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Category: Road Team

A Bunch of (Almost) Strangers…

I’m currently heading across the country, in a cramped bus, with 7 people I met less than a month ago.
What in the world have I gotten myself into?  The answer is simple. LiveDifferent.

Team 2016

This all started last year, when I walked out of my Grade 12 chemistry class and into the gym for, what I had assumed to be, another boring presentation.  Instead of that, I was greeted by a concert-style set-up that promised an experience unlike any other.  And it delivered.  I watched videos, listened to speakers that inspired me to “Own My Story”, freaked out over some amazing live music, and for the first time in the history of my schooling, got inspired.  All I could think of is how much I would have benefited from seeing this presentation at a younger age.  These people genuinely cared about us and wanted to connect with us by sharing their own personal stories.  As I sat there in the wake of this awesome event, my best friend leaned over to me and whispered, “You would be great at this”.

All I could think was, “Yeah…I…I really would!”

Showing some interest led to an interview over the phone.  I was SO nervous.  When I hung up, I thought that I
had ruined my chance, but I knew that I had spoken from my heart and two weeks later, an acceptance email
begged to differ with my fears.  Soon I was on a video conference call, meeting the amazing people I was going
to be sharing the next chapter of my life with.  It seemed so surreal.  All my life I had been waiting for an opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of others and here it was, just around the corner.  Day one of my LiveDifferent experience couldn’t come fast enough!
Until it did come.  Saying goodbye to my family was tough.  I left behind a younger sister that I miss every

day. My parents now spend most of their free time worrying about me, but they’re so proud of what I’m doing and the group of people I’m on this journey with.  I moved into the dorms at the head office and starting experiencing just about every “first” in the book.  First time living away from my family, first time grocery shopping for myself, first time having roommates.  It was…different, but the people at LiveDifferent made it a great experience. We instantly  became this giant family.  2 bands, 5 interns, 3 road team leaders and whole bunch of other staff, all joined forces to create one of the best presentations this country has ever seen.  I can’t believe I’m saying this already, I actually can’t imagine what my life would be like without these friends.

So, for the next three months, my half of this family will be touring the east coast, bringing our presentation on the power of empathy to thousands of Canadian students.  We’re about three weeks in and we’re starting to get in the flow of things.  Unloading, setting up, presenting, connecting, loading up, and starting again the next day.  It can sound taxing, but I’ve already gotten so much out of being able to share my story.  I’ve been able to come to peace with myself.  I’ve turned my worst moments into something that can benefit others, a struggling teen who feels lost and alone, someone who just needs to connect.

Just the other day, a young girl came up to me and told me that she could really relate to my story.  She had been struggling with similar issues and wasn’t sure what to do about them.  I was able to talk to her and connect her with resources in her community.  It was the best feeling.  The best.  In her, I saw my younger self; a girl feeling scared and confused and unsure of who to turn to.  And if what I did made a difference, if hearing my story is the catalyst to her doing better, I feel like my struggles weren’t for nothing.  They’re helping me make the difference I always wanted to make.

So yeah.  I’m travelling the country, in a cramped bus, with a bunch of almost strangers.  And it’s great.  Really great.  I’m sharing a story that might help a few young people handle their “stuff” in a healthier way, I’m journeying with amazing people  who share my passion for this cause, and I’m learning so much more about myself in the process.
What in the world have I gotten myself into?  So far, something fantastic.- Rebecca Lahosky
(LiveDifferent Road Team Intern – 2016/2017)

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: September 20th, 2016

A Different Path

At the beginning of grade 12 I thought I had my whole future planned out. I’d go to university the following year and complete a degree in International Development. While that is still my plan, I have just taken a different path to get there. I had the opportunity to go to Mexico for three months to participate in the LiveDifferent Academy program where we learned about social injustices, served in the local community, and experienced personal growth in numerous aspects of our lives.


Originally I was going to complete the Academy and then work for the rest of the year to save up for school. As graduation was getting closer all of my friends were heading off to start their futures, so I started thinking about my next step after the Academy. I began to realize that I could use my time more effectively than just working, and could do something more meaningful. Shortly before leaving for Mexico I went to Hamilton to visit LiveDifferent friends and hangout for the day. I got to visit the road teams while they were training and see a glimpse of what they would be doing for the rest of the year. It was after this that I realized tour was something I wanted to do. It seemed like a very positive environment, which I wanted to participate in. The most intriguing thing to me was that tour is creating change inside of Canada and helping those close to home.


