[Mayor's Youth Council: Mental Health Roundtable Discussion]
[00:00:20]
AND Y'ALL ARE PART OF THE LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE, SO YOU GOTTA TALK BACK.
I'M SO EXCITED TO BE HERE FOR THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, MS. HANNAH WASHINGTON, AND SHE'LL INTRODUCE THOSE WHO WILL BE SPEAKING THIS MORNING, OR Y'ALL CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELVES EITHER WAY.
UH, YEAH, I AM THE COMM, UH, MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE CHAIR, AS WELL AS THE DISTRICT, A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL.
UH, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO GET STARTED, SO IF Y'ALL JUST WANNA GO OVER ONE MORE TIME, YOUR NAMES, AND THEN YOUR POSITIONS.
I'M THE DISTRICT D REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
I AM DISTRICT C REPRESENTATIVE AND A MEMBER OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
I AM THE DISTRICT J REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL AND A MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE MEMBER.
HI, I AM ASHA DINO, AND I'M THE, I'M A COUNCIL AIDE AND A MEMBER OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU LADIES FOR INTRODUCING YOURSELVES.
UH, SO WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED WITH OUR FIRST CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE TWO EXCITING CONVERSATIONS TODAY, AND THE FIRST ONE IS FOCUSED ON MENTAL HEALTH WITHIN OUR CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS.
UH, SO AS WE DIVE INTO THIS CONVERSATION, UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT MORE OF A DIALOGUE THAN JUST THE INTERVIEW.
SO FEEL FREE, UH, KNOWING THAT, UH, AS YOU ANSWER, YOU REPRESENT THOSE IN YOUR DISTRICT, THOSE WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE CON TYPE OF CONVERSATION WE WANT TO HAVE FOR, UH, YOURSELF AND YOUR PEERS.
UH, SO JUST IN A NUTSHELL, BEFORE WE DIVE IN, ANYONE WANNA DIVE, UH, JUMP TAYLOR OR ANYBODY? UH, WHAT DOES CULTURE MEAN TO YOU? CULTURE, I THINK CULTURE'S A VERY BROAD TERM, UM, CULTURE AS IN, IN A SCHOOL SETTING OR AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING, HOW YOU INTERACT WITH OTHER PEOPLE OR ETHNICALLY CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS REALLY DETERMINE THE WAY YOU APPROACH DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN A TOPIC LIKE MENTAL HEALTH, YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND YOUR ETHNIC BACKGROUND, AND WHERE, HOW YOU GREW UP REALLY DETERMINE THE WAY YOU SEE MENTAL HEALTH AND THE WAY YOU ASK FOR HELP.
SO I THINK, I THINK CULTURAL CULTURE ITSELF IS A REALLY VAST TERM.
IT ENCOMPASSES A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS, BUT IT REALLY, IT REALLY DEMONSTRATES THE WAY THAT YOU APPROACH CERTAIN THINGS IN YOUR LIFE AND IT, IT REALLY IMPACTS THE WAY YOU SEE THINGS.
AND I WOULD ASK, UH, YOU LADIES AS WELL, WHAT DOES CULTURE LOOK LIKE TO YOU? OR WHAT, UH, WHAT IS CULTURE TO ME? CULTURE CAN, LIKE TAYLOR SAID, IT CAN BE SO MANY THINGS AND IT CAN REPRESENT ITSELF IN SO MANY WAYS, BUT TO ME, CULTURE IS CONNECTION.
SO THE WAY IN WHICH YOU CONNECT WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELATE TO, SO, OR JUST PEOPLE IN GENERAL, REALLY.
SO YOUR SPECIFIC CULTURE, IT DOES DETERMINE, UM, HOW YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS, HOW YOU SEE THINGS, HOW YOU, UM, PERCEIVE THE WORLD, REALLY.
AND SO THAT CAN BE DIFFERENT IN REALLY EVERYBODY.
AND IT JUST REALLY DICTATES HOW YOU, UM, HOW YOU, I'M TRYING TO FIND THE WORD, HOW YOU LIKE, UPHOLD YOURSELF.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING LIKE, CULTURE, UH, HELPS US IDENTIFY VALUES.
UM, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT JOY AND TAYLOR SAID.
AND LIKE JORIE SAID, CULTURE CAN INFLUENCE EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK IT STEMS A LOT FROM THE BACKGROUND YOU COME FROM AND WHAT ENVIRONMENT YOU'VE GROWN UP IN.
BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA ADD THAT I THINK CULTURE CAN BE SEEN IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEDIUMS. SO YOU HAVE ART, RELIGION, EDUCATION, LIKE TAYLOR SAID, AND I THINK IF YOU ASK INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE, THEY'LL DEFINE CULTURE DIFFERENTLY.
BUT LIKE DORI SAID, I THINK ULTIMATELY IT DOES SHOWCASE YOUR VALUES AND WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TAUGHT GROWING UP AND THE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU'VE SEEN AROUND YOU AS YOU'VE GROWN UP.
SO I THINK WHAT ENVIRONMENT YOU GROW UP IN AND ALSO WHAT YOU ARE
[00:05:01]
KIND OF INTRODUCED TO AND HOW THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU SHAPE YOUR CULTURE ALSO INFLUENCES CULTURE.UH, SOME EYES OF YOUR REMARKS.
I HEAR ENVIRONMENT AND EXPOSURE IS IMPORTANT TO, TO CULTURE.
SO I WOULD ALSO ASK, UH, WHAT CULTURAL NORMS OR STIGMA, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, MAY HINDER OR PREVENT YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES FROM SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH OR SEEKING HELP? I THINK, UM, SPEAKING FROM LIKE A YOUTH PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THERE'S A REALLY COMMON, LIKE A COMMENT THAT A LOT OF ADULTS AROUND US OR JUST OTHER PEOPLE AROUND US IN GENERAL MAKE, WHICH IS JUST DEAL WITH IT.
UM, THERE IS A REALLY STRONG STIGMATISM WITH MENTAL HEALTH, AS IN IT SEEMS ABNORMAL.
I THINK NOW MODERN DAY IT'S BECOME MORE NORMAL.
I THINK THIS NEW GENERATION HAS REALLY ADOPTED IT INTO THEIR PERSONALITIES, ADOPTED IT INTO NORMALITY, BUT YOU CAN STILL SEE THAT THERE IS THIS LIKE STIGMATISM AROUND THIS TOPIC WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST EXPECTED TO GO ON WITH THEIR LIVES OR NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE, AS A SENIOR GOING INTO COLLEGE, WE HAVE A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK, THERE'S A LOT OF STRESS, A LOT OF ANXIETY, BUT YOU ARE KIND OF JUST FORCED TO DEAL WITH IT, TO NOT REALLY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND SO THAT TYPE OF STIGMATISM IS REALLY IMPACTFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUTH WHO ARE NOW SLOWLY BECOMING ADULTS IN SOCIETY.
AND, UM, ADDING ON TO WHAT TAYLOR SAID ABOUT STIGMAS AND THE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, I DO THINK THAT IN A MORE YOUTH SOCIETY, MENTAL HEALTH ISN'T SOMETHING THAT'S OPENLY SHARED OR OPENLY TALKED ABOUT.
LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL, I FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T OPENLY WANNA TALK ABOUT YOUR STRUGGLES AND ADDING THAT ON TOP OF THE PEER PRESSURE THAT YOU FACE WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT YOUR PEERS MAY BE ACHIEVING, YOU FEEL THE NEED TO COMPARE YOURSELVES TO OTHERS.
AND THAT JUST BRINGS ON OTHER INSECURITIES, ANXIETIES.
