Quotes from Lizzie Velasquez

No matter what age you are, I think if you're a girl or a boy, you're insecure. And it's not easy.

No matter what we look like or what size we are, at the end of the day we are all human.

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.

Friends who were so supportive absolutely made my high school - that could have been traumatic - they definitely made it bearable.

God made me the way I am for a reason and I would never change that. I lead a normal life as much as possible and deal with the bumps in the road as they come along with my head held high and a smile on my face!

I've met so many people who have come up to tell me their personal stories, and a lot of them express the same feelings that I have, especially reading things online.

I experienced bullying as early as the first day of kindergarten and there were times where I wish could escape out of my body.

You don't have to live up to anyone else's standards, you don't have to look like anyone else, you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else. You being you is enough, and you putting your positivity and good vibes out into the world, once you get to that point absolutely everything will fall into place.

I don't believe in having regrets. I believe everything happens for a reason even when we don't want it to happen. Every high and every low moment has a lesson waiting for you to find it.

People have asked me if I had a miracle or a chance to change the way I look, I honestly know I would never do that.

One thing I did was to create a Love Yourself List. I wrote down everything I like about myself, and put it on my bathroom mirror. Then I read it until I believed it. Any time I compared myself to others, and felt negative about myself, I'd go back to that list.

Being a 13-year-old girl who is constantly picked on is unbearable.

Bullying needs to have more attention, and there needs to be more open communication in schools to make kids feel comfortable enough to speak up.

Back when Myspace was around I couldn't wait to have my own account. My parents told me I could get one as long as I was okay with the fact that with the good comes the bad.

I believe there definitely are good things about social networking. It's a way for people to connect all around the world.

My parents gave me an incredible foundation and a strong faith in who I am. They loved me in the face of so many unknowns.

People think cyberbullying will never end, so why try to fix it? Which I completely understand. I will be the first to tell you that it's not going to end. But if you start making the change and start making the steps, over time change will happen.

I normally don't ever talk about my dating life or anything super personal in the press just because I feel like there's this fine line between what to keep to myself and what to share.

I eat small portions of crisps, sweets, chocolate, pizza, chicken, cake, doughnuts, ice cream, noodles and pop tarts all day long, so I get pretty upset when people accuse me of being anorexic.

I feel I'm really glad I don't look like the celebrities out there who are beautiful, because there are a lot of stereotypes attached to that.

I have a passion for helping others and making a difference in the world. I take life one day at a time and make the best of it every chance that I get.

Honestly, I had no idea I was different from other kids until I started kindergarten. To my family, I was just Lizzie.

In 2013, I did a TEDx talk in Austin. Until then I had sort of a following online but this was completely different - it went viral.

I eat every 15-20 minutes to keep my energy levels up.