About Arlette

WHO?

Creator, Arlette Yousif, has many titles. She is a writer and news reporter with a background in acting, modeling and singing. Most notably, Arlette has written an article about her journey with IC (Interstitial Cystitis - an "incurable" disease of the bladder). Her article details the pain and victory through her self-discovered natural remedy. Since publication in 2012, she has given hope to several IC sufferers. She has continued raising IC awareness through her former talk show "Arlette and Mike Talk" on Blog Talk Radio and YouTube. In 2015, she was interviewed by Journalist and Filmmaker, Marelle Reid. The details of the interview were later published in Marelle's blog: The Happy Bladder.

WHY?

Arlette had a friend who used to always say "know your worth" to her and while it always resonated with her, it was magnified by the sudden loss of this particular friend. In August of 2014, this friend committed suicide only days after she had seen him last. This was also the first time seeing him in a long time since Arlette had relocated. He seemed like his normal, cheery, happy self. Arlette was happy to see him; everyone was happy to see him. He was a big teddy bear, a protector full of love and laughter. They made plans for an outing which, unknowingly, would never actually manifest. Like many suicide victims, he did not know his worth. Among the array of emotions, Arlette couldn't help but hear his voice saying "know your worth" repeatedly in her head. It dawned on her how many other loved ones preceded in the same way. A year and some months later, knowthyworth.com was launched in hopes of spreading love. This site is a place for everyone and anyone to go to for a reminder of just how amazing they truly are. It is also a place of inspiration and positive challenges which all gravitate around universal love. Kind words and kind acts carry a great deal of weight. A simple compliment could actually change a person's attitude towards others as well as their attitude towards who they really are and who they believe they are. For some, it could be the difference between life and death. It could spare their loved ones a lifetime of regret, emptiness and pain. Suicide not only cuts a life short, but it leaves unanswered questions and guilt with family and friends of the victim. Thoughts of "I should have done something," "I should have noticed something was wrong," "I should have called them back" and many other thoughts like these stay with the people left behind. Suicide is a double-ended sword. On one end of the sword, the victim is gone by their own choice, but that choice is not made while rationally thinking or feeling. That choice is made out of pain, loneliness and, many times, being under the influence of a substance or having a mental illness. The other end of the sword kills a piece of each relative and friend, leaving a scar. It is one of the worst experiences to ever face.