AND LIKE TAYLOR SAID, SOMETIMES YOUTH, UH, WE AS YOUTH CAN FEEL FROM ADULTS THAT THERE'S KIND OF A DON'T TALK ABOUT IT OR DON'T APPROACH IT PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO I THINK THAT PART IS KIND OF WHAT BUILDS ONTO THE STIGMA THAT MENTAL HEALTH IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO DEAL WITH ON YOUR OWN.
AND SOMETIMES FOR OTHER PEOPLE REACHING OUT FOR HELP OR ASKING PHYSICALLY LIKE, HEY, WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THIS? OR, HEY, IS THERE ANYBODY I CAN TALK TO? IS JUST A VERY IDEA, IS AN, IS AN IDEA THAT SCARES A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT USED TO REACHING OUT FOR HELP.
AND I JUST ALSO WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA AS KIND OF A PRESSURE THAT BUILDS ONTO PERHAPS THE STIGMA THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY HAS A PERFECT LIFE, OR WHAT YOU SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA SCARES YOU BECAUSE EVERYBODY SEEMS FLAWLESS OR EVERYBODY SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE THEIR LIFE TOGETHER WHEN YOU'RE JUST SCROLLING ON YOUR PHONE MAYBE AT HOME, AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU CAN'T COMPARE TO THE PEOPLE YOU SEE ONLINE.
SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK ADDS ON TO THE STIGMA.
AND THEN TO ADD ON TO WHAT TAYLOR WAS SAYING ABOUT LIKE ADULTS OR EVEN PARENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS IN OUR LIVES SAYING TO JUST DEAL WITH IT, UM, THE, THE WAY THAT DIFFERENT GENERATIONS ARE BROUGHT UP IN THE WORLD REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH, I FEEL, BECAUSE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON IN THAT TIME, LIKE WARS OR, OR JUST THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, LIKE THE WORLD CHANGES OVER TIME.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AND YOU HAVE TO ADAPT TO IT AND YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING OR, OR ELSE THEN YOU END UP NEGATIVELY IMPACTING OTHER PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, LIKE IF, OKAY, SO A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, IF A CHILD IS HAVING A HARD TIME IN SCHOOL, THEIR GRADES ARE REFLECTING, THAT THEY'RE GETTING SENT TO THE OFFICE REPEATEDLY.
AND THEN, THEN YOU AS A PARENT, YOU MAY SEE JUST THE SURFACE OF IT, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO DIVE INTO IT.
AND JUST, I JUST FEEL THAT SOME GENERATIONS DON'T NECESS, THEY DON'T WANT TO UNCOVER WHAT COULD BE THE UNDERLYING ISSUE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST, UM,
BUT THAT ISN'T AS HEALING AS REALLY COMMUNICATING.
[00:10:02]
ABSOLUTELY.UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA ADD, LIKE GOING BACK TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT LIKE NOT SHARING AND ALSO GOING BACK TO CULTURE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DESCRIBED EARLIER, DEPENDING ON YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND, YOU YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SEEK HELP IS ALSO VERY DIFFERENT.
SOME CULTURES ARE MORE COMMUNITY BASED, SOME ARE NOT, OR AT LEAST SOME CULTURES EMBRACE THE IDEA OF MENTAL HEALTH AND HELP FROM MENTAL HEALTH MORE THAN OTHERS.
SO DEPENDING ON YOUR EXPOSURE TO THAT AS WELL IS A KEY COMPONENT IN LIKE YOU, ESPECIALLY YOUTH GROWING UP, YOUR COM, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ACTUALLY SEEK HOPE FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR EMBRACE THE IDEA OF IT OR EVEN RECOGNIZE IT.
YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE A COMMON THREAD FROM, UH, YOU LATER SPEAKING IS LIKE NORMALIZATION, UH, NORMALIZING ANXIETY, NORMALIZING, UH, STRESS NORMALIZING THINGS THAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED FOR GENERATIONS, BUT UH, IT'S STILL OVERWHELMING AND BEING ABLE TO CALL THAT OUT, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ADMIRABLE ABOUT YOUR GENERATION.
AND I WOULD ALSO ASK, UH, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ARE THINGS CULTURAL NORMS THAT MAY BE NEW THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR GENERATION IS, IS ESTABLISHING WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, MENTAL HEALTH OR HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO SEEK HELP? BECAUSE AS MUCH AS SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE STRESSFUL AND OVERWHELMING AND COMPARING, I THINK IT'S ALSO AN OUTLET FOR, UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE TO RECEIVE RESOURCES AND LEARN FROM THIS.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT ARE SOME NEW CULTURAL NORMS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR GENERATION IS ESTABLISHING? SO, ALTHOUGH AUDREY AND TAYLOR SAID THAT IN OUR GENERATION IT'S SEEN MORE SO THAT PEOPLE KIND OF SHY AWAY FROM COMMUNICATING ABOUT ANY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THEY MAY BE HAVING OR JUST ANY ANXIETIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I'VE SEEN PERSONALLY MY PEERS BE MORE VOCAL ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS OR THEIR STRESSES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND I'VE SEEN IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVEN JUST LIKE OUT IN THE WORLD, LIKE PEOPLE HAVE JUST BEEN MORE ACTIVE, MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT SEEKING THEIR OWN HELP AND THEN PROVIDING HELP FOR OTHER PEERS, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY OF THE NYC.
AND THEN, UM, THE HEALTHY MINDS INITIATIVE.
I JUST, I FEEL LIKE MORE HELP IS MORE HELP IS PROVIDED FOR TEENS NOW THAN IT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY.
IT'S ACTUALLY AN INTERESTING POINT.
I WILL SAY I'M NOT ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS MUCH, SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY INTERESTING POINT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING MORE VOCAL.
UM, I GUESS LIKE WHAT I'VE SEEN IS PURELY CONFINED TO WHAT I SEE AT SCHOOL.
I THINK WHERE I INTERACT WITH KIDS MOST, THAT MIGHT BE THE REASON WHY I THINK SOME OF US DON'T SHARE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THAT ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
UM, BUT IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT LIKE UPCOMING GENERATIONS HAVE BECOME MORE VOCAL.
I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME A REALLY POWERFUL WEAPON FOR SHARING EMOTIONS AND SHARING WEAKNESSES, UM, WHICH WEREN'T PREVIOUSLY EMBRACED.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY, THAT'S DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING POINT AND I THINK IT'S A POINT TO EXPLORE.
UM, I DO AGREE WITH WHAT JOY SAID ABOUT HOW IN OUR GENERATION I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES THAN IN THE PAST.
MAYBE ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, PEOPLE AREN'T AS, YOU KNOW, READY TO TAKE THAT STEP FORWARD INTO COMPLETELY ACCEPTING HELP.
BUT I DO THINK YOU SEE DEFINITELY MORE RESOURCES SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
AND ESPECIALLY FOR US YOUTH, LIKE TEENAGERS WHO GO TO SCHOOL, UM, THERE ARE SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS WHO YOU CAN TURN TO AND THEY'VE MADE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE AS SOMEBODY YOU CAN CONFIDE IN IF PERHAPS YOU'RE NOT TOO COMFORTABLE CONFIDING IN MAYBE YOUR PEERS OR YOUR PARENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU'RE AFRAID THEY'LL JUDGE YOU.
AND ALSO JUST EVEN LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AND THIS PODCAST THAT WE'RE DOING THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE RELEASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
I THINK ELEMENTS LIKE THESE THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU, NOT FROM A, LIKE A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT, LIKE YOU HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.
