“You can overcome obstacles, nothing’s impossible. Build up your confidence,

you’ll be unstoppable”

– Khari Toure

“Love Yourself” is an anti-bullying song for children by spoken word artist and musician Khari Toure. It’s as amazing as the inspiration behind it. He wrote and recorded the song after his 6 year-old daughter was bullied at school. He saw that even after the bullying stopped, the impact on his young daughter remained. Khari says that he “…decided to channel [his] anger into creating something positive for children who have been bullied…. “Love Yourself” is an anthem for children that encourages them to love, accept, and embrace who they are, regardless of bullying behaviour that they may encounter at home or school.”

The video for “Love Yourself” features his daughters and many other kids. On Facebook, Khari wrote:

“I wanted to include special needs children in the video after speaking with my friend, Alicia Coleman, whose daughter “Ava,” is autistic. I learned that special needs children are frequently targeted and bullied. So I invited children with various disabilities including Hearing Impairments, Autism, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia, PTSD and ADHD and to appear in the video along with their siblings. Honestly, I got extremely emotional hearing these amazing children repeat the words “I’m Beautiful,” “I’m Worthy,” “I’m Smart,” and “I Love Myself.” These children are my heroes, and we had so much fun making this video. It is my hope that this song, “Love Yourself,” empowers children to love and believe in themselves.”

The video was posted on Youtube on August 31 and at the time of this post, it has 1.5 million views. The full lyrics are below the video.

Beautiful daughter
I know that kids can be cruel
Try to make you feel ashamed
And call you names at school
But I’mma drop some jewels
Some wisdom that you can use
So you won’t grow up confused
And verbally abused
Realize,
There will be people who criticize
Bullies who talk about your weight, color, and size
But beauty comes in every size, color, and shape
And your beauty can’t be measured with that measuring tape
Remember,
Your worth isn’t determined by your weight
And you should never hate
What It took God to create
You’re young, smart, and beautiful
And it would behoove you
Not to be concerned with how others may view you
Don’t focus on your looks
Read books to improve you
In life don’t rely on other people’s approval
In life there’s no limit to the things you can achieve
So repeat these words after me:
I’m beautiful
I’m worthy
And those mean words
Can’t hurt me
I’m priceless
I’m smart
And I love myself
I’m focused on my health
My oldest daughter says she skinny like a stick
And because she’s thin
There are times when she wishes she was thick
And she knows that I’m attracted to women who are bigger
But I tell her that a woman is much more than her figure
So don’t hate your body and criticize your weight
Because beauty comes in every size, color, and shape
Learn to be your body’s number one supporter
Because negative thoughts lead to eating disorders
So treat yourself like somebody you love
And speak to yourself like somebody you love
Love your body size zero or above
And get rid of any thoughts that say you’re not enough
I know the hardest lesson is learning to love yourself
But eat right, exercise, and focus on your health
I know life can be a struggle
Which is why I always hug you
And remind you every day that I love you
Now say:
I’m beautiful
I’m worthy
And those mean words
Can’t hurt me
I’m priceless
I’m smart
And I love myself
I’m focused on my health
I dedicate this song to every boy and girl
To every child whose been bullied throughout the world
Don’t ever think that you’re worthless
Your life has a purpose
There are better days ahead
So don’t get discouraged
Be confident
No matter where you come from
Because it’s not where you’re from
It’s who you’re destined to become
Never give up on your dreams
No matter how hard it seems
And don’t allow mean words
To lower your self-esteem
You can overcome obstacles
Nothings impossible
Build up your confidence you’ll be unstoppable
You can achieve
What your mind can conceive
Work hard and most importantly always believe
And to my daughters
It’s been such a blessing watching you grow
I’m your father so to me you’ll always be beautiful
Just remember all the words that I’ve said in this song
So you can play them back after I’m dead and gone
Now say:
I’m beautiful
I’m worthy
And those mean words
Can’t hurt me
I’m priceless
I’m smart
And I love myself
I’m focused on my health