You’ve been labeled. You’ve been stigmatized. You’ve been victimized. You’ve been mocked. You’ve been teased. You’ve been hurt. You’ve been forgotten. All because you are different.

I understand. I understand your feelings; your feelings of hopelessness and despair. I understand your sorrow. I understand your pain. I understand your insecurity. I understand your fear.

I understand you.

I understand because I’ve been there. I’ve been labeled. I’ve been stigmatized. I’ve been victimized. I’ve been mocked. I’ve been teased. I’ve been hurt. I’ve been forgotten. All because I was (and am) different. Just like you, I have experienced feelings of hopelessness, feelings of despair, feelings of anguish, and feelings of unending depression and isolation. I’ve experienced all of it. It’s no way to live, I know. I know from years of emotional torment that it’s no way to live.

To those who are living without hope, to those who have inadvertently withdrawn from society, to those who have been picked on, to those who have been stigmatized, to those who have been victimized, to those who are living in a world of unrelenting sadness and despair, to those who are different – I have a message for you.

Hear my message.

You may be different. You may 'stand out' in some way. You may not be like everyone else. You may ‘go against the grain.’ You may be a ‘square peg trying to fit into a round hole.’ However, these are the reasons, my friend, that should give you reason to smile. These are the reasons that should make you want to get up in the morning and tackle day, regardless of any obstacles that may stand in your way. These are the reasons that should give you faith. These are the reasons that should give you hope. These are the very reasons that should give you reason to believe.

Believe.

You have an opportunity, right now, to prove to yourself, and to the world, what you are truly made of. Right this very moment, you have the power to rewrite the future that many others have written for you. Change that course. Change that path. Do not, under any circumstances, live up to negative thoughts and expectations that have been directed toward you. Do not live up to the self-fulfilling prophecy of others. Do not give rise to this prophecy but instead find the courage and strength within to go against it!

What you must understand is that you are not a product of your label. You are not a product of your past. You are not disabled - not physically, not intellectually, not in any way are you unable to do anything! Different? Yes! Disabled? No – not by a long-shot!

Hellen Keller was once quoted saying, “Never bend your head. Hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.” Every day is a new day. See each day as an opportunity. Take advantage of these opportunities, realize your potential, the endless possibilities – and never – ever – bend your head – for anyone! Take pride in yourself, take pride in who you are. Being different – I know from experience – isn’t such a bad thing. Being different is what makes us stand out from the crowd. Being different is what makes us unique. Not being able to fit into that round hole is what separates us from the ‘norm.’ Being different just makes us that much more resilient. Being different, while it has its challenges, makes us want 'it' that much more.

So, while you may have been labeled and stigmatized, while you may have been mocked and teased, while you may have been hurt and forgotten, remember this – it’s all part of a grander plan. I strongly believe that everything in life happens for a reason. Look within – look deep within and find what you’re good at, what makes you happy. Regardless of your differences, I guarantee that you possess a number of strengths.

So, look within. Search and you will find those strengths. Utilize them. Show yourself, and the world, just what you can do.

And do it!

Craig Gibson is the Editor of SensorySpot.com, sister site of the internationally acclaimed AutismSpot.com. He is also a Feature Writer for AutismSpot.com. Craig was diagnosed with a learning disability at the age of six, and spent the next twelve years in special education. He has since earned two degrees and has published on the local and national levels. Craig can be reached at craig.gibson6@verizon.net.