BUT THINGS ONLINE THAT HAVE BEEN MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE THESE DAYS ALSO HAVE A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH CONTENT AND RESOURCES LIKE, UH, HOTLINES THAT YOU CAN CALL OR WEBSITES OR INFOGRAPHICS THAT JUST GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BETTER, BETTER HELP YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH.
SO I THINK THINGS LIKE THAT ARE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AS, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPS IN OUR GENERATIONS.
Y'ALL ENJOYING THE CONVERSATION SO FAR? YES.
I HAD TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL WEREN'T SLEEP.
SO, UH, AS WE TALK ABOUT NORMALIZING, UH, MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE ALSO WANT IT TO NOT BE NORMALIZED JUST IN OUR EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONS, BUT WITHIN THE WORKPLACE, WITHIN SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT,
[00:15:01]
HOW CAN, UH, ESPECIALLY YOU ALL AREN'T WORK.DO Y'ALL WORK YET? Y ALL Y'ALL WORK? I'VE HAD JOBS, BUT NOT CURRENTLY.
SO, UH, HOW CAN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES, BUT YOU DO HAVE WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE AS A YOUNG PERSON, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, SO HOW DO YOU THINK THAT SCHOOLS AND WORKPLACES CAN BETTER NORMALIZE AND, UH, CREATE, UH, CULT CULTURAL NORMS, ESPECIALLY SUPPORTING MENTAL WELLNESS? AND I THINK IT, I WANNA FRAME THAT WE'RE TA TALKING ABOUT WE HAVE WARS GOING ON, WE TALK ABOUT POLITICAL DIFFERENCES, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, CULTURAL, UH, IDENT IDENTIFICATIONS AND IDENTIFIERS.
SO WHAT IS SOME THINGS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE WORKPLACE IN SCHOOLS THAT MAY ALREADY BE HAPPENING, UH, AND THINGS THAT MAY JUST BE RADICAL THAT YOU THINK CAN HAPPEN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? SO WHAT ARE YOUR WEIGH IN ON THAT? UM, PERSONALLY I'VE BEEN REALLY LUCKY TO WORK.
I WORK AT THE HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE AND UM, THANKFULLY I'VE BEEN REALLY GRATEFUL FOR HAVING TWO, LIKE A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT THAT ARE BOTH VERY WELCOMING AND VERY, VERY DIVERSE.
UM, I KNOW FOR OUR SCHOOL WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE, UM, SOMETHING CALLED INTERNATIONAL DAY OR JUST LIKE DIVERSITY DAY BECAUSE OUR SCHOOL IS SO, SO HEAVILY DIVERSE WHERE WE DO A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES FROM DIFFERENT, RANGING FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.
WE HAVE LIKE CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY, WE HAVE KARATE, WE HAVE LIKE ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT FLAGS FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT CULTURES BECAUSE THERE'S LIKE OVER A HUNDRED DIFFERENT COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN OUR SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT SIMPLE DAY, ALTHOUGH IT IS ONE SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE CELEBRATE OTHER CULTURES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WELL, THAT DAY IS REALLY, IT, IT'S DOES A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND HAVING PEOPLE RECOGNIZE OUR STRONG DIVERSITY.
AND ALTHOUGH THAT IS NOT DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO MENTAL HEALTH OR THE, UM, INTENT WASN'T FOR MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK IT DOES BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
IT DOES A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN THE WORKPLACE.
UM, HAVEN'T REALLY EXPERIENCED ANYTHING THAT LIKE CONTRADICTS DIVERSITY OR DOESN'T BRING OR DOESN'T, UM, OR CONTRAST THE IDEA OF DIVERSITY.
BUT I THINK MOST, I THINK THE WORKPLACES I'VE EXPERIENCED ARE VERY WELCOMING.
UM, AND THE ONLY WAY I THINK, OR ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS I THINK TO REALLY EMBRACE THAT OR IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH IN THOSE COMMUNITIES IS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE WELCOMING A VERY, UM, JUST DOING KIND OF WHAT OUR SCHOOL DOES AND JUST EMBRACING DIFFERENT CULTURES, EMBRACING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY TO COM LIKE CULMINATE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT, I THINK, OR A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
SO, UM, MY SCHOOL IS SIMILAR TO TAYLOR SCHOOL.
WE REPRESENT A LOT OF DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES THERE.
AND WE DO HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL DAY, BUT RATHER, UM, WE CALL IT I FEST, SO INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL.
SO THE DAY IS KIND OF SPLIT IN HALF.
AND THEN WE HAVE A LITTLE, UM, A SHOW WHERE DIFFERENT CULTURE CLUBS THAT WE HAVE, THEY DANCE OR WHATEVER, UM, WHATEVER THEY WANNA DO WITH THEIR ALLOTTED TIME
UM, SO YEAH, MY SCHOOL DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB OF REPRESENTING DIFFERENT CULTURES AND MAKE, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE'S VOICES ARE HEARD ON WHATEVER SUBJECT THAT THEY CHOOSE.
BUT IN THE WORKPLACE, I KNOW THAT WITHIN THE WORKPLACE YOU CAN HAVE, YOU HAVE LIKE ONE MAIN GOAL.
SO IT CAN BE KIND OF DIFFICULT TO, TO REALLY LIKE MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE, PEOPLE ARE NOT NEGLECTED IN THEIR OWN VALUES AND, AND JUST THEIR, UM, JUST THEIR VALUE, THEIR CULTURAL VALUES.
BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT IN THE WORKPLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO TEND TO PEOPLE IN THOSE WAYS.
YEAH, SO ADDING ON TO BOTH WHAT TAYLOR AND JULIA SAID, I ALSO GO TO A VERY LARGE SCHOOL.
OUR STUDENT BODY HAS MORE THAN 3,300 STUDENTS FOR FOUR GRADES.
AND UM, WE ALSO HAVE A VERY DIVERSE CULTURE IN OUR SCHOOL.
AND SIMILAR TO LIKE THE IF FEST THAT JO WAS TALKING ABOUT, OUR SCHOOL HAS A DAY WHERE WE CELEBRATE ALL THE DIFFERENT CULTURAL CLUBS AT OUR SCHOOL.
SO THERE IS A SEGMENT FOR PERFORMANCES AND EACH CLUB CAN BRING SOMETHING OF THEIR CULTURE TO SHARE WITH THE AUDIENCE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A FOOD SECTION AFTER THAT.
SO ALL THE CLUBS CREATE THEIR OWN, I DUNNO, MAYBE DESSERTS OR MAIN COURSES.
AND THEN IT'S JUST A REALLY FUN EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY TO GO AROUND, NOT ONLY SEE ALL THE CLUBS AT OUR SCHOOL, BUT ALSO TO JUST GET IT, GET IN TOUCH WITH OTHER CULTURES THAT THEY MAY NOT NORMALLY EXPERIENCE ON A DAILY BASIS.
[00:20:01]
ACTUALLY HOSTED BY A CLUB CALLED VISA.SO OUR SCHOOL HAS AN ACTUAL, LIKE A BEL AIR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION.
SO THAT PLAYS A HUGE ROLE INTO JUST ACCEPTING THE DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT THAT OUR SCHOOL OFFERS.
BUT, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE WORKPLACE, I HAVEN'T REALLY WORKED THOROUGHLY.
SO THE JOBS I HAD OVER THE SUMMER ARE MORE, UM, LIKE, UH, PART-TIME AND I CAN'T SPEAK TO, UM, MAYBE LIKE SOMEBODY WHO WORKS ON A DAILY BASIS, LIKE A NINE TO FIVE JOB AND THEIR EXPERIENCE.
BUT I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT JOY SAID ABOUT JUST CREATING THIS ACCEPTING ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE LIKE SHE SAID, WHEN YOU GO TO WORK YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE ONE JOB.
