Why eat olives if you hate them? Find your self-worth and ignore bullies.

Eat olives only if your like them.

I love olives today, but disliked the taste as a child. With maturing, my palate evolved, and I discovered a taste for olives. This blog is not about how to like an olive, but about bullying. Bullying to me is the same as someone forcing you to eat olives if you don't like them.

In the book, Black Pearls, Lucy endured relentless bullying from the so-called “popular kids” at school, their taunts and insults making her cower away from happiness. Bullying shattered Lucy's self-worth, leaving her feeling inadequate and unattractive. In the harsh reality, these struggles extend far beyond the pages of a story. Low self-esteem can suffocate, wrapping around happiness like a heavy blanket.

Think about someone who has bullied you.

What motivates individuals to bully others? Every bully has their own motive behind their actions. The reasons behind doing it vary - some are driven by a thirst for power, others by a desire for social status, and many by their own insecurities. In their quest for greatness and admiration, they ruthlessly diminish the other person, making them feel worthless in comparison to them.

May was born with a sense of entitlement, leaning on the laurels of her father throughout her life. Ivy exposed the fact that May's position as head girl resulted from her father being a doctor, and not on her own merits. Bullies are only popular within their own clique, where they exert their dominance. They will never achieve greatness beyond the empty praises of their foolish admirers, and are oblivious to the fact that they are like a tiny droplet in a muddy quagmire. Beyond their muddied existence lies an ocean of beautiful, smart, and respected people, whose voices fill the air with inspiration and wisdom.

Ivy asked Lucy at a stage in the book what May had that she wanted? Viewing her life with newfound self-worth, Lucy realized she had everything she wanted to bring her true happiness. We too need to find our self-worth like Lucy did, and ignore the bullies in our life who try to steal our happiness.

Love the real you.

How does one reclaim your self worth? The first step is to go within and get to know and love the real you inside. You can only experience and enjoy life from within. So what is it that would make you truly happy? The definition of happiness is different for everyone. Some people like to travel and discover unknown places, some prefer to stay at home socialising with friends, or do gardening. Some people love olives, some hate them. Why would you eat olives if you didn’t like them? Why would you travel if you are happier at home? Find who you are to find your own happiness.

Once you have found who you are, find like-minded people who will appreciate you. A round stick doesn’t fit into a square hole, neither does a square stick fit into a round hole. If you are a nature lover, why are you hanging around with people who love the vibrancy of city life? Or if you are a city person, why are you being still with people in nature?

There is no blueprint for creating the perfect person. Each of us arrives with a unique blueprint perfectly designed for our own journey. Embrace your uniqueness, love yourself unconditionally, and savour every moment of your life. Don't allow anyone to undervalue you, because your life is priceless. Go out into the world and be happy.