Happy Friday beautiful people!

So today I wanted to get a bit more personal with all of you. 
I wanted to tell you what motivated me to join the competition, and what makes me want to keep going.

What motivates me in life and in this competition is showing everyone that a girl that was told she couldn’t, could. It’s to tell everyone, regardless of age or gender, that you should always go after your dreams. And that you should never stop going after what you want in life, even if people pressure you to take another path. 

I was bullied all my childhood. I was told I wasn’t good enough, not pretty enough or tall enough, that I wasn’t cool enough to hang out with the rest and that I didn’t look like the “norms”. I spoke with a different accent and I dresses different... I simply stood out from the group. Growing up in a very small town in the northern part of Norway, standing out, and having parents from different countries was very difficult. I constantly had to justify and explain myself. At the time I was convinced I had done something wrong to deserve the was I was treated. But the truth is.. Children can be cruel. And it’s ok to dislike someone or not to be friends with everyone. But no one deserves to feel worthless. And no child deserves to be bullied because they don’t fit in.

For a long time I was struggling with my self confidence. I was scared to go to public places, in fear of running into people. My life was controlled by the constant fear i felt. 

Thanks to my amazing family and friends, I one day realized how wrong it all was. I finally matured and understood how I couldn't let it hold me back. And in a very short time I completely turned my life around. I realized that all the hurt I had gone through made me a stronger. And I learned to love everything about myself. And when I dared to be me, I bloomed. 

Today I am fully myself. I have learned how capable I am. I am waking up every morning feeling so blessed I turned out the way I did. I am forever thankful for they way my parents raised me. And for all the wisdom they taught me. I know I am smart, intelligent and beautiful. I know my worth. And I believe I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. 

My goal with competing for the Miss Norway title is to spread my knowledge and experience with every young person who might feel insecure or left out. In hope that they one day will feel the way I do now. For me this is not about competing against other girls. Because all the girls are intelligent and beautiful. But this is me competing to prove I am capable of anything. To push myself to go after my dreams, and to tell everyone that no matter how much negativity someone puts you through, you can get up again. Just find your inner voice, trust your heart, and go after your dream life. 

I pray that everyone is a little kinder to each other this year. That 2020 is the year we stop judging others. And that we accept people for who they are. I believe that talking about our experiences with bullying helps young people see that they’re not alone. We should never feel shame for going through it. Because being bullied says way more about the bully, then of the one being bullied. It simply means that they are struggling with themselves. And hurt people, hurt others. We need to work on ourselves and teach children to be kinder, and more understanding. So that we in the future don't have to teach children how to handle bullies. If we are aware, maybe we can even prevent depression, loneliness and anxiety. And this is what motivates me to keep going.

Wishing you all a great weekend. And keep shining!

-Isabel 

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