IT'S LIKE, GET THROUGH THE DAY, FINISH WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND THEN GO HOME TO YOUR FAMILY OR YOUR KIDS OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE WAITING FOR YOU OUTSIDE OF THE JOB.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WHILE YOU'RE WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS MIGHT BE THERE TO JUST WORK ON A PRODUCT TOGETHER AND YOU MIGHT NOT TALK TO THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU OR IN THE CUBICLE NEXT TO YOU, BUT HAVING SOME TYPE OF WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, MAYBE EVENTS EVERY WEEK OR SO, JUST TO BROADEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF WHO YOU WORK WITH.
'CAUSE YOU DO SEE THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO I THINK JUST CREATING THOSE BONDS AND CREATING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS CAN GO A LONG WAY.
AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP A PERSON ON A DAY, THEY REALLY NEED IT WITHOUT THEM EVEN KNOWING.
UH, WHEN YOU TALK, WHEN TAYLOR TALKS ABOUT THE DIVERSITY DAY AND I HEAR JOEY TALK ABOUT THE, UH, I FEST, UH, I THINK THOSE ARE LIKE INDIRECT WAYS OF SUPPORTING MENTAL WELLNESS, MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE, UH, IT ALLOWS STUDENTS THE, THE ABILITY TO BE, TO SHOW UP FULLY TO, UH, SHOW UP, UH, WITH WHAT MAKES THEM VALUABLE TO MODEL THEIR VALUES AS WE SHARE SHARED A MINUTE AGO.
SO I THINK, UH, WITH THE DIRECT SERVICE, I THINK THOSE INDIRECT THINGS CAN ALSO ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET A INTERNATIONAL VIEW IN A DAY, UH, THAT MAY BE IN THEIR NORMAL CAFETERIA OR NORMAL SPACE.
NOW IS ANYONE OVER HERE? DOES ANYONE HERE AT WORK? IS ANYBODY WORK? OKAY.
SO I WOULD LOVE FOR ONE OF YOU ALL TO COME TO THE MIC AND TELL US LIKE, WHAT DO YOU, YEP.
UH, TELL US WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT, WHAT, HOW CAN WE IMPROVE MENTAL WELLNESS FOR YOUTH IN THE WORKPLACE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU'RE WORKING, YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
I'M, I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU, GET TO THE MIC.
UH, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL THEN WORK.
BRING THAT NICE SMILE UP HERE SIR.
YOU PRESS THE RED ONE, IT'S GONNA TURN GREEN.
UH, MY NAME IS LANCE WILLIAMS. I AM THE DISTRICT H REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL.
UM, PERSONALLY I WORK AT HEB AND OUT OF ALL OF THE JOBS I'VE HAD, I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE DONE THE BEST AT, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE WELL OFF AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH IS VERY WELL.
UM, WE PERSONALLY GET A BREAK, A 15 MINUTE PAID BREAK EVERY TWO HOURS OF A SHIFT, AND THEN WE GET A 30 MINUTE LUNCH, UH, EVERY FOUR HOURS.
SO IF YOUR SHIFT IS LONGER THAN THAT, YOU GET MULTIPLE BREAKS IN A SHIFT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T GET OVERWHELMED.
UM, OR DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS DOESN'T GET TOO DIFFICULT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY CAN, ESPECIALLY WORKING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, UH, THEY ALSO PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES VERY WELL.
AND SO I JUST FEEL LIKE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT JUST SHOW THAT THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES VERSUS SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES I HAVE WORKED THAT MAYBE DON'T SHOW THEIR, UH, HOW MUCH THEY VALUE YOU IN THAT SPECIFIC WAY.
SO SMALL X OF VALUE AND KILL WHAT I GOT FROM WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT? YES.
CAN WE GIVE LANCE A HAND? ALRIGHT.
SO I THINK YOU ALL ARE ARE LEADING WHEN YOU HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT IT? BECAUSE AS WE SAID, YOU ALL ARE IN THE SCHOOLS NOW, SO YOU HAVE THE, THE LIVED EXPERIENCE, YOU'RE GETTING IT FIRSTHAND.
YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO, TO GO TO SCHOOL DURING A PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO, UH, HAVE TO WALK THE HALLS EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO HAVE THOSE LONG CLASSES AND THE SMALL BREAKS.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICES ON THAT.
SO, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE THE NEXT TEACHERS AND THE EDUCATORS AND, UH, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T LIKE TO TALK TO, NOW YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THOSE POSITIONS.
SO, UH, I'LL ALSO, LET'S, UH, LAST QUESTION.
UH, HOW DO YOU THINK, HOW MIGHT CULTURAL SENSITIVITY BE INTEGRATED INTO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO BETTER SERVE YOUTH FROM CO YOUTH, FROM CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS, FROM DIVERSE CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS? I THINK THAT BEING MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE, LIKE MAKING YOURSELF MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WORLDLY SUBJECTS AND THEN JUST, UM, YES, MAKING YOURSELF
[00:25:01]
MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WORLDLY SUBJECTS WILL HELP YOU IN AIDING IN AIDING YOUTH.BECAUSE TYPICALLY IT'S AN ADULT THAT IS THE COUNSELOR OR THE, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH RESERVOIR FOR THE YOUTH.
SO I BELIEVE THAT AIDING IN AIDING YOUTH, ANYONE, YOU SHOULD JUST BE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURES THAT ARE THAT SURROUND YOU BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP YOU IN HELPING SOMEONE ELSE.
AND IT ALSO, KNOWLEDGE IS JUST POWER ANYWAY.
BUT, UM, YEAH, WHEN SOMEONE IS IN CRISIS AND THEY REALLY NEED THAT, LIKE THEY REALLY NEED THAT HELPING HAND, IT REALLY IS BENEFICIAL TO BE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT ANY SUBJECT THAT YOU CAN BE.
AND JUST FOR CLARITY, A ARE WE TALKING ABOUT KNOWLEDGEABLE AS IN RESOURCES OR KNOWLEDGEABLE AS IN KNOWING ONE ANOTHER? KNOWLEDGEABLE IN KNOWING ONE ANOTHER.
KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN USE TO HELP THEM.
AND RESOURCES THAT COULD HELP THEM SPECIFICALLY.
SO IF YOU KNOW ANY CULTURALLY SPECIFIC RESOURCES, THEN THAT COULD BE A REALLY BIG HELP FOR SOMEBODY.
OKAY, SO, UM, TALKING ABOUT CULTURE, TAYLOR EARLIER MENTIONED, UM, THAT CULTURE CAN BE APPROACH FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES.
SO YOU HAVE LIKE CULTURAL ON A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL, BUT I THINK THERE'S ALSO, UM, THIS ELEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL, UM, LIKE THE CULTURE AROUND YOU IN SCHOOL.
SO I WANNA TOUCH A BIT MORE ON THAT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.
UM, AT SCHOOL FOR EVERYBODY CAN BE DIFFERENT.
SO SOME PEOPLE
AND I THINK ON A CULTURAL LEVEL, JUST KNOWING EACH PERSON HAS THEIR OWN SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND TREATING EVERYBODY WITH RESPECT, TREATING YOUR PEERS WITH KINDNESS, EVEN YOUR TEACHERS.
I THINK EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A SMALL THING, I, I THINK IT CAN REALLY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN A PERSON'S LIFE WHEN MAYBE THEY'RE HAVING A BAD DAY OR THEY JUST NEED SOMEBODY'S SUPPORT AND EVEN JUST A STRANGER STANDING UP FOR THEM IN THAT WAY CAN BE REALLY COMFORTING IN SOME MORE DIRE TIMES.
