My Story. My Motivation. My Plan.

& We Read All Night to the Longest Blog EVER!...

Hey, friends! Welcome back to my blog! Today’s post is all about my platform and school program!

How often do you look in the mirror and really approve of the image staring back?  Millions of people look at their reflection and don't like their eye color or their hairstyle; they don't feel good about their skin tone or their teeth.  For thousands of individuals, the reason they aren't comfortable with their image is much more severe. These individuals have a facial deformity commonly known as a cleft lip and cleft palate.  This affects ones smile and oftentimes their speech.

Starting around age seven I began what (still) seems like continuous and never-ending train insecurities. When I would look in the mirror I would never see what people told me they saw. Instead of a tall and thin girl, I saw a “fat” and “chunky” reflection. Instead of “beautiful” and “incredible” I saw “ugly” and “boring”. I saw so many negatives that even a positive comment made by someone never made its way to my heart. I felt in my heart that I was this awful, ugly, disgusting person and not someone that anyone could be friends with or fond of.

Throughout high school, I struggled with my weight on and off as well as my self-worth. Fighting the demons in my head telling me I wasn’t good enough was a horrible struggle until I realized something. That something is now my most prized virtue and my platform.

When I was six-years-old, my brother was born. I remember the excitement in the room. When Daxton, my younger brother, finally arrived, I remember vividly the tense and worried looks on the faces of my relatives.  Then it was my turn to finally see my brother, and I will never forget it. It was my turn to hold him. My younger sister and I walked into the hospital room to see him both so excited and mesmerized by the fact we had a brother and a new sibling. I recall stopping dead in my tracks and asking my mom “What’s wrong with his face?”

I saw a hole where one should not be.  Although I didn't know it at the time, approximately one out of every 700-800 individuals born across the world are affected by this particular deformity every year. He had a bilateral cleft lip to be exact. (Both sides of his lips failed to form together or at all.) He is currently 16-years-old and literally the coolest dude I have ever met. He has undergone multiple surgeries to correct his lip, and not once has he EVER complained about being different. THAT is what my constant motivation and reminder is.

My brother was born with a broken smile. LITERALLY. And, here I am throwing pity-parties because nothing ever seemed to spark my perfectly normal smile. I wasn’t using my smile THAT I WAS BORN WITH to keep positive. I wasn’t using my smile to help other people smile and be positive.

Now… I am. I’ve come to learn it is ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE.

That is what my school program is about; looking at situations that cause negativity in a new perspective. You can look in the mirror and be sad that your jeans are a little too tight or you can think “I’m blessed to have the life where I even have jeans.” or “I can join that spin class I’ve always wanted to try!” You can be sad that your teeth may not be straight BUT YOU HAVE TEETH! You can remember this:

There are kids literally hidden in closets in third world countries because their parents are ashamed of their smiles because they were born with cleft lips or palates. These kids do not even have the most simple thing such as a smile. We do.

My brother was fortunate in that he was born to parents who had the resources needed to take care of the surgeries he required.  Unfortunately for thousands of individuals, this opportunity is not an option.  The concern I have for these individuals lead me to an organization called Operation Smile.  Founded in 1982, this program supports missions to over 27 countries and has helped more than 130,000 people by providing corrective procedures at little or no cost.  However, I know we cannot stop here.  Together we can make a difference from statewide to worldwide!

As a title holder it’s my job to share my story and inspire others to support and volunteer for those who may fear to show their face. Everyone deserves a confident smile.  We all smile when we are happy, and if I can make the difference in one life, allowing one person to appreciate his or her own smile, then I have been successful. 

I hope to one day hold a marathon for runners to raise money for Operation Smile. The kids in third world countries who do not have the finances or the resources to have a normal smile deserve it. Operation Smile provides these surgeries with donations given by people like you and me. For $240 dollars and 45 minutes, a child’s smile can be made unbroken. They deserve to smile the normal smile that you and I already have. 

My brother has never let his scar from where his deformity once was EVER bring him down. He is able to look in the mirror and feel confident about the image staring back.  My goal is to do what I can to ensure this same response from others when it's their turn to look at their reflection with pride and confidence. Everyone deserves a confident smile. 

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Weight, a break up, a test grade; if your first way of thinking makes you feel worse CHANGE IT. Change your perspective. Change the way you think about it. Do a complete 180 and change your train of thought. We all smile when we are happy, and if I can make the difference in one life, allowing one person to appreciate his or her own smile, then I have been successful. If I can help them change their perspective into a positive way of thinking, then my job has been done.

Remember those kids who can’t smile when you can’t seem to find your own. Remember that if you can’t change the situation you’re in, change the way you think about it.

Let me hear from you when you make those changes! Follow me on Twitter at @whatsyour180 and use the hashtag #thisismy180. I want to hear from you. I want to know your story!

Thank you for reading! I hope to hear from you soon!

Your Miss North Texas 2014,

Logan McCormick