Keep Holding On

Life would be so much easier if fictional boys were real.

If you see someone being bullied, make it stop. Why is that so hard for us to do?

Love is never guaranteed. Love is a risk we take because we hope it will make us happy.

Happiness is not limited. There’s enough for everyone.

When your heart is shattered into a million pieces, all you can do is try to keep holding on. You breathe. You try to fall asleep. You try to not think about him.

No two people can see the world in the same way. No matter what you’re looking at, no one is seeing it the same way you are.

TOP FIVE WAYS PEOPLE CAN SURPRISE YOU 5. Just when you think they’ve given up on you, they prove that they never will. 4. They find a way to speak up after staying silent for so long. 3. They defend you when you least expect it. 2. By showing you how life can get better now. 1. By helping you find a place to belong.

School would be way more tolerable if everyone wasn’t so afraid to be who they really are. And if everyone else would let them.

If I’d stopped believing that my life would eventually get better, I don’t think I would have survived high school.

I deserve to be happy. I'm sad it took me so long to get that. But I get it now.

You can’t violate someone’s trust and expect there to be no consequences.

SEEING BELIEVING what’s in front of you is not necessarily the entire story

I’ve already lived through the worst time of my life. So I know that whatever happens to me from now on, nothing will ever be as bad as it was back then. That makes me happy.

No one should be ashamed to speak up. Shame makes it easy for neglect and abuse and bullying to stay huddled together in their dark corner. It’s time to throw the switch on this spotlight. If I can inspire other kids to speak their truth, then everything I’ve been through will have been worth it.

For kids stuck in small towns everywhere who feel like you'll never escape, I hear you. We are all connected. We're all in this together. You are not alone. No matter what happens, never *ever* give up. Happiness is not limited. There's enough for everyone. You can start right now, today, to move toward a happier life. Your life is shaped by your choices. Make ones that will help you get where you want to go. Find your place to belong. It may not be a physical place. At least, not yet. Maybe your place is somewhere you let your imagination take you. Maybe it's your vision of the way your ideal life will be. Eventually, you'll find a real place that feels like home. Your whole world will open up in ways you kept believing were possible. And you'll be so happy you held on long enough to make it there. So let's do this thing. Let's own what makes up unique. Let's refuse to allow haters to stop us from moving forward. Let's turn our dreams into reality. Starting now.

The whole thing about bullying is: yes, the culture has to change. Yes, teens have the power to change it. It’s not going to happen overnight, but this is definitely something that I want to start motivating teens to do today." - Publisher Weekly

When I’m a teacher, I won’t be using red pens to grade papers. Red pens will forever be associated with criticism and bad grades in my mind. I don’t want this person to get their short story back with harsh red pen marks all over it. Purple is much friendlier.

Its so weird how connecting with someone in a different setting can bring out this whole other side of them. Like how certain places inspire us to act in ways we normally wouldn't.

My hair is so scary that if you saw it walking down the street, you'd cross to the other side. This humidity is not helping. It's just an excuse for my hair to let its frizz flag fly.

Everyone at his table laughs. They know I can hear them. They just don't care.

My shows and books are an instant mood adjuster. They’re my drugs of choice. And the fictional characters I love are like my friends.

How cool would it be if differences were celebrated? And the more different you were, the better?

I wish someone would pick me because they want to.

But all of the pain you're feeling right now will make you stronger. Trust me: that strength will make you a better person.

We're products of our choices. I can make a choice to do more than just survive. Which is why I'm going to start shaping my life into the one I want.

It's wild how unexpected experiences can shape your life in ways you never saw coming.

There are so many places to set up a new life, so many different ways to be in this world. How do you know which one to choose?