When I arrived in Hamilton for training week I knew that I had made the right decision to come on tour. Our first week consisted of training and making sure everything was ready for the presentations to begin. I felt excited to start the process, but also nervous that I wouldn’t catch on fast or wouldn’t be good at my jobs. Luckily the training week went well and everyone was very understanding and patient while teaching me things they have been doing for months. This week was very beneficial for not only training but for transitioning into a team environment and learning to all work together. We had a week full of laughter, random moments, passion, and hard work to get us ready for our showcase.


As I am the only new intern on my team I think I was the most nervous/excited for our showcase, where we host all of LiveDifferent’s staff and friends to see our newly designed presentation for the spring tour. It was a really cool day seeing how all of our hard work comes together as we gave our presentation. After the showcase everyone was excited and eager to get on tour and start the journey. I am grateful for the incredible people who are filled with kindness that surround me, and I wouldn’t want to be in any other environment. I feel inspired by the people around me and cannot wait for what the next four months have in store for me.

– Danica, LiveDifferent Tour Intern, 2016

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: February 26th, 2016

What Life is about People means to me

Today was our fortieth presentation. We woke up, say goodbye to our incredible billets, drove to the school, and set up. The crowd of 160 students were filled with excitement for what was to come in the next hour. The preshow lights panned over the audience illuminating the gymnasium and the Live Different banners. I looked across the gym to see the banners that read, “Life is About People”. The motto of LiveDifferent is not only true to our tour, but also our lives.
There have been many great moments while on tour. One that stands out the most was when Tayler and I had the opportunity to talk to a young woman about her anxiety. I saw how our presentation could make an impact on people’s lives since she felt comfortable enough to open up to us. She spoke of times when she would get so anxious that she would not be able to continue what she was doing. By the end of the conversation, it was evident that the presentation had impacted her and that we had made a difference.
Within each one hour presentation, we hope to make this sort of connection with even just one person. For that one person to realize they have the opportunity to own their story and move past the negativity that has been weighing them down for so long is extremely rewarding. When people are struggling they often believe that they are alone, but as we share our stories they begin to understand that they are not alone. There will always be someone there to listen. We have the opportunity to go into schools every day and encourage students to have hope, and that they can make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.
Life is about people. From my time with LiveDifferent, I have learned the importance of making connections. Knowing that I helped make a difference in the lives of students, even if they just reflected on their life for a minute, is what has made this opportunity such a great experience. I have been thankful to spend forty presentations with so many amazing people. Although the tour
may only last a year, the friends that I have made will last a lifetime!
 – Maryssa, Road Team Intern, Fall 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: November 23rd, 2015

