'Everyone is perfect in their own special way'

Well done to Tivoli Guides, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on completing the Free Being Me programme. Here two Guides, Rachel and Sally, share their experiences doing the programme. 

Free Being Me is a programme for young kids whose self-esteem is low. It teaches people that they are beautiful no matter who says otherwise.

A lady called Emer came in and taught all the Guides all about how to be happy with who you are and not someone else.  She taught us that

everyone is perfect in their own special way.

We also learned about the image myth: the image myth is something you see everywhere, in movies, in social media, magazines and a lot more, it is what people think is the ideal figure. Lots of people in this world are jealous of famous people or someone who is ‘perfect’, but really what they are jealous of is fake. Almost all ads and magazines are air brushed, which means that it is photo-shopped to make people seem perfect.

Emer showed us a time-lapse video of a woman going through the air-brushing process and she looked completely different at the end. I was so shocked to find out how many people are fooled by the image myth and how much pressure social media are putting on people to be perfect.

Emer was very inspiring and kind! I hope that more and more people are aware of this. Free Being Me is a great programme and I learnt a lot over the past few weeks.

~ Rachel (age 11)

I loved doing Free Being Me because it made me feel more confident about my looks. Free Being Me was a great experience I would like everyone to have:

Be(lieve) in

You(rself)

I will now, thanks to the programme, be happy forever.

I also loved it when Emer Foley came because she made Free Being Me the funniest thing ever.

Sally (age 11)