Diary Entry
Start With Who You Are: A Message to That Kid Who Doesn’t Feel Enough
One App,
Many Uses
It all started when I was young, back in primary school. I was observant, always watching people and wondering why they did what they did, especially why they hurt each other. I didn’t understand it then, but I knew one thing: I wanted to help people become better so they wouldn’t hurt others.
That was the spark. But I soon realized, if I was going to help anyone, I had to start with myself. As I grew older, I kept learning, reflecting, and striving to improve, not just for me, but for others. I wanted to be a light, a beacon of hope, someone who could ease even a little of the pain in the world. And if that’s you, if that’s the fire in your heart, you’re already a leader in the making.
You don’t need a great background. You don’t need to come from a big-name family. You don’t need money or powerful connections. I didn’t have those things either. But I had passion. I had hope. And I had the determination not to give up.
I want you to know something important: You can be depressed or struggle with anxiety. You can be chronically ill. You can be bullied, hated, or misunderstood.
I went through all of those things. I even believed the lies people told me. But still, I chose to believe I was here for a reason. I chose to fight. I chose to press on.
As my purpose grew clearer, I realized I wanted to encourage others to love themselves so they could love others better. I wanted to help people build emotional intelligence so they could respect and uplift each other. I wanted to help them live purposefully so they wouldn’t feel stuck, stagnant, or useless.
That’s why I volunteered with youth and children at different stages of my life, just to make them feel seen, heard, and hopeful. Eventually, my desire to advocate for mental health and human dignity led me to co-found ICARE Sustainably International. Through ICARE, I work to empower young people so they can empower themselves and others, protecting our world through sustainable, people-centered solutions.
And then I found United People Global (UPG). I still remember seeing the program and saying to myself: “Wow, I have to be part of this!” UPG Sustainability Leadership became one of the most powerful chapters of my self-development journey. It connected me to other changemakers from around the world, different cultures, different struggles, but all driven by the same passion to help others. Their stories reminded me I wasn’t alone.
Through UPG, I learned lessons that refined my leadership: from climate change solutions and project planning, to advocacy, collaboration, and personal growth. It gave me the tools to better serve my community and the confidence to believe that I could.
So if you’re reading this and you feel invisible, unheard, underestimated, please listen closely:
You are not your circumstances.
You are your potential.
Your pain can teach you compassion.
Your setbacks can shape your resilience.
Your experiences can sharpen your wisdom.
And your dreams, no matter how small or quiet, are worth fighting for.
Leadership is not about titles or power. It’s about service. It’s about being the person who inspires hope simply by being authentic, humble, and reliable. It’s about continuously growing yourself so you can keep empowering others.
Start now. Start small. But start.
Because when you choose to rise above what the world expects, you don’t just change your own life, you open the door for others to do the same.
So, to that kid who doesn’t feel enough:
Be bold. Be willing to learn. Be willing to fail forward.
You don’t have to be “somebody” to lead. You just have to decide to begin.
Start with who you are.
Through your transformation, you can heal.
Through your transformation, you can inspire.
Through your transformation, you can lead.
And above all, remember this: you already have value. You already have beauty. And yes, you can be a changemaker too.
Debbie Williams Campbell