“Don’t Stop Believing!”
Learn to Enjoy the Journey

When some read this article they will immediately laugh at my cheesy choice of a title and continue on about their day. What would I know about life right? I mean, after all I am only nineteen years old. However, at nineteen I have experienced heartbreak, frustration, excitement, and many other emotions that affect everyone. I’ve experienced adventure, I’ve experienced despair and yet, when I think that all is lost, I find myself surrounded by an intense sense of inspiration. The following is how having faith in something greater than myself changed my life, and if you’d realize it within yourself, it can change yours too.
Now, when I say “faith” most people automatically tune out because they associate the word faith with religion. Yes, for me personally I find my faith within my religion, but nonetheless times are changing. We live in a world where if we refuse to change then we are only sacrificing our own happiness. Faith isn’t something that determines whether you go to Heaven or Hell; it is something that is within you. Faith is something that motivates you to get out of the bed each morning; it’s something that pushes you to your wits end with being successful that all you can think about is how you can better yourself. Faith is something that reminds you how truly incredible you are and how incredible you have always been.
I grew up in rural North Carolina, the youngest of three girls and honestly a tad bit of a loner. When I was eight, I expressed interest in the arts. I loved telling stories so much that I would “perform” for our cows on our fifty-acre farm till the late evening hours, exhausted yet content with my day. There are a lot of things that are unknown to most about growing up in the industry, it requires you to mature faster than most and to keep up with the hustle of Hollywood. I caught the “acting bug” after my first time on a film set, I literally walked twenty-five feet back and forth all day and yet I LOVED IT!
My parents were beyond supportive, both my mom and my dad sacrificed everything they had in order to see that I could fulfill my dream. By the time I was a freshman in highschool I had the privilege to obtain over thirty film and television credits that varied from leading to supporting to guest star roles. I honestly felt like I had gotten off to a great start! I was eager to experience what high school had to offer, my agents were getting me GREAT auditions, my school worked GREAT with me too when it came to me having to miss for filming. Everything seemed to be working out! But, the summer after my sophomore year everything came crashing down slowly, yet surely.
Summer time, especially in the South, we as females are anxious for the excitement and adventure it has to offer. I’d just met this really incredible guy and my mind had honestly drifted from being focused on the career I was so passionate about. I’m only human right? Everything was GREAT! I was in a new relationship; I had just made Varsity cheerleading at my high school; I was getting my license in a few months, it couldn’t go better.
However, the summer of 2013 is when I learned what it meant to be in an abusive relationship, I also learned what it was like to be alone — truly alone. A young woman’s heart is something that has to be protected — protected from manipulation.
“Did you say yes?” Of course I didn’t.
“Were you two getting really heated?” Of course we were.
Statutory rape is rape. It happened to me and for years it has haunted me. Until now, I haven’t gone public with my assault because how could I expect the world to understand something that, at the time I didn’t yet? After it happened, it was easier for it to keep happening. I felt trapped. A week later I was faced with another hit to my pride.
“I wanted to take that from you so that you couldn’t share it with the one you wanted.”
Take that.
Those words haunted me even after he left, I didn’t eat, I cried all of the time. I told my mom that it was just a bad breakup, how do you even go about telling your mom that you were raped and not only that, but so much more. However, despite the fact that I found myself in what seemed to be a never ending Darkness, there was a Light that shined through out of the blue.
It was the first day I remember actually wanting to get out of bed. It was mid June. School had just let out and suddenly my summer wasn’t as I imagined it to be three odd weeks ago. I cried with a purpose that day, I cried out of anger and out of frustration, and then I sat down and did something I’d never done before.
I wrote about it.
Thus, The Protector Series was born. On September 20th, 2013, which was also my sixteenth birthday — my first self-published novel hit the bestseller list via Kindle Download. Destined, followed by The Abyss and The Illumination went on to become an international best seller in eight countries! I continued to grow as an author throughout my high school years, and with the thanks of Roger Grubbs the first editions of The Protector Series embarked on its journey. In closing, please know that I could go on and on about many things, both personal and professional, yet that’s not why I began to write this.
At eighteen, most my age were planning college, I however had remembered the dream that had inspired me from the beginning and began to EAGERLY plan my move to Los Angeles, California. Now, at nineteen I’ve lived in Los Angeles for a year and a half and every day is a constant reminder that I have to have the faith in myself to achieve the goals I set out to do long before anyone else had an influence on them.
I’m speaking to you who are reading this right now. Take what I am saying out of context because at the end of the day you must still have the urge to FIGHT for what you want to succeed at with your life. Yes, I have a past that I think about every day, but it does not define me. Justice will be served in the end, however it is not my place to deliver it. My place in the world, right here right now is to inspire those to rise against the toxicity of the nation; my duty in this world is to be the best version of myself and hope that I inspire someone to do the same. My place in this world as Taylor Grace has already begun. It began the moment I entered this Earth, just like it did with YOU.
We are all born great, we are all born equals, and at the end of the day we can only appreciate the highs and lows in our life and learn from them. For life's a journey, therefore why not make it a great one?
Author’s Note:
Thank you all so much for reading this! This took a lot of courage and I appreciate those who will read it! Feel free to connect with me on social media!
Facebook: @ActressTG
Twitter: @IAmTaylorGrace
Instagram: @taylorgrace_xo
For you avid book readers!!! Stay up to date on when The Protector Series will be re-released! Facebook: @TheProtectorSeries
