My name is Helena, I am from Germany and I have been bullied for 13 years - since I started at the Gymnasium in the 5th class up to I left the school with my A-levels in 13th class. People bullied me, because they shared the opinion that I was ugly (which I was NOT!!!) and not only my class bullied me because of it, but all the other classes in the grades as well. They called me names, they did terror telephone calls and they hit and beat me. I didn't had had any friends, just people who took care of me because they felt pity for me. I was a shy person, afraid of everything and I was sure I was worth nothing and not capable of achieving something. I had a lot of goals in my life but I was too afraid to pursue them. I didn't go out, but spend all my free time reading and playing games. Even I left school I still was the same for five years: shy, unsure about myself, with a big lack of self-confidence and I thought of myself as really ugly. It all changed when I started my second apprenticeship with the age of 24. I met new people who didn't know me and I suddenly made friends. I just couldn't believe they liked me the way I was: crazy, funny, clumsy and nice. I went out at clubs with them and found out how great it was not to be all for myself at home. I also experienced that I could fulfil tasks given to me and that I was a good worker. I experienced I was NOT the way I thought of myself: not being able to do anything. Instead, I succeeded in everything I did. And I changed my outer appearance a lot and discovered that even guys talked to me and were interested in me. And now, I'm 30, a very beautiful woman who found the love of her live and who finally achieved something I always wanted to achieve: being self-confident, optimistic and in love with life. Everytime I get a task I don't think about whether it's too difficult or whether I'm capable of it: I just start with it and decide afterwards. I don't care of making mistakes: they show, that I'm human. I work as a secretary for a company's boss now and I would like to study Communication Art and write a book. And guess what? Most of the bullies from my past have achieved nothing in their lives! NOTHING! And guess what? Most of the bullies have gained a lot of weight or some other attributes which made their "beauty" wither. And guess what? One of my biggest bullies recently met me again, didn't recognize me and even tried to hook up on me! 

Thank you very much for reading this! And if you are or were bullied yourself, let me say something to you: YOU ARE STRONG! You will achieve everything you want in your life, since you have been through bullying in your life but you stood up every day and went to school. I think this is the biggest strength someone can have. If you are bullied and never gave up, you will learn that you will also learn with all of the hard times in your future life. Moreover, you are something special! People always bully others because they are different. But you're not different: you're UNIQUE. And it's always the people who are different from others who create the world and who make life colourful. Don't care about them trying to be like the others: they are like sheep without their own mind or their own opinion. They are like the lemmings in the ATARI-game and they follow all the others, even if it means falling down the abysm. Be glad that you're not like them! And I assure you you will help create a beautiful world with colours!