AND I ALSO THINK ON A CULTURAL LEVEL, YOU HAVE RESOURCES IN SCHOOL, YOU HAVE YOUR TEACHERS, AND I KNOW I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GO TO A SCHOOL WHERE I, I ACTUALLY LIKE TALKING TO TEACHERS, SO I LIKE TO GET TO KNOW THEM ONE-ON-ONE.
AND THEN SOMETIMES WHEN YOU BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP OR THAT CONNECTION, YOU CAN APPROACH THEM WITH MORE SENSITIVE TOPICS OR THINGS THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE CONFIDING IN THEM.
SO I THINK ONCE AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU HAVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND THEN JUST EXPANDING ON THEM BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
YEAH, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING AUDREY AND JO SAID.
UM, APPROACHING WHAT JO MENTIONED AND, AND ALSO WHAT AUDREY MENTIONED ABOUT EDUCATION SYSTEMS, UM, APPROACHING MENTAL HEALTH WITH SORT OF LIKE CULTURAL RELATIVISTIC MINDSET IS I THINK REALLY KEY.
IT HELPS, IT HELPS EVEN A LITTLE BIT, EVEN JUST GETTING TO KNOW CULTURES A LITTLE BIT AND THE BACKGROUND OF CULTURES A LITTLE BIT CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND, UM, POSSIBLY THE WAY THAT PERSON OR THAT INDIVIDUAL MAY BE APPROACHING THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE, WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, IT MAY HELP YOU TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THEM AS WELL.
I THINK JUST EDUCATION, AS JO SAID, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, EDUCATION IS POWER, AND IT'S A WEAPON OF MAKING SURE OF HOW EVERYONE IS ABLE TO BE, UM, INCLUDED.
AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE, UM, FEELS INCLUDED, EVERYONE, UM, YOU ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW EACH PERSON CAN APPROACH THEIR OWN SITUATION AND HOW YOU CAN APPROACH THAT SITUATION AS WELL.
AND THEN JUST, UM, PIGGYBACKING OFF PIG, PIGGYBACKING OFF OF TAYLOR, EVEN IF YOU WORK OUTSIDE OF EDUCATION, YOU ARE EXPOSED TO MANY MORE CULTURES.
SO BEING MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND BEING MORE, BEING ABLE TO RELATE MORE TO SOMEONE, TO SOMEONE'S CULTURE, YOU, YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP THEM IN MANY MORE WAYS THAN ONE.
SO BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RESOURCES, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, AND THEN JUST BEING MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD BE GOING THROUGH AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME, IT REALLY HELPS YOU TO DO YOUR JOB BETTER IN AIDING THEM WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KNOWLEDGE.
SO THIS IS A GREAT SEGUE INTO OUR LAST QUESTION.
SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO OFFER, UH, ONE TAKEAWAY THAT YOU WOULD LOVE THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING THIS, THAT MAY BE YOUR PEERS,
[00:30:01]
MAY BE YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT, UH, THEY CAN WALK AWAY WITH.WHAT IS SOMETHING PRACTICAL, WHETHER IT'S A RESOURCE, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING YOU WANT THEM TO REMEMBER, UH, WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, A GREAT TAKEAWAY THAT EACH ONE OF YOU ALL, UH, CAN PROVIDE AS WE WRAP UP THIS CONVERSATION AROUND CULTURE? UM, I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS SITUATION.
THAT THIS IS, UM, EVEN AS MEMBERS OF THE MARY'S YOUTH COUNCIL, AS WE REPRESENT OUR OWN DISTRICTS, THAT WE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY, THAT THIS IS A UNIVERSAL EXPERIENCE.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND IN WHATEVER YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THAT THERE IS HOPE THAT YOU CAN SEEK AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WILLING TO HELP YOU.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING REALLY SIMILAR TO THAT, BUT I AGREE AND I THINK THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ONLY AFFECTS A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RAISED FROM A CERTAIN BACKGROUND.
IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY OBVIOUSLY IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT EVERYBODY SUFFERS FROM THEIR OWN SET OF ANXIETIES OR INSECURITIES.
SO I THINK IN THAT, TALKING ABOUT THAT AND EVERYBODY'S SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, LIKE TAYLOR SAID, THERE'S ALWAYS RESOURCES OUT THERE.
AND WHILE PEOPLE MAY FEEL ALONE, AND ESPECIALLY I KNOW THAT AS TEENAGERS, WE MAY FEEL MORE ALONE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE EXPECT US TO HAVE OUR LIFE TOGETHER, OR THERE'S JUST SOCIETAL PRESSURES LIKE ATTENDING COLLEGE OR WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO WITH YOUR FUTURE? AND WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS TO THAT.
SO THAT JUST BUILDS ON THE PRESSURES WE FACE.
I JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AND I, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AND EVEN THOUGH THEY CHOOSE NOT TO SHOW IT OR THEY DON'T FEEL AS COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT IT AS MAYBE WE HOPE THAT, UM, THERE ARE DEFINITELY RESOURCES OR PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO.
AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANNA TAKE THE FIRST STEP, THERE ARE EVEN LIKE ANONYMOUS RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN TAKE, THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO OR JUST HELP THAT CAN BE FOUND, ESPECIALLY WITH THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA THESE DAYS.
AND IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE CONFIDING IN A PERSON, BUT THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS WAYS TO FIND SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP YOU AS INDIVIDUALLY OR DISCOVER SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME THING THAT HELPS THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH ALONE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT HA, YES, YOU CAN SEEK RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, OUTSIDE OF YOUR FAMILIES, BUT YOU CAN ALSO GO TO SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY LIKE HAVING THOSE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS.
IT CAN REALLY SURPRISE YOU WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE BECAUSE A LOT, IT'S VERY COMMON FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH TO BE IMPACTED NEGATIVELY BY YOUR FAMILY.
SO JUST FINDING SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY TO HAVE THOSE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS WITH IT CAN BE REALLY IMPACTFUL, POSITIVELY TO YOU.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WRAP UP.
UH, AS IT WILL SAY, YOU'RE NOT ALONE AS A YOUTH.
UH, SO I THINK AS A YOUTH LEADER, UH, SO I THINK THAT'S A VERY GREAT WAY FOR US TO, UH, WRAP THE CONVERSATION.
CAN WE GIVE THEM A HAND?
UM, SO YOU GUYS MENTIONED EARLIER HOW, UM, OLDER GENERATIONS KIND OF AREN'T AS UNDERSTANDING MAYBE OF, OR OF CURRENT YOUTH, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES TODAY, STIGMAS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU SUGGEST ADULTS CAN BECOME MORE PERCEPTIVE TO YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND ISSUES? SO, UM, LIKE I JUST SAID, UH, JUST REALLY HAVING THOSE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS JUST IN A, IN A CALM ENVIRONMENT WITH JUST CALM TONES, EVERYBODY.
LIKE EVERYTHING CAN BE RECEIVED WITH THE RIGHT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION, I FEEL.
UM, YEAH, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE.
CONVERSATIONS ARE DEFINITELY, UM, A WAY OF GETTING INTO THAT AND HAVING OLDER GENERATIONS UNDERSTAND.
I THINK, I KNOW FOR TEACHERS AT SCHOOL, A WAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND OUR SITUATIONS IS BY REALLY GETTING TO KNOW WHAT THEY CALL YOUTH CULTURE.
