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| Dominique Dawes, uniquely ME! spokesperson and Olympic Gold Medalist. |
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A Letter to Myself
If I Knew Then What I Know Now…
Decisions, decisions, decisions. It seems like life as a teenager is all about them. How to manage your time, how to deal with your friends, what clubs to join, when to go out and when to study? Ever think to yourself, "I wish I could go back in time and do that over!" Or, ever realize that something you once thought was soooooo important really didn't matter all that much in the long run?
STUDIO 2B asked Dominique Dawes, uniquely ME! spokesperson (and three-time Olympian!), if she could turn her mailbox into a time machine and write a letter to her teenage self, what would she say?
Here's what she told us:
Dear Dominique,
Face the fact—you are different! Your late great grandma told you that you were special and she was right. Not different in a bad way, just unique—special, in a positive way. People love to say you're so short, that you're muscular, a tomboy, so what? It’s okay that the guys you crush on don't even know you exist. It doesn't matter that the chalk from gymnastics became permanent ash on your hands, wrists and legs or that you don't get the jokes that your peers would say because you don't have the time to stay up on the lingo or school gossip of who's dating who. It's okay that you have no interest and was never asked to go to homecoming, or to prom for that matter. It's okay that you don't have a car to drive to off-campus lunch spots with all the "cool people." Be proud of yourself that every day you choose to either pack a lunch or go to the salad bar to be healthy and that you have no interest in drinking or smoking or partying.
Stop biting your nails, it's a bad habit! Don't drink coffee, you will become addicted and be at Starbucks every day! Take advantage of the opportunities that interest you (not others) but YOU. Your big sister doesn't hate you…it's just sibling rivalry…someday you'll become the best of friends! I’m serious.
Your 36 hours a week in the gym will pay off! Stop watching so many horror movies, eventually they will scare you. Try watching love stories; this way when you are in love you will know it! It’s okay to tell someone how you really feel. It will not only be good for you but beneficial for the friendship. If you do not achieve something, it's no one's fault but your own. Last, but not least, continue to search for your passion.
—Dominique
uniquely ME! THE GIRL SCOUT/DOVE SELF-ESTEEM PROGRAM was established in the fall of 2001 to boost self-esteem among girls ages 8 to 17. The uniquely ME! resources are available for all girls.
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