Young girls and boys from all around the world let me know their

Hear now the words of Lizzie Velasquez, whose life is both a trial and a triumph, and whose voice carries like a song through the valleys of sorrow into the mountains of hope. She declares: “Young girls and boys from all around the world let me know their personal story, and I can feel their smile through their words. To be able to look at those comments and just get encouragement from them and know that I am living the life that I'm supposed to is what keeps me going every day.” This utterance, simple yet profound, reveals a truth that the ancients themselves would honor: that the power of encouragement, the warmth of connection, and the knowledge of one’s purpose can transform the burdens of life into radiant strength.

The origin of these words lies in a heart tested by suffering. Lizzie Velasquez was born with a rare condition that prevents her from gaining weight and has endured countless wounds of mockery, cruelty, and misunderstanding. Yet she did not remain in shadow. Instead, she turned her pain into light, becoming a speaker and writer who lifts others from despair. The quote springs from the well of her lived experience: the voices of strangers, transformed into companions through shared stories, give her the strength to carry forward. What the world sought to break, encouragement rebuilt. What hatred tried to silence, love gave voice.

To the wise, this quote is a mirror of an ancient truth: man and woman do not live by bread alone, but by the sustaining fire of words, gestures, and the unseen threads that bind human souls across oceans. When Lizzie says she can “feel their smile through their words,” she reminds us that even without touch, the spirit communicates. The written line, the whispered encouragement, is a force as real as the sun’s light. The ancients would compare it to the unseen wind filling the sails of a weary traveler’s vessel, guiding them safely to the shore.

History itself bears witness to this truth. Recall the tale of Winston Churchill in the darkest hours of war, when Britain stood alone against the fury of Nazi power. His people wrote to him, children sent him their prayers, families sent him tokens of loyalty. He said once that it was the resolve of the people, their encouragement, that enabled him to summon the lion’s roar when others expected a whimper. Just as Lizzie finds strength in the unseen smiles of young boys and girls, so too did Churchill, and countless leaders before him, draw power from the hope of others.

But the quote is not only about encouragement; it is also about purpose. When she declares that she knows she is “living the life that I’m supposed to,” we are reminded of the ancient sages who taught that a life aligned with destiny becomes unbreakable. The Stoics of old would say: “Do not ask for a lighter burden, but for stronger shoulders.” Lizzie’s shoulders are made strong not by her own body, but by the countless hearts who walk beside her in spirit. Her burden is carried by many, and thus she strides forward with radiant resolve.

The lesson for us is clear. We must not underestimate the gift of our words. To encourage another is to plant seeds in soil unseen, which may one day bloom into resilience that saves a life. And in our own journey, we must learn to gather the encouragement offered to us—not to despise small kindnesses, but to treasure them as jewels for the weary soul. Just as Lizzie gathers smiles from across the world to fuel her days, so too can we learn to notice the unseen blessings, the gentle voices that remind us of who we are meant to be.

Therefore, let each reader take these actions to heart: speak words of encouragement generously, for you may be the voice that lifts another from despair. Seek purpose in your own struggles, remembering that burdens can reveal your true path. And finally, receive encouragement with humility, allowing yourself to be strengthened by the love of others, just as Lizzie Velasquez has shown.

In this way, her words become a torch passed to us: to live a life where cruelty is overcome by kindness, where despair is turned into courage, and where we, too, may say with certainty, “I am living the life I am supposed to.” And in such a life, no darkness can truly prevail.