KIND OF JUST GETTING TO KNOW ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. I KNOW SOME OF MY TEACHERS HAVE GOTTEN TIKTOK TO KIND OF SEE WHAT, LIKE, WHAT WE WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, JUST GETTING TO KNOW ALSO LIKE EDUCATIONALLY, ACADEMICALLY, KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THE STRESS LEVELS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH IS ANOTHER GOOD WAY OF UNDERSTANDING, UM, AND OR APPROACHING MENTAL HEALTH IN THAT MANNER.
YEAH, ADDING ON TO WHAT TAYLOR ANDRO HAVE BOTH SAID, I JUST THINK THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, ADULTS OR PREVIOUS GENERATIONS WHO WANT TO HELP OR WHO SHOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THIS ENVIRONMENT, I THINK JUST KNOWING THAT THIS IS LIKE MENTAL HEALTH IS SOMETHING THAT YOUTH OR TEENAGERS THESE DAY,
[00:35:01]
THESE DAYS MIGHT BE SUFFERING FROM IS JUST IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING DOESN'T APPLY TO YOU, YOU MIGHT NOT THINK THAT IT APPLIES TO OTHERS.SO ON THAT ASPECT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO BE AWARE THAT THIS THING, THIS LIKE THIS, THIS CULTURE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND THE STIGMA AROUND IT IS RELEVANT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN CONSTANTLY BE CHECKING IN OR THEY CAN JUST BE MAKING MORE OF AN EFFORT TO HELP THAN THEY WOULD IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT AT ALL.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, HOW DO YOU AS YOUTH PRIORITIZE YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE AND WHEN CHALLENGES ARISE? SO I JUST MAKE SURE TO REALLY TAKE TIME FOR MYSELF, LIKE MAKE SURE TO CARVE OUT THAT TIME FOR MYSELF BECAUSE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, LIKE BEING A SENIOR, JUST EVERYTHING, IT CAN BE, ALL THE STRESSES CAN PILE UP, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE TO, THAT YOU CARVE OUT TIME FOR YOURSELF OR ELSE YOU GET LOST IN EVERYTHING.
AND THEN THAT'S NEVER A GOOD
UM, YEAH, SO AS A JUNIOR I MIGHT NOT BE AS BUSY, BUT I FEEL LIKE I CAN KIND OF APPROACH THE SAME ANGLE.
I PERSONALLY AM A VERY LIKE TYPE A PERSON.
I LIKE HAVING THINGS SET IN MY LIFE AND I LIKE FOLLOWING A PLAN, EVEN THOUGH MOST OF THE TIME DOESN'T GO ACCORDING TO PLAN.
BUT, UM, I KEEP MY LIFE AND WHAT I NEED TO DO IN ORDER WITH A PLANNER.
SO I LIKE HAVING A CHECKLIST THAT I, OF THINGS THAT I KNOW I NEED TO GET DONE AND THAT WHEN I ACCOMPLISH THEM, IT JUST KIND OF RELIEVES THE STRESS ON ME.
SO I'M LIKE, OH, I HAVE ONE THING LESS TO DO AND THEN I MIGHT TAKE A BREAK OR I MIGHT, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME HAPPY BEFORE I JUST JUMP STRAIGHT INTO WORK.
SO I THINK TIME MANAGEMENT IS A BIG PART OF IT.
I KNOW SOME SCHOOL, SOME KIDS IN MY SCHOOL, THEY, UM, THEY DON'T WASTE TIME PER SE, BUT I THINK IF YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME PROPERLY AND YOU ALLOCATE TIMES FOR WORK AND TIMES FOR ENJOYMENT, YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE TIME FOR SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF.
AND ONCE YOU START PRIORITIZING MENTAL HEALTH AND ONCE YOU KNOW THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF, RIGHT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA GET BETTER IF YOU JUST KEEP NEGLECTING IT, I THINK THAT WILL REALLY SET YOU SET THE STANDARD FOR THE FUTURE.
AND THEN FOR ME PERSONALLY, I LIKE TO SLEEP.
THAT'S MY BEST WAY TO RELIEVE STRESS.
BUT I'M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO, IF I'M REALLY HAVE A, IF I'M STRUGGLING WITH MY WORKLOAD OR IF I HAVE LIKE A LOT TO DO, I'M NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO'D BE LIKE, OH, I NEED TO GO FOR A RUN THAT JUST STRESSES ME OUT MORE.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M SPENDING TIME, I COULD BE WORKING, DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
SO I LIKE TO GET STUFF DONE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO I LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF MY THINGS AND THEN I'LL TAKE A BREAK WHEN I KNOW THAT THERE AREN'T IMMEDIATE CONCERNS I NEED TO FACE.
BUT I THINK REALLY JUST FINDING THE BALANCE AND FINDING WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU IS HOW YOU CAN BEST DEAL WITH THESE TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF CHALLENGES OR WHATEVER CHALLENGES YOU MAY FACE IN YOUR LIFE, NOT JUST MENTAL HEALTH.
YES, I WOULD LOVE TO BE AS EQUALLY PRODUCTIVE AS AUDREY IS.
UM,
UM, IT REALLY IMP IMPACTS YOUR MOTIVATION.
AND I THINK I FIND MYSELF STRUGGLING BECAUSE IN THE PAST I'VE BEEN MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN I AM NOW.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE IDEA, KNOWING THAT WE'LL GO TO COLLEGE KNOWING THAT WE'RE LEAVING SOON, YOU KIND OF WONDER WHAT IS THIS ALL FOR ANYMORE? UM, A WAY I, I'M A HUGE CHESS PLAYER, SO JUST ALTHOUGH IT IS A MENTAL ACTIVITY, I FIND IT DE-STRESSING.
SO I JUST BLAST SOME MUSIC IN MY EARS AND START PLAYING CHESS FOR HOURS.
AND THAT TAKES MY MIND OFF OF ACADEMICS.
I THINK THE STRUGGLES OF ACADEMICS AND THE STRESS OF SCHOOL AND THOSE EXPECTATIONS AT SCHOOL.
UM, SO FROM, I THINK JUST FINDING A WAY OR FINDING AN ACTIVITY THAT TAKES WHAT DISTRACTS YOU FROM WHATEVER YOU'RE STRESSED ABOUT OR THE SOURCE OF YOUR STRESS IS A GOOD WAY OF RELIEVING THAT TYPE OF PRESSURE.
SO WE READY TO JUMP INTO OUR SECOND CONVERSATION WITH, UH, SOME MORE OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
UH, I WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, UH, SHORTLY WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS FINDING YOURSELF.
UH, SO LET'S INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US WHAT DOES FINDING YOURSELF MEAN TO YOU BEFORE WE D DIVE INTO THE CONVERSATION.
HI, MY NAME IS AYAAN C PENA AND I'M THE SECRETARY OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND TO ME, FINDING YOURSELF IS SIMPLY WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND WHAT MAKES YOU, UM, WANT TO KEEP, UH, IMPROVING YOURSELF.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
AND TO ME, FINDING YOURSELF MEANS REALIZING AND COMING TO TERMS WITH WHO YOU ARE.
UM, REGARDLESS OF THOSE AROUND YOU, WHO YOU TRULY ARE AS A PERSON, THAT'S WHAT FINDING YOURSELF MEANS TO ME.
[00:40:01]
COUNSELOR.AND TO ME, FINDING YOURSELF IS FIGURING OUT WHO YOU ARE WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO PUT ON AN ACT, BUT IT'S JUST FIGURING OUT WHO YOU ARE WHEN YOU'RE ALONE.
I'M THE CHAIR OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE.
AND TO ME, FINDING YOURSELF IS TRULY FINDING WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND ALSO FINDING WHAT YOUR DRIVE IS IN LIFE.
