My sense of self-esteem and state of consciousness were so low that I walked around with my head down and my shoulders hunched over—a survival posture some people use to be invisible and symbolically protect their heart. Instead of seeing this as a sign of distress, my parents constantly yelled at me to hold my shoulders back. To appease them, I thrust my shoulders back so dramatically it actually affected the way I walked.

I was terrified of school before I even started. The older kids in my neighborhood told me tall tales about spanking machines, knuckle crushers, and other tortures randomly inflicted on kids for no reason.

As I walked to school each day, my protective "don’t notice me" posture had the opposite effect. It attracted bullies to me like hyenas to a wounded gazelle on the Serengeti. Bullies prey on the weak because they too lack self-esteem. The bullying continued for three years. By fourth grade, however, the........

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