Stop staring and start learning

I think the biggest things I have to deal with is people constantly staring at me as soon as I walk into aroom. Recently, it’s been a lot of adults I’ve been having to deal with, who slowly walk in front of me andturn their heads, and look me up and down. So the stares are what I’m really dealingwith in public right now. Instead of just sitting by and watching these people judge me,I’m starting to want to go up to these people and intro duce myself, or give them mycard and say, ‘Maybe you should stop staring and start learning.’

Lizzie Velasquez, a 23-year-old, whose positive outlook despite having a rare condition has made her a sought-after motivational speaker. She hopes her book, Be Beautiful, Be You, will inspire young adults who struggle with self-image and self-esteem.

The book offers readers a close-up look into Lizzie’s journey to find beauty within and shares her message of staying true to oneself. Lizzie’s undiagnosed syndrome prevents her body from storing fat and building muscle. This syndrome, which is known to affect only two others worldwide, has made her life a study in contradictions. She eats whatever she wants, yet

cannot move a weigh scale past 60 or so pounds. In a time when many people change their appearance in order to feel accepted, she has accepted herself with extraordinarily positive self-esteem. Her attitude, not her syndrome, is contagious.

The book shares advice on being unique, how to make and keep good friends, dealing with bullying and negativity, the art of personal meditation, talking to God in your own words, and setting realistic goals. Woven throughout are Lizzie’s personal experiences, as well as those shared by readers of her first book, Lizzie Beautiful. The book’s core theme, to love yourself as the gift of God you are, will resonate with anyone who struggles with self-esteem.