was one of those being bullied, [laughter].

And most people wouldn't think of that about me

because I'm 6'7".

But I was actually always the smallest kid in my class.

Part of what kept me going was a vision in my mind

that said they may do this to me today, but some day, you know,

my life will be more.

I won't be the person that people will verbally

or physically abuse, and I remember being in high school

and envisioning someday I was gonna

become this successful person and I

was gonna make a difference.

And I'd become, you know, financially successful.

The fact that we had no money was one of the things

that I was bullied about most, and I

remember I signed in a couple of these bullies' annuals

at the end of the year.

I got ahold of their annuals, and I

wrote these horrible things.

I became the bully, right?

They didn't know it.

I wrote these horrible things saying

some day you'll be a truck driver

and I'll be rich and famous, and you'll

be there wishing you were me and treating me better.

And so I remember I went to my 10 - year high school reunion.

I talked to my mom, and my mom's not

been much of a coach in my life, quite frankly.

But that day she was really interesting.

She said what's going on?

I said, oh, I'm going on my 10 - year high school reunion

and I just want to say hello.

I'm driving my way up, and she goes honey,

I can hear something in your voice.

What is it?

I said nothing.

And what it was is when I was going up there,

I remembered what it was like 10 years

before when I had felt so alone, when I felt totally

an outsider, when I felt I feared for what

was going to happen to me physically

or at least being harassed.

And I felt, you know, just so different, outside and alone.

And she said honey, she said - I didn't tell her any of that,

and she said honey, you were always the outsider.

You were always the loner.

And she goes, look what being different got you.

She goes, now, how many people are in your high school?

And I said I don't know - 2,000.

She goes, 5,000 people show up to hear you speak,

you know, she said, you know, for one weekend.

She goes, and look what that's done.

And that's what I try to tell young people that

are going through it is, again, it's not where you start out.

It's where you end up.

Some of the toughest experiences, life

will give you drive if you don't let it destroy you.

If you realize that this person who's a bully is often a bully

because they're massively insecure.

And just go, this is temporary, and get yourself

with a peer group of people who respect you, who love you,

appreciate you, who you appreciate and love,

and spend more of your time there.

You'll find yourself if you're filled up

by the rest of your life, you can handle the challenges

there.

If it gets physical, then you got

to go to some authority that can help stop that situation if you

can't protect yourself.