There was a time in my life when I couldn’t even look in the mirror.
Not just emotionally—literally. I avoided it.
I hated what I saw. Not because of what was on the outside, but because of what I was carrying on the inside.
I was young, angry, and lost—living in the streets, doing things I wasn’t proud of.
I stole. I lied. I hurt people. I destroyed trust.
I was reckless with my friends, my relationships, and with my own life.
And when I finally reached a point where I couldn’t live like that anymore—
When I finally felt the weight of what I’d become—
I looked around… and I hated who I was.
But even in the hate, there was a spark.
A voice deep inside that said: “You’ve got to change.”
I had no plan. No steps. No system.
Just that truth—and a deep desire to never be that version of myself again.
A Mirror I’ll Never Forget
This may be hard to say—but I think it needs to be said.
That shame I carried didn’t start with me.
My mother—God rest her soul—struggled with the very same thing.
She couldn’t look in the mirror either.
In fact, she covered all the mirrors in the house. For years.
When she passed, the mirrors were still covered.
That was how she lived.
And that was how she died.
And I knew in my soul…
That would not be my story.
I couldn’t carry that legacy forward.
I had to break that cycle.
That’s when I began the slow, painful, and powerful journey back to self-respect.
What Self-Respect Means to Me Now
Self-respect isn’t about walking tall for others.
It’s about walking tall for yourself.
It’s about being able to look yourself in the eye—and not turn away in shame.
It doesn’t mean you’ve always done it right.
It means you’re committed to doing it better.
It means you honor who you are becoming, not just who you’ve been.
It means you can finally look in the mirror and say,
“I’m not perfect. But I’m still here. Still growing. Still showing up.”
What This Teaches Our Kids
A child who walks in self-respect learns early on that their value is not based on what others say or do.
They speak with confidence.
They treat others with kindness.
They recover from failure—because they know their identity goes deeper than their mistakes.
They won’t need to cover mirrors.
Because they’ll be learning to see themselves with truth and compassion.
And that starts with us.
Final Thoughts
This week’s mindset—“I’ve Got the Power of SELF”—only becomes real when we start to believe that we are worth something.
That we are redeemable.
That we are more than our worst moments.
That we have the right to heal.
To my students, my fellow parents, and anyone who’s ever struggled to love the reflection staring back at them…
I see you.
And I’m living proof—you can come back from anything.
Self-respect is not a gift someone gives you.
It’s something you build—from the inside out.
And once you do…
You’ll never need to cover a mirror again.
Let’s keep Living Strong.
— Peter
