Advice for those of short or tall stature:

Take life as it comes.
Don’t use your height as an excuse to do (or not to do!) something.
Don’t let others’ opinions get you down
Find humour in the criticisms if you can’t block them out.
Listen to people’s compliments.
Remember: those who love you don’t care about your height, and opinions from them are the only opinions that matter


Why isn’t anyone comfortable with the height they are? Admittedly, our heights do seem to be against us sometimes.

For example, I am a very short person for my age (I am around 4 ft 10in and 15!) and I have always been short for my age, so whenever I went to theme parks, I was always unable to go on the good rides because of height restrictions. But there are two sides to a coin: being short often gives me a useful advantage. For example, I went to Taste of Chaos (about six bands touring around the world) last year, and I got almost right to the front of the standing area because a few people felt sorry me (height wise) and let me stand in front of them.

But the way that some people treat you because you’re not a good height (too short, too tall, shorter than them, taller than them) is really ridiculous. I’ve been bullied all my life about my height, and I used to really let it get me down. But I’ve realised now that the height that I am doesn’t change the person that I am, and it’s only malicious and unpleasant people who think that it does, and it’s those people who treat me differently. It’s taken me a while to learn not to care what people think, but I’ve done it.

There are lots of celebrities who haven’t let their height hold them back in the slightest. Assuming that short means under 5ft 3 in, I’ve compiled a condensed list of ‘short’ yet successful people who inspire me: Rachael Leigh Cook, Danny DeVito, Avril Lavigne, Prince, Andrea Corr, Kylie Minogue, Drew Barrymore and Angus Young. All of these people may have been discriminated against, but they are no different to people of average height and they have proved height didn’t hold them back.

And another thing, not all short people are sweet and innocent because of our height. Give some of us a patronising tap on the head and you may get a swift and powerful kick in the shin! So, whoever you are, whatever your height, remember, don’t let people’s opinions of your height, or any other outstanding feature, let you down. Good things come in small packages, and don’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.


By Gemma Allen