My early years in school wasn’t a good one.
I was bullied because of two reasons:

• I was new because I was transferred from other school

• I was extremely introvert and a loner

That two reasons was enough to get me cornered by some boys and told me “Don’t you dare get anywhere near us. Your breath stinks.” 

Until the one incident in my 4th grade that changed my mindset forever.

One Friday, I was preparing to go home after a boy scouting lesson. I rolled my white rope on my left shoulder. That was when a boy started taunting me from behind.
Exhausted and uninterested, I chose to ignore him.

I didn’t say a single word to retaliate him. Upset from being ignored, he pushed my left shoulder from behind. The white rope that I was rolling fell to the ground and unravelled.

At that time, I felt overwhelmed with rage.

Before I knew it, my right hand swung randomly and connected right on his mouth. He fell, crying. When I began to realize what was happened, the regret and panic set in immediately as I braced for severe consequences.

I spent the weekend worrying about that incident.

However, to my surprise, nothing happened when I returned to school on Monday. Even more unexpected was the sudden halt in bullying that I used to get. I later learned from a friend that rumors of the incident had spread, and no bully dared to bother me after that.

First, I need to say that I don’t condone violence, but this experience taught me that bullying isn’t just about the bullies.

It’s also about the victim's response and the unexpected strength that can emerge when pushed to the limit.

This incident taught me a powerful lesson:

True courage is about standing up for yourself. Overcoming obstacles is possible when you find the strength to take a stand.