GREAT ANSWERS, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE EARLIER, UH, IN OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT CULTURE, UH, SOCIETAL NORMS, SOCIETAL PRESSURES, UH, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF AS A TEENAGER, THAT COULD BE VERY INTERESTING.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO ALL THE PRESSURES OF SCHOOL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A, UH, THRIVING TEENAGER, STUDENT LEADER LIKE YOURSELVES, UH, WHAT ARE THE SOCIETAL PRESSURES THAT COME ALONG WITH FINDING YOURSELF? I THINK AS IT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, SOCIAL MEDIA IS DEFINITELY A, PLAYS A BIG PART IN, IN FINDING YOURSELF AND REALIZING WHO YOU TRULY ARE, BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU CAN'T, IT'S VERY EASY TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS ONLINE AND WHAT PEOPLE PUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR SHOW YOU ON A SCREEN IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT'S REALLY, REALLY GOING ON.
SO KIND OF LIKE DOING THAT SELF-REFLECTION AND, AND RECOGNIZING WITHIN YOURSELF, LIKE, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN, THAT WE'RE NOT LIVING THE SAME LIFE.
WE DON'T LIVE IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND BEING ABLE TO SORT OF SEPARATE THE ONLINE FROM THE IN REAL LIFE AND JUST KIND OF KEEPING THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING, UH, ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THOSE KIND OF THINGS, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT HAS A BIG IMPACT ON, ON FINDING YOURSELF AND WHO YOU TRULY ARE.
UH, I THINK ALSO, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALSO A REALLY LARGE FACTOR IN FINDING ONESELF, BUT I ALSO DEALT WITH THIS PERSONALLY.
UM, FINDING SOMETHING THAT PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY ON YOUTH NOWADAYS AND FINDING ONESELF IS ALSO HAVING SO MANY OPTIONS OUT THERE FOR WHAT TO DO, YOU KNOW, AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, LIFE HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING UP AS AN ADOLESCENT AND YOU'RE GOING THROUGH DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH PUBERTY AND DEVELOPING AND FINDING WHO YOU, WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND THEN HAVING TO MAKE THE DECISION OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, THAT'S A VERY BIG AND AND SCARY DECISION AND IT'S VERY DAUNTING ON YOUTH.
SO I THINK THAT PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON YOUTH, YOU KNOW, BEING ASKED THAT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SINCE THE START OF HIGH SCHOOL BEING A FRESHMAN WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD, PEOPLE WHEN ASKING ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE? OR WHAT ARE YOU GONNA BE WHEN YOU'RE OLDER? AND I, I'VE HAD NO CLUE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MILLION THINGS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND AGE, WHICH IS AWESOME.
YOU ALWAYS WANT OPPORTUNITY IN, IN MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS, BUT IT'S, IT'S A VERY DAUNTING AND, AND AND HARSH REALITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT ONE CAN DO, BUT PEOPLE, YOU FROM SUCH A YOUNG AGE, YOU'RE BEING ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA BE IN LIFE WHEN YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO FIND YOURSELF? SO I THINK THAT'S A VERY BIG STRESSOR FOR YOUTH NOWADAYS.
SO, UM, PIGGYBACKING ON OFF WHAT HANNAH SAID, I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA CAN ALSO HAVE A POSITIVE FACTOR.
UM, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU USE, HOW YOU DECIDE TO SEE IT, AND HOW OTHER PEOPLE DECIDE TO LIKE SHOW IT.
SO LIKE THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY MAKING THE CONTENT, UM, I THINK IT CAN EXPOSE YOU TO A LOT OF THINGS, UM, AND A LOT OF TRUTH, UM, THAT YOU DON'T TYPICALLY SEE IN REAL LIFE.
AND, UM, OFF WHAT MICHAEL SAID, I THINK GROWING UP THE SOCIETAL PRESSURES THAT I EXPERIENCED WAS MY PARENTS ONLY ALLOWED ME TO GO THROUGH THREE CAREER PATHS.
IT WAS EITHER MEDICINE, LAW OR ENGINEERING, AND I COULD NOT CHOOSE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
SO I THINK THAT JUST, JUST RESTRICTED WHAT I COULD DO, WHAT I COULDN'T DO.
AND I ALSO THINK THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS IS ALSO VERY DAUNTING.
THEY EXPECT YOU TO DO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, AND I THINK PEOPLE TEND TO FORGET THAT THEY'RE TEENAGERS OR KIDS, EVEN AT 18, YOU'RE STILL A KID.
YOU SHOULDN'T, UM, PRESSURE YOURSELF TO DO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING, WHAT ADULTS ARE DOING.
I THINK YOU DON'T REALLY FIND YOURSELF UNTIL MAYBE EVEN LIKE YOUR THIRTIES.
I THINK PEOPLE STILL EXPECT YOU TO BE 20 AND KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND I THINK, UM, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE SIBLINGS THAT ARE IN MY TWENTIES, BUT I STILL SEE THEM STRUGGLING TO FIND THEMSELVES.
AND I THINK THAT'S PERFECTLY OKAY.
YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO FROM A YOUNG AGE DO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IN LIFE, BUT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE REALITY IS THEY HAVE NO CLUE.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, ONE OF THE GREAT POINTS YOU BROUGHT UP WAS THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT, I I JUST DOING THAT RECENTLY, BEING A SENIOR, AND I THINK A LOT OF Y'ALL WILL HAVE, WHETHER YOU'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL OR ALSO A SENIOR NOW, AND I'VE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS THEY ASK ARE VERY LIKE ONE SIDED.
AND IT'S, IT'S VERY LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA BE IN, YOU KNOW, CHOOSING YOUR MAJOR, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE? AND ALSO THEY ASK THE QUESTIONS OF WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON.
YOU, YOU'VE ONLY BEEN ON THIS EARTH FOR SUCH AN AMOUNT OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO FIND YOURSELF, AND THEY'RE ALREADY ASKING QUESTIONS AS IF YOU'VE LIVED ON THIS EARTH YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND OR LIKE YOU'VE BEEN ON HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, LIVED A, A FRUITFUL LIFE THAT'S GONE THROUGH A LOT OF EXPERIENCES AND YOU LIKE, YOU KNOW, KNOW A LOT OF THINGS.
I MEAN, NOT TO SAY YOU CAN AT THESE TIMES, BUT THE QUESTIONS THEY ASK BASE IT OFF OF AS IF, YOU KNOW, YOU
[00:45:01]
ALREADY KNOW WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON.AND I THINK THAT THAT ALSO ADDS PRESSURE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, AGAIN, KNOWING WHAT YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE AND, UM, UH, KIND OF WHAT, LIKE MICHAEL SAID WITH THE IDEA THAT, UM, FINDING YOURSELF IS LIKE, OH, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, BUT LIKE, I THINK IT ALSO HELPS WITH LIKE THE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH OR, BUT LIKE FOR ME, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE PARENTS THAT SAID THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I WANT TO BE, AS LONG AS I'M HAPPY WITH THE DECISION.
AND AT A YOUNG AGE, I FEEL LIKE I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
BUT AS I GROW UP AND I'M, UH, SEEING ALL THESE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, I CAN CHANGE MY MIND AND KNOW THAT MY PARENTS ARE ALWAYS THERE TO BACK ME UP.
I THINK ANOTHER PART, IMPORTANT PART WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FINDING YOURSELF, ESPECIALLY AS YOUTH, IS KIND OF RECOGNIZING THAT NOT IT, NOTHING IS LIKE CONCRETE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE WHEN YOU SAY, OKAY, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHO I AM AS A PERSON NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT WON'T CHANGE IN 5, 10, 15 YEARS.
