doors do you think are locked in your life but aren't? How many of you have been stuck in the mental prison of overthinking, especially the “prison of perfection”? This happens amongst teens usually. Not to say it doesn’t happen to anyone, because it can, but, teens seem to be the pivotal target of this “disguised killer”. Society. They are responsible for many crimes during our history. Along with all the recruits that they had; Racism, Sexism, Terrorism, and every other ism known to man.

Stop having self doubts about yourself, you are beautiful and gorgeous just the way you are, stop trying to be someone you're not, no one is impeccable.

Answer me this, when you walk into a forest, do you ever (and I mean ever) see a perfect tree? That one tree which has no wrong aspect to it? No, some are broken, some are leant towards the left or the right. But what's funny to me is that although these trees have something off about them, we still love and enjoy these precious views, and believe they are all beautiful. Then riddle me this, how come we don't do the same for us? We walk into a crowd of people, each different, each having their own flaws and strengths, but yet we decide to judge them and even hate some of them? Like trees we are all beautiful inside and out, sure some have lost their gifts and turned into “bad” people, and trust me I've seen plenty of them. But eventually it got me to wonder if it is their fault that they are like this? Or whether it is whether they have lost who they truly are.

Stop falling into this bottomless trap of overthinking, I have seen and heard about people, girls especially, stuck with their emotionally and verbally abusive boyfriend. Yet they choose to stay because they think, “if he doesn't want me then who will?” It doesn't matter! You are beautiful and precious, you are worth more than every diamond in this world. I was once a victim, and sometimes I still do get attacked by society, but I have vaccinated myself with the defenses I need to fight off and put an end to this killer. It's time we all escape from this prison of perfection, prison of overthinking, prison…...of society. Do not ever forget how valuable you are. Keep your doors locked, do not fall victim to the disguised killer and his disciples. You. Are. Beautiful.