Guts and Grace

I remember sitting on my bathroom floor crying my eyes out after I had just gotten back from my first Live Different build trip to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2011. They weren’t just tears of an angry humanitarian or of a confused and angry 17-year-old. They were tears because I knew from that moment on, my life was going to be forever changed by LiveDifferent and I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like. Since that first trip, I have helped build six houses with Live Different in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and am currently on my third tour across Canada doing motivational presentations.
When I was in high school seeing LiveDifferent shows, I loved every single one of them. I looked up to the people speaking on stage thinking they were so brave, so great for sharing their stories. There was a catch however, I never fully related to a story shared on stage, for this reason I really wanted to be able to share my own story. I have been given the extreme honour of getting to share my personal story on stage in front of thousands of students on all three of my tours. Sharing my personal story has been a huge form of acceptance and guidance to the things that have happened in my life.
Sharing my story has given me the chance to be very open about things that happened in my life that I use to hide from people. I was that junior high kid who was embarrassed of my family’s struggles with lack of money and my dad’s drug addiction. I did not want anyone at school to know, but also, no one ever asked either. When I went on my first trip with LiveDifferent, that was when people started to care, and started to ask me why I am who I am. LiveDifferent has been that thing that has opened me up to people who care so much. Live Different has made me want to be the absolute best version of myself that I can be, so I can help others who may be struggling and just care for them.
Everyone goes through something at one point or another, and sometimes they just need to hear someone else say it and they will open up. I had the amazing experience of getting to speak at a presentation at my old high school this semester. I didn’t think I was going to know anyone still there, but after the show a couple different girls came up to me who I had done extracurricular activities with or were a younger sister of someone I went to school with, and they shared some personal things with me. I had known one of the girls most of my life and neither of us had any idea we were both struggling in the time we’ve known each other. It’s so crazy to me, that you could know someone for so long but still not really know what’s going on in the inside. I could see the hope in her eyes when she started sharing with me because she knew I understood what was happening.
This organization has taught me to have Grace and Guts in any situation I may be in. To give my team members and students grace about their stories, their past, their struggles. To hold myself to the standard of grace, not perfection. To have the guts to become vulnerable and share some of the deepest most painful memories of mine with people on stage every day. To live on a tour bus with seven other people and for it to be okay to be vulnerable and show my softer side when I’m struggling. I’ve learned it is more than okay to cry. I used to hate crying in front of people and apologize for it. Sometimes, I still do. But, now I know that it is okay to cry, it’s okay to have those emotions – it’s what it means to be human.
When I look at the things that have happened to me, my dad’s drug addiction, my family’s struggles, those things do not define me. My past and the situations I’ve been through do not define who I am. I’ve been taught that this experience, this whirlwind I’ve called my life for the last 2+ years, is not about me. It’s about us, all of us together. It’s about finding a cause and being passionate about it. LiveDifferent has made me into a person who I am proud of. I like who I have become because of this organization, and to not feel bad about saying nice things about myself. That it is important to love myself. Live Different has this crazy ability to change people’s lives for the absolute best and I am so honoured and thankful to have had all the experiences I’ve had so far with them.
All I needed was a little bit of guts to take a step into changing my own life. I signed up for a trip and that one tiny decision has made me the person I am today and every day I hope I can make someone else realize how much potential that they have as well.
– Chelsea, LiveDifferent Tour Intern, 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: May 13th, 2015

Witnessing the light bulb

 

We’ve been on tour for almost two months, and our team has been all the way to Brandon, MB and back…which is ironic, because we are the east coast team. (And yes we know what direction is east!) We have taken a break in Hamilton and now we’re ACTUALLY heading to the east coast.

In short time we’ve been on tour, we’ve learned the importance of looking at the big picture and cutting out all the troubles. It is an important part when there are a billion and one things going on around you; realizing that even on those tough days where it’s hard to raise your head from your pillow, that it is still worth it. It’s worth the months of hard work put in, the dreadfully early mornings and the long sleepy bus rides. It’s worth it because when we go into a school, we go in with the anticipation to inspire.

There are so many reasons about why I love waking up every morning. I’m going to admit right now… I’m not a morning person, making those 5am wake up calls are not particularly my favourite things in the world. But once I’m up and I begin to get ready for yet another long day, I realize that I’m doing this for people who need to hear our message, who need to hear that their life has value. Kids who go through the daily struggle of finding self worth and knowing that they are worth it often need small reminders that they have something special to offer the world and that they are unique. That’s where our job comes in.

Seeing the reaction on a child’s face as they realize their life has potential, that not everything has to be covered up by a mask and that just being themselves brings me so much joy. Whether we are performing for 50 students or 900, there is always pressure, not only to speak English well as you scramble for words to come, but pressure to give these young people hope. Hope that they can actually make a difference in this huge world. I have the honour and the privilege of going into schools every day and encouraging the students to live life with purpose and have the courage to connect with the world around them. Talking to students about having those small moments of courage that they can use to push themselves, that is what we strive to do everyday.

One is all I need. If out of group of 700, there is simply one person who has decided to actually listen and take something special from the show, it’ll make all the hard times worth it. Because every time I see the lightbulb go on in someone’s eyes, I know that I have made a huge difference in their life.   

– Gina, LiveDifferent Tour Intern, Fall 2014

 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: November 4th, 2014

The Little Things in Hand

Motivation – Inspiration – and the little things you just might miss. I believe those are the things – regarding your personal growth – that tour is all about.
 
