Ahmad Imam

A Top 10 Influencer to Follow In 2021 | International Man of Empowerment 2021 | Presenter | Host
Ambassador to the Royal Office UAE | Social Media Consultant to HNWIs.

I was bullied for being different. Yes, it’s true. Throughout my schooling, I was bullied almost daily because I looked different, spoke different, and behaved different. I was a small, skinny, brown-skin immigrant with big glasses and an unkempt afro. I was called names, pushed around, pointed at, and laughed at for simply being different to the average kid. It hurt.... but I internalized the pain.

Every day I’d put on a brave face and pretend it didn’t affect me because I was afraid of appearing weak. This continued for over 10 years. One of the saddest things about bullying is that when you get bullied for such a long period of time, you begin to believe other people’s opinions of you. And I must admit...it broke me. My self-worth was destroyed. My confidence was crushed. And my self-esteem was non-existent. I entered a dark place. My opinion of myself was so low that I couldn’t even look people in the eye. And...I didn’t even want to speak to anyone, because I truly believed I didn’t deserve to hold the voice space.

After much soul searching, and an introduction to personal development, I was able to overcome this. How? By reminding myself of 4 valuable truths.

1. Bullies are often reflecting their own insecurities.

2. Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.

3. You have to be kind to yourself because how you treat yourself sets the tone for how others treat you.

4. You shouldn’t be afraid of being different. You should be afraid of being the same as everyone else.

I used to be ashamed of the fact I was bullied, in fact, I hid it for many years until I came to the realization that it made me who I am. I am now a Presenter, Host, Influencer, and Content Creator…. Being different is now my greatest superpower. If you’ve ever been bullied, you have a choice to respond in one of 2 ways:

1. You can reflect the same behavior onto others and become a bully or

2. You can spread love and kindness by using your pain to better serve others.

I have chosen the second path. Embrace all that you are...and protect it. Because being different is your greatest superpower.

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