Once upon a time, Inse had to move to a new town and start a new school. He was excited to make new friends, but he was also nervous. Inse had always been shy and unsure of himself. He didn’t know how to approach other kids or start a conversation. On the first day of school, he sat alone at lunch, watching the other kids laugh and talk with each other.
Curity, Inse’s older sister, had always been confident and outgoing. She noticed her brother sitting alone at lunch and decided to come sit with him. “Hey, Inse,” she said, “how was your first day of school?”
Inse shrugged. “It was okay, I guess. I don’t know. I just feel really nervous around all these new people.”
Curity smiled. “That’s normal, Inse. But you don’t have to let that voice of insecurity control you. Remember the five transformations we learned about? The first one is to ignore that voice.”
Inse looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
Curity explained, “The voice of insecurity is that little voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough or you can’t do something. But you have to ignore it, because it’s not true. You’re capable of making friends and being happy here.”
Inse nodded, slowly starting to understand. “Okay. So what’s the second transformation?”
Curity grinned. “The second transformation is to use that voice of insecurity as amusement and inspiration. When you hear that voice in your head, laugh at it. It’s just trying to bring you down. But also, think about what it’s telling you. Is there anything you can learn from it? Anything that can inspire you to be better?”
Inse thought about it for a moment. “Well, I guess it’s telling me that I’m afraid of being rejected by other kids. But I can use that as inspiration to be more confident and put myself out there.”
Curity nodded. “Exactly! That’s the spirit. And then the third transformation is to listen to the voice of security. That’s the opposite voice in your head that tells you you’re good enough and you can do anything. You have to trust that voice and let it guide you.”
Inse smiled, feeling more confident already. “Thanks, Curity. I’ll try to remember all that.”
Over the next few days, Curity helped Inse make some new friends. She introduced him to some of her own friends and encouraged him to join a club or activity he was interested in. Inse was still nervous at first, but he remembered the five transformations and tried to use them to his advantage.
One day, Inse and Curity were walking home from school when they saw a group of kids teasing and bullying another kid. Inse felt his heart racing, unsure of what to do. But Curity stepped forward confidently. “Hey, that’s not cool. Leave him alone.”
The bullies sneered at her, but Curity stood her ground. Inse felt a surge of admiration for his sister. He wanted to be like her.
Later that night, Inse and Curity sat down to talk. “You know, Inse,” Curity said, “sometimes it’s hard to stand up for yourself and others. But that’s where the fourth transformation comes in. You have to take action. You have to do something to make a change.”
Inse nodded, feeling determined. “I want to be brave like you, Curity. I want to make a difference.”
Curity smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You will, Inse. You just have to use the five transformations”.
The next day, Inse couldn’t help but think about how hard it was going to be to make friends. That’s when he heard a voice in his head – the voice of insecurity. “You’ll never make friends here,” it whispered. “No one wants to be friends with someone like you.”
Inse felt his eyes fill with tears, but then he remembered something his older sister, Curity, had told him. “Use the voice of insecurity as amusement and inspiration,” she had said. “Laugh at what it tells you and see if you can learn something from it.”
Inse took a deep breath and tried to laugh at the voice of insecurity. “Ha! That’s not true,” he said out loud. “I’m a great friend and anyone would be lucky to have me as one.”
The next day at school, Inse tried to use the voice of security to guide him. He walked up to a group of kids and said hi. They looked at him funny at first, but then one of them smiled and said hi back.
Inse felt a rush of confidence as he talked to the other kids. He realized that they were just like him – nervous and unsure of themselves. They laughed and joked with him, and before he knew it, he had made a new group of friends.
Over the next few weeks, Inse started to feel more and more comfortable at his new school. He realized that the voice of insecurity was always going to be there, but he could use it to his advantage. Every time he heard it, he would laugh and use it as inspiration to do something new.
At home, Inse told Curity about his new friends and how he had used the five transformations to overcome his insecurities. “That’s great, Inse,” Curity said. “Remember, life is all about good and bad things. You have to learn to live with both and befriend the two inner voices.”
Inse nodded, knowing that he still had a lot to learn. But he also knew that he had the power to overcome any obstacle that came his way.
