The Power of Your Dreams: BE the CHANGE.

All over media sites & comment windows below articles...you see it everywhere. People saying they wish _____ would change. There is no issue with wanting to see improvement in an area, however, it becomes a problem when those same people don't step up to the plate to see that change follow through.

According to ABC News, approximately 160,000 students A DAY stay home from school to avoid being bullied. Suicide is also a factor, being the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year!

"On October 17th, 2009, 17-year-old Tyler Long had had enough. After years of alleged bullying at the hands of classmates in his Murray County, Ga., school system, Tyler had gone from a fun-loving child to what his parents say was just a shell of the boy they once knew. One morning, two months into his junior year of high school, Tyler Long changed out of his pajamas and into his favorite T-shirt and jeans. He strapped a belt around his neck and hanged himself from the top shelf in his bedroom closet (ABC News)."

Tyler is one of many who could not stand the constant torment any longer and feel that taking their lives was their only option.

Why must something that makes someone unique make them suffer? Such as being tall, or too short, having darker skin, speaking another language, being a different gender...all things that make us who we are...should NOT be a free ticket to oppress others.

This is why I began "The Obsession with Domination: Anti-Bully Campaign" in 2011. I was tired of seeing children taking their lives because they just could not deal with the pressure any longer. I decided that I was going to be their voice and spread the word about this epidemic that is spreading as the days go by. How are we suppose to STOP bullying you ask?

BY EXPOSING WHAT BULLYING ACTUALLY IS.

I have traveled throughout my county & spoke to MANY classrooms of various grades at different schools to share my personal experience and be the voice for those who took their lives. Over these past 2 years, I have had the privilege of having students thank me for speaking up for them. Those students are the ones that are very dear to my heart. Being someone who has been bullied before, more than once, I feel as if I am able to show them that suicide is NOT the answer. The answer is standing up for themselves and getting help when they need it. At the conclusion of each presentation, I have my students who promise to stand up, make a change, and help those who need the help to sign a vow that promises to do just that.

There are HUNDREDS, maybe even THOUSANDS of Anti-Bullying videos on Youtube, and through my search to find the perfect film to show during my presentations, I found a video, entitled, "LOSER: a short film," by Aldrine Leonardo. I feel as if it speaks volumes & asks the question: Will you be a bystander or stand up to make a change?!

If you are like me & want to help STOMP OUT bullying or just want to learn more, you can visit www.stompoutbullying.org for more information and statistics.