As a teenager living in 2025, there is one thing that really scares me… The amount of disrespect we show each other. In school. At work. On the streets. On social media. It’s everywhere. And it’s only growing.
Let me take you back to a day within my own life, a normal day like all others; it’s 2025, my alarm clock goes off, time to get ready for school. I get up, stretch, think about the dreams I had, I smile because I feel rested and happy. I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth, look into the mirror and hear a voice inside my head: Yikes, you look like shit, are you sure you want to go to school today? Fuck. One second, one sentence and my whole mood switches from happy to fearful.
I believe respect for others starts from within, from that moment in the mirror. They say that how tough you are on others, is nothing compared to how tough you are on yourself.
You go to scroll on social media for entertainment right? But as soon as you open your for you page and start scrolling you think: “Look at that person, they have such a beautiful life , why don’t I have it?” and the following moment you’re at school or work you’re having the hardest time to even smile at people or say good morning because you’re too busy comparing yourself to each person’s looks , personality and you think to yourself “no matter what i do ill never be like them”.
So you start changing yourself to fit in..but suddenly you look in the mirror. Not only you still don’t like what you see. You don’t even know who’s looking back at you. Causing you to feel stressed, and angry..
You might take it out on some stranger on the street or your loved ones. You might say some harsh words like “No matter what you do you’ll never be enough for me or anyone else!” To satisfy what anger or jealousy you have been feeling, because you aren´t happy with yourself.
And that is not even the worst of it, the voice within comes in so many shapes and is so good at camouflaging itself, it’s there, but it’s extremely hard to see and catch it.
Why? Why are we so tough on ourselves?
Tell me, does this sound familiar:”I need to be successful, have a lot of money, I need to work really hard otherwise I´m useless, I have to have the right clothing, I can’t look tired, or share to many feelings otherwise I´m needy, in my case I have to do good at school but not too good otherwise I’m a nerd, I have to eat healthy, and on and on and on”
You probably are able to think of many examples yourselves and hear yourself thinking them right now, that’s how big its web is.
By listening to these things, you lose all connections.
Think about the people who have taken their own lives because they felt alone, like they were worthless in this huge world. They couldn’t find even one person to make them feel loved or worthy. And the saddest part is that they couldn’t love themselves.
When you learn to love yourself and thus fully accept yourself— your flaws, your strengths, your story — you begin to realize that everyone is fighting their own battles, and that everyone deserves the same respect and acceptance you’ve been learning to give yourself.
Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement.
To accept each other doesn’t mean we have to share the same opinions, the same mentality, or the same ideas.
Accepting each other means that no matter who you are, what you think, what you do, or who you love — as long as it causes no harm to others — you are free to be yourself. You are human, with all your little quirks and weird habits, we are all human living on this beautiful planet.
So, when you look in the mirror and hear that voice within — the one that tells you you’re not enough, not smart enough, not beautiful enough — don’t let it win.
Because that voice doesn’t define you. You do.
The truth is, real change doesn’t start with governments or trends — it starts with you. With me. With all of us choosing to speak with kindness, act with empathy, and live with respect.
Choose to love yourself, so you can love others better.
Choose to silence the voice that tears you down and become the voice that lifts others up.
Because once we all learn to respect the person within, we’ll finally learn to respect the world around us.
Thank you. 🌍💛
Speak Up and Listen