A student who was bullied during his teenage years for being gay has revealed how discovering the power of positive thinking has helped him find confidence.
Jack Walton, 21, from Birmingham, said he used to struggle doing ‘simple things’ like going to the shop due to anxiety that gave him a ‘crippling nauseous feeling.’
However he completely transformed his life after discovered the Law of Attraction three years ago and starting to set himself small goals.
Now a mental health advocate, Jack is set to self-publish a book about motivation, goal setting and living with social media in the hope of helping others.
Jack Walton, 21, from Birmingham, pictured, has revealed how discovering the power of positive thinking has helped him find confidence after he was bullied for being gay at school
The student, pictured aged 13, said it became ‘clear’ how different he was when he started high school and that being bullied lead to having poor mental health in his teenage years
Jack explained how during his childhood he was carefree and had a nice circle of friends however things changed when he started high school.
He said: ‘When I started high school it was clear how different I was, for the first time I could really tell I wasn’t the same as everyone else.
‘I felt isolated and all I wanted was to be accepted by others. I had a few good friends, that was a comfort, but the majority of the experience wasn’t a great one.
‘I got bullied for my sexuality, I’m beyond lucky that it was only ever verbal, but now I realise just how tormenting and degrading the bullying was. It seemed to get worse and many times I’d dread going to school each day.
Jack, pictured, said he used to do the bare minimum but now puts 110 per cent effort into every day after learning about the power of positive thinking to change his life
The student, pictured handing an essay in at university, explained how before changing his way of thinking he struggled to do ‘simple things’ like walk to the shops because of his anxiety
Jack said the bullying was a ‘big contributor’ to his mental health and that he would do the ‘bare minimum’ each day.
He said: ‘I was left with little to no confidence, I’d rather blend into the background and go unnoticed then stand out.
‘I suppose that’s why I used to do the bare minimum, I didn’t really have a passion and certainly didn’t have much motivation to do anything either.
‘Looking back I’m grateful because I realise this was an extremely small part of my life, once I left and moved to college it decreased.’
Jack, pictured now, also revealed that he struggled with PTSD after his home was broken into and said that some days he didn’t want to wake up in the mornings
While he was being bullied as a teenager Jack, pictured now, said he just wanted to blend into the background and go unnoticed but he is happy sharing his experiences years on
Jack said that dealing with the bullying and his poor mental health meant that he didn’t have the determination to work as hard as he could have.
He said: ‘Looking back I can see I wasn’t giving the 110 per cent effort I now try to give daily, because when your suffering mentally everything takes so much more effort.
‘It was exhausting being something I wasn’t, I felt lost and alone a lot of the time, although I had people around me I still felt that way.
‘The anxiety would be there most days. I’d feel scared to do simple things. Even going to the shops would give me a crippling nauseous feeling, it was horrible.
Jack, who was raised by a single mother and is pictured aged four, said he was carefree as a child and had a nice group of friends while at primary school
‘I suffered with PTSD for around 2-3 years after my house was broken into. It resulted in a downward spiral.
‘I remember some nights where I didn’t want to wake up in the morning, I felt anxious and afraid over the smallest of things.
I had counselling during this time that did help a great deal, but nothing like the changes I’ve seen over the last three years since discovering the Law of Attraction.’
Jack discovered the Law of Attraction and the power of positive thinking in the summer of 2016.
He admitted that he used to make fun of positive quotes but said that something inside of him wanted to give it a go.
Jack said: ‘I started researching it and put some of the practices into place. Nothing changed overnight but the way I was thinking mentally did. I can’t describe the difference in my mindset now.
‘A few months after this I knew I wanted to share it with others. I couldn’t believe the power of the mind wasn’t taught in schools or wasn’t exactly common knowledge
‘I started typing up pages of tips on my phone initially. Then, it got to the point where I had so many pages I decided to type it up into a mini guide for people.
‘This then this developed into a full book with mini chapters that tackle a multitude of topics which in theory should help anyone become their best self.
‘Motivation, goal setting, mental health, letting of the past and living in the social media generation are just some of the topics included.’
Although determined to help others with his book, Jack said reliving some of the tougher times in his life was difficult.
He said: ‘Writing the chapters about my mental health and childhood felt hard.
Jack, pictured now, started his book by writing tips on his phone but they soon became too long and he turned them into mini-chapters to try and help others ‘become their best selves’
The student, pictured while at university, said reliving some of his tougher teenage years for the book was hard but ‘worth it’ if it helps others to know they’re not alone with their feelings
‘I remember once typing it out sweating from the feeling it gave me but if this means that just one person can relate and know that they aren’t the only one going through something, then it’s absolutely worth it.
‘I’m happy to share all of my experiences because I know for certain that if I can change and totally turn my life around, anyone can.
‘I now do things I’d never imagine. I have a monthly podcast on iTunes and Spotify where I speak about similar topics.
‘I’ve raised money for mental health charities and I’m now a mental health advocate and regularly speak about it on my social media, it’s a total before and after.
Looking to the future Jack said he wants to use his book Being The Best You as a ‘force for good’.
He said: ‘My plan from here is to start travelling around different schools and venues to speak about my experiences and how I’ve turned everything around.
I want to motivate and inspire as many people as possible. I can now see I have a life and a purpose.
‘I know I had to go through everything I did, because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have written this book and wouldn’t be so passionate to help others.’
Jack said he’d also like to become a mental health and LGBT advocate officially in the next few years and
He said: ‘I’d like to become an example of someone who, although they suffered in the past, is now using his voice and experiences in a positive way.’
Jack’s self-published book Being The Best You will be available on Amazon globally from June 30.