Tour is a very busy life and you can miss a lot of significant things as you wiz by town after town. Only staying in most places for two nights and flying through school after school; meeting person after person can be like trying to catch an insect on a roller coaster – not too easy. So I did a bit of an experiment: I spent 5 days really noticing the little moments and looking for them and then I spent another 5 days without looking for them, making a full ten days. I kept a journal that I wrote in to mark the observations of this experiment. Here are some of my findings:
 
Day one – The little moments
 
I have always seen myself as someone who recognized the “little moments.” But now as I am really trying to notice them I have to wonder what little moments really are. Having a bus ride ahead of me I have time to think about it before the day really begins.
 
So, this is what I came up with. The definition of “little moments” is the things in your day to day life that can surprise you, make you in awe, and be one of the biggest moments in your day, but are little in the fact that they seem so insignificant that they can be passed. But if only they are looked at they can change your day, or world so quickly.
 
 
The little moments of my day: the way the sun shines so brightly through the clouds today, as I walked through the hallway of the school many students smiled back at me, and as I talked in front of a huge group of students one student sitting off to the side looked me straight in the eyes with a shyness that turned to confidence as I returned her glance with a smile.
 
Just reading these moments back to myself they seem so stupid and unimportant, but when I really think of them, close my eyes and play them back, I can’t help but smile foolishly.
 
Day Six– Just the big moments
 
Since tour isn’t what you would call a normal, common type of day big moments are not uncommon, unlike my high school and lazy summer days were a big moment was a once in a life­ time thing. Yet, a big moment is still something that doesn’t always happen. Today, however, one did. Yay!
 
The big moment of the day was that a student came up to me and talked to me about some of the difficulties he was experiencing in his life. We talked for a little while about it and I gave him as much encouragement as I could. He said that the presentation was something that he really needed in his life and “wham!” there is my big “we are changing lives!” moment.
 
 
Today I was just looking for the big moments and I started to miss things. Without trying to notice the little moments I really did start to feel “momentless”. Sure, I had that big moment today, but there are so many minutes in a day that were not filled with moments. I could barely stand it and to be honest the experiment failed because on the bus ride home from the show I started to search for those amazing little moments.  
 
Big moments are amazing and they can shock you to the bone. But, the little moments are the important ones, because they are the ones that happen day­to­day. They are the moments that fill the hours with memories and fill the minutes with smiles and fill the seconds with laughter.
 
When you are living in a bus with eight other people going to show day after day it can be easy to fall into this routine where you do what you gotta do and that is all. But, when I think about it there has not been one day that is the same, each day is amazing in its own way. So I look out the window and look for natures little wonders. And I look into each persons face in the sea of faces to see the moment of change in their eyes.
 
Victoria, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Spring 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 9th, 2014

Tour life is interesting.

Tour life is interesting.

Not quite like normal life at all. It’s almost a surreal experience, and it’s flying by so quickly. Waking up at five in the morning to drive an hour and a half to a school, set up, do a show, and interact with new people every single day… it’s really amazing.

Our team has very quickly become a weird, quirky little family. We all have little things that add to the group dynamic, and make everything that make everything on tour much more awesome.

Every day we do the same thing, and going into tour I thought I would very quickly get sick of what I was saying, and what I was hearing all the time. Looking at it now half way through tour, I don’t think I could get sick of it. Seeing kids’ reactions to what we do each day, and seeing how amazing they all think it is, is the best possible thing I could see. It makes what we do worth it, even though we see the same thing every single day, we have a new group of students to inspire daily.

At one school we went to, there was one grade twelve student, who asked if he could go up on stage at the end of the show because he wanted to share something with his fellow students. He took the mic from Brittany and walked bravely to the middle of the stage and began to share his story. He talked about how his life wasn’t as good as everybody in the school thought it was, and how he had been hiding a lot of stuff about his life. The student went on to talk about how his life at home was rough for a while in the past, and that he hadn’t been the best person he could be.  As he was sharing his story, everyone in the audience was listening so intensely, and I don’t know about everyone else, but my eyes were definitely tearing up. The student was still on stage, talking about how you should never underestimate yourself, and how each one of the kids in the audience has the power to do anything they set their minds to. At the end of his story, he got a standing ovation from his school. Such an amazing thing to see, students were walking up to him after he was off stage and in the cafeteria, and just giving him hugs and telling him how amazing he is.

Seeing a student who had just seen the show, be so inspired that he wanted to go up and tell the student body how much the show affected him and how he was there for anybody who needed help was mind blowing.  It was a really cool way to see how the show affects kids every kid differently. It was also a really good reminder that, though there may be some shows where not all of the kids seem super into what we’re saying, and what we’re there to do… as long as we affect one kid, it’s all worth it.

– Jordin, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Spring Tour 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 2nd, 2014

Training week

Training week. This is the week where the band, volunteers, staff, and the Live Different Academy students all first get together as a team. I feel like I am able to see this week through a unique set of eyes. I have been fortunate to be a part of three LiveDifferent tours already, first as a student, and now as a road team leader. 
 
 
As a student, I went through the fears of public speaking, the confusion of how to set up a full stage, and the excitement of being a part of a show that travels across the country. Now as a road team leader I get the opportunity to help walk people through training week. I have the privilege of watching a bunch of strangers learn knew skills and become a team. Training week is taking nothing and turning it into something. A lot of hard work goes into the making of the show. People begin struggling to coil up an extension cord and by the end are wrapping cords like pros. They begin knowing next to nothing about running concert style lights or working a soundboard and by the end they’ve owned their role in the show and seem like they were born for it. 
 
All of the hard work pays off when the lights go down and the first show begins. As a road team leader I’m excited for the show but also very nervous, I don’t remember breathing during the first show at all. This is it; this is where all of the dedication and hard work will really show. This first show is a reminder of why I do what I do. 
 
 
When I watch a student who started off the week stumbling through their partially memorized story get on stage and pour their heart out, the early mornings and lack of sleep no longer matter. When I watch a band that practiced over and over get on stage and wow the audience, the sweat and sore muscles fade away. Tour isn’t easy but each and everyday I am reminded of why I do it. I do it because there are amazing people in this world who really do want to create change and have a positive impact on students’ lives, and I am lucky enough to call them my team.
 
– Brittany, LiveDifferent Road Team Leader, Spring 2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: February 26th, 2014

There and Back Again, A Jordyn’s Tale

“Hey everyone, I’m Jordyn and I’m from Victoria BC. I’ve just been over at our back table setting up all of the awesome videos for the show, and the video that you guys just saw was about LiveDifferent’s Hero Holiday Program.” This is the beginning to my segment of Team One’s awesome Live Different Presentation that I’ve been a part of for 4 months! It’s crazy to think that I’ll only be getting on stage and saying these words for another 5 shows. Our team has been through a lot together this tour. We’ve travelled all the way across eastern Canada, far over the misty mountains cold, bouncing along poorly constructed rural roads, conquering the giant island of strange accents and folk music, braving the abysmal temperatures of our nations capital, and making an uncountable amount of new friends along the way. It’s been a long journey (there and back again) but it seems like just yesterday that we were gearing up to leave our volunteer-packed house in Hamilton. 
 
 
Our last weekend of tour was a very eventful one! We were staying with a few families in Ottawa and Montreal. Friday was a day off for us so we spent the day in downtown Ottawa, where it was bone-chillingly cold. As soon as we stepped off of the bus, we realized that we wouldn’t be doing much sightseeing due to the ridiculously freezing temperatures. Saturday, we left our billets in Ottawa, brushed up on our Français, and headed for the heart of Montreal, where we spent the day. Sunday, a few of us hopped on the bus with our amazing billet, Genviève and her two kids for a wintery outing. Arriving at the snowy park, we frolicked in the fluffy snow towards a big ole hill and ran to the top. For the first time in years, I got the chance to experience the simple pleasure of sliding down a snowy hill on not but a thin sheet of plastic. You see in Victoria, it snows maybe once a year if we’re lucky, so this was a nice treat. That is, until our insufficient footwear caused us to lose feeling in our extremities, and we headed back to the bus, seeking warmth. When we got home one of my fellow students, Michelle, made us dinner! The catch to her meal was that we had to eat it blindfolded. We struggled to get food on our forks as we got to experience just a little taste of what Michelle goes through every day. It was a very eye opening experience. 
 
 
During our 4 months on the road, each of us students are required to spend one day burdened with the responsibilities of our fearless leaders. We have to arrange the details for our show by speaking with a representative from the school and making sure that the day goes smoothly. My leader day was at the start of December, and I knew going into it that it would be a long day. We had 2 shows booked at different schools and on top of that, we had multiple schools coming to watch each show; I knew it was going to be a stressful day. The first show went really well. I was so proud of our team for our record setups and teardowns, and for their constant encouragements. After the first show, most of the stress of the day disappeared. We ate lunch on the go, and drove over to the second school of the day, where we rocked another presentation. When it was all over, I was proud of what we had  accomplished and happy that the shows were such successes! 
 