AND SO RECOGNIZING THAT FINDING YOURSELF IS KIND OF A CONTINUOUS PROCESS THAT KIND OF HAPPENS ALL THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE AS YOU CHANGE, AS YOUR PRIORITIES CHANGE, UH, I THINK IS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND I WAS GONNA LEAN TO THAT POINT BECAUSE I THINK, UH, THE SPOILER ALERT IS YOU'RE GONNA BE FINDING YOURSELF FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, AND I AND OTHER SPOIL ALERT IS THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WANNA DO IN LIFE.
UH, BUT I SAY THAT SO YOU UNDERSTAND, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE TO KIND OF SPEAK UP FOR THE FUT FUTURE YOU THAT YOU DON'T KNOW YET, UH, DON'T FEEL PRESSURED TO THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT PERSON IS.
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT 30 LOOKS LIKE.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT 25 LOOKS LIKE.
SOME OF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT 20 LOOKS.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT 20 LOOKS LIKE.
UH, SO I DO THINK THAT PRESSURE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND TO SPEAK, AS MICHAEL SAID, AS A COLLEGE STUDENT, UH, AS A POTENTIAL COLLEGE STUDENT, THAT THAT IS A LOT TO TRY TO BALANCE, UH, BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST NOT LEARNING YOURSELF AS A 16, 17, 18-YEAR-OLD.
AND I, TO GO BACK TO WHAT YOU ALL SAID ABOUT THE HOME AND ENVIRONMENT, I THINK, UH, THAT AFFIRMATION OF THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO, UH, AND THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE YOU COULD DO, I THINK THAT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN, UH, YOU LEARNING YOURSELF AS WELL.
WERE YOU GONNA SAY SOMEHOW? NO, I, I WILL SAY LIKE, THIS IS KIND OF SOMETHING THAT I PRACTICE IN MY OWN LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE FINDING MYSELF, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, I LIKE TO SAY, AND THIS IS LIKE, MAYBE NOT LIKE NECESSARILY STATISTICALLY TRUE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I LIKE TO TELL MYSELF THAT KIND OF EVERYTHING IS RELATIVE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, HOW SUCCESSFUL I AM IS RELATIVE TO THE PERSON THAT I'M LOOKING AT NEXT TO ME AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND BECAUSE THOSE FACTORS OF KIND OF HOW WE VIEW OURSELVES AND HOW WE SEE OURSELVES AS PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS CHANGING BASED ON THOSE AROUND US, THAT IT'S WHEN YOU'RE SAYING LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS WHO I AM, THIS IS WHO I WANNA BE.
JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT LIKE YOU AND YOUR OWN PERSONAL GOALS AND NOT NECESSARILY WHAT OTHER PEOPLE AROUND ME WANNA DO OR BE.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK YOU SHOULD GET INSPIRATION FROM YOUR PEERS IN SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT IT SHOULD NOT, UH, CREATE, CREATE AN IDOL THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO TRY TO ATTAIN A REACH TOWARDS.
ANYONE ELSE WANNA WEIGH IN ON THAT? A HUNDRED PERCENT.
YEAH, I THINK SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY HELPED ME, I MEAN, I KNOW IN ESSENCE WE ALWAYS, AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, ONE IS ALWAYS STILL FINDING THEMSELVES, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY THROUGH EACH PHASE OF YOUR LIFE, SOMETHING THAT'S HELPED KIND OF GUIDE ME IS OPENING MY OPTIONS AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING CLOSED TO ONE THING.
I MEAN, LUCKILY MY FAMILY, AS I EVEN DISCUSSED, HAS BEEN ALSO VERY SUPPORTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER I WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE TOLD ME WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE AND WHATEVER YOU DO, AS LONG AS YOU'RE HAPPY, THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.
AND THAT'S COMPLETELY TRUE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD LOOK AT AS GUIDANCE IN THEIR LIFE.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FINDING YOURSELF AND, AND KNOWING WHAT YOU WANNA DO SHOULD BE GUIDED BY YOUR HAPPINESS AND, AND REALLY FINDING YOUR CALLING.
UM, BUT AS I WAS SAYING, UM, I THINK WHAT REALLY HELPS JUST OPENING YOUR OPTIONS AND, AND GOING AND, AND DOING A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OPENING YOUR HORIZONS AND, AND TAKING IN DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY HELPS, UM, MOLD ONESELF AND ALSO HELPS ONE FIND THEMSELF.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FINDING OURSELF, UH, SELF-ACCEPTANCE IS A HUGE PART OF THAT, UH, ACCEPTING OUR PERFECT AND IMPERFECTIONS, UH, ACCEPTING OUR FLAWS AND FAILURES AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO HOW DOES, UH, SELF-ACCEPTANCE PLAY A ROLE? UH, AND THIS IS GONNA CAUSE YOU TO BE MORE REFLECTIVE ABOUT YOURSELF, BUT HOW DOES SELF-REFLECTION, UH, UH, PLAY A BIG ROLE IN FINDING YOURSELF SELF-ACCEPTANCE, PLAY A ROLE IN FINDING YOURSELF? UM, I THINK, UH, I, I DO AGREE WITH YOUR POINT THAT SELF-REFLECTION IS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SELF-ACCEPTANCE.
UM, I THINK FOR ME, FOR ME PERSONALLY, SELF-REFLECTION IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'M KIND OF ALWAYS LOOKING AT MYSELF AND GOING, OKAY, WHAT CAN I DO BETTER? HOW CAN I CHANGE THIS? AND NOT THAT NECESSARILY CHANGE IS BAD OR THAT, UM, I THINK LIKE I'M NOT IN A GOOD PLACE, OR I'M TRYING TO CHANGE SOMETHING NEGATIVE ABOUT MYSELF, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? AND LIKE I SAID, BECAUSE YOU'RE CONTINUOUSLY GROWING, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT SELF-ACCEPTANCE
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PLAYS A REALLY BIG PART IN FINDING YOURSELF, MAINLY BECAUSE, LEMME SEE HOW I WANNA PHRASE THIS.SELF-ACCEPTANCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU, YOU ARE THE PERSON YOU'RE WITH ALL THE TIME.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF ME, HOW OTHER PEOPLE VIEW ME, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ACCEPT ME, THAT'S NEVER REALLY GOING TO BE A GOOD JUDGE OF YOURSELF.
YOU SHOULD NEVER REALLY LOOK AT OTHER PEOPLE'S.
NOW I'M NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, DON'T READ THE ROOM, BUT, UM, TRYING TO USE WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU AND, AND ALSO CHERRY BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE THE MOST CRITICAL OF YOURSELF, SO YOU TEND TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THINGS THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS NOTICED.
NOBODY ELSE HAS SEEN THAT RANDOM FLYAWAY HAIR THAT YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ALL DAY.
UM, BUT I, I, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT, NOT THAT BEING PERCEPTIVE TO THE BAD, BUT AS WELL AS THE GOOD, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A LOT OF TIMES IN OUR LIVES, PEOPLE ARE VERY QUICK TO SAY, YOU NEED TO WORK ON THIS, THIS, THIS, AND AREN'T REALLY THINKING LIKE THERE'S STILL POSITIVES, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THERE'S ALWAYS POSITIVES.
AND SO IN, IN TALKING ABOUT ACCEPTING YOURSELF, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO YES, ACCEPT THE BAD AND, AND WORK ON THOSE THINGS IF THAT'S WHAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU NEED TO DO, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT THERE ARE ALWAYS GOOD PARTS OF YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO, UM, EXPAND UPON A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I, I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S THAT, THAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN SAID BETTER.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE ROOT OF ALL THESE SELF PRESSURES AND FINDING ONESELF IS NOT BEING COMFORTABLE IN, IN ONE'S OