Free Stand Strong: You Can Overcome Bullying (and Other Stuff That Keeps You Down) by Nick Vujicic Page A

of comfort in her safety zone.
    “I am a social worker and counselor for a major medical health system in … Georgia,” she wrote. “I work for an outpatient case management department—managing cases for the poorest of the poor in one of the rural counties.… It is my JOY—I LOVE my job.”
    Jenny’s next sentence is the one that convinced me that she, too, has a safety zone where she goes to protect herself and to tap into all the good things in her life instead of focusing on the bad. She calls it “the realm.” Here is how she described it: “I believe that you can live in the realm that God may one day heal you or me, but … if God doesn’t, this is what God meantfor me and that’s OK. That’s absolutely OK! More importantly, I am here with Apert’s for GOD’s own reason—GOD meant this and that’s really what matters.”
    “The realm that God may one day heal you or me.” That’s Jenny’s safety zone. God can use all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. Take comfort in knowing that He is with us and can bring a greater purpose in the difficult times.
    Jenny goes to her safety zone with her music and the good feelings from her fulfilling work, and she shuts out the negatives in her life while focusing on the positives and the future. You can call your safety zone whatever you want. Just make good use of it because it is a very valuable thing to have—and a great place to go when bad people or hard times are stressing you out.
    You are one of God’s children, fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Let’s look at ways to help you create your own safety zone, and let’s think about what you can take with you when you mentally enter that zone to seek comfort, encouragement, security, and value. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. Keep it around so when a bully picks on you or hard times hit,you’ll have a reminder to help furnish your special place for boosting your spirits, hope, faith, and self-worth.
    One of the Bible passages I take into my safety zone is Psalm 139:13–14, which says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
    I also carry into my safety zone thoughts of my ministry through Life Without Limbs. God has used me in countless schools, churches, prisons, orphanages, hospitals, stadiums,and in face-to-face encounters with individuals, telling them how very precious they are to Him. You are one of God’s children, fearfully and wonderfully made. No one can take that away from you. God has a plan for each and every life. Our lives are meaningful and purposeful because His hand guides everything we do when we have faith. God took my life, one that others might disregard as not having any significance, and filled me with His purpose and showed me His plans. Through Him, I have moved hearts and lives toward Him.
    Creating Your Safety Zone
    1 . What do people say they like about you?
    2 . What do your parents, friends, or teachers most often compliment you on?
    3 . What do you enjoy doing more than anything else?
    4 . What soothes your spirit and engages you mentally and physically so that you lose track of everything else?
    5 . How can you build your life around those things that fulfill you and help you feel like you are making a contribution or a difference?
    6 . What is the best possible future you can envision for yourself?
    7 . Who loves you unconditionally?
    8 . What scriptures, music, movies, books, works of art, photographs, pets, or activities make you forget your troubles and worries and give you peace?
    9 . What do you love to do so much that you want to do it for the rest of your life? How can you make a living doing it?
    10 . What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you? How can you do something similar for another person?
    11 . What friend