 
Leader for a day plays an important part in the Academy program. It allows us as students to see what our amazing road team leaders do every day, and it forces us to take on a leadership role within our team. Being leader for a day was one of the many ways that tour has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and gain confidence in myself. On top of this experience, there have been many aspects of tour that have challenged me and helped me to grow as a person. Although I’m sad that tour is almost over, I’m so grateful to have been able to have such an incredible experience, and to be able to share it with such amazing people.
 
Jordyn, LiveDifferent Acdemy Student, 2013/2014

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: January 24th, 2014

Who, What, Where

As I look out of the frosty panes of glass, I see the sun begin to poke its way past the horizon. It is a cold winter morning and we cling to our blankets for a bit of warmth and comfort. About half of us sleep while the other half sit in a nearly meditative state. The bus is serenely quiet and only the sound of humming motor strumming us along can be heard. It is the dawn of a new day as we head out to “Nowhere”, SK.

We endure early wakeup calls, brave the cold climate, and sit through hours of bus traveling nearly every day. It is hard at times, but we know our small sacrifices are worth it for the work that we do. We set out to change lives every day, a tall order that I am proud to say we accomplish.

Through the good and the “less good”, I can honestly say that LiveDifferent Academy is one of the best things to ever happen to me. I love everything about this unusual lifestyle; I love what I’m doing, who I’m with, and where I am. Most importantly, I am learning to love myself. LiveDifferent is providing me with the tools to love myself at where I’m at and the tools to transition into the person I want to become.

What I do justifies all my all complains about the road life. I can proudly say that I actually look forward to and enjoy my job. I like speaking onstage and I love talking to students after the show. In all honesty, connecting with students is my favorite part. Coming into the Academy, I had no idea that students would be so willing to talk to me. I thought no one would be willing to connect with me since I didn’t share a personal story on stage. Was I ever wrong. Students approach me every day for a variety of reasons. Some want to let us know how much they liked the show, some want to know more about the Hero Holiday program, and some just need an outlet. It feels great to be able to help them out with whatever they’re going through. Regardless of what we talk about, I feel like I grow after each conversation. I learn to be a better listener, a better speaker, and a better friend. In a world that lacks some serious compassion and empathy, I learn to care for complete strangers every day. In sum, the best part of my job is that I get to help myself through helping others.

Who I am surrounded with is a group of zany, kind, and inspirational young adults aiming to make a difference in the world. Each of them have taught me so much about life and how I want to live mine, whether they know they have done so or not. They each possess sets of skills that I pick out and aspire to gain. Best of all, they are never-ending sources of love and encouragement. I know that I could go up to any one of them with a problem and they would listen and help me to the best of their abilities. They act as shining lights guiding me through my journey. They have made me laugh, cry, push my boundaries, and grow. They are the best kind of people to surround myself with and I feel blessed to have them around.

Where I am changes on a day to day basis, and I like it like that. Each province has its own qualities that I come to love. I’ve fallen for the golden fields and endless horizon of Saskatchewan and Alberta’s varying scenery. I’ve even come to love the cold, snowy lands of Manitoba. Most of all, I adore the beautiful mountains of British Columbia. My heart melts every time I see them. I cherish BC so much that I envision myself living there someday. I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to explore my country and to wake up in a new place every day. I truly had no idea how beautiful and spectacular our “home and native land” really is.

Throughout this entire tour experience, the most notable change in my life is in myself. I am not the same person I was in Hamilton some three months ago. I felt like I was treading water until LiveDifferent threw me a life preserver. I am now learning to embrace the past, and learning that only my present self defines me. LiveDifferent is encouraging me to grow into to person I want to become, and teaching me to love myself throughout the transition. I am becoming more and more aware of my immense potential as I am challenged to use it. I am becoming a leader and an overall better person. Best of all, I’m learning to never, ever, be afraid to LiveDifferent–ly. 

Meagan, LiveDifferent Academy Student, Fall 2013

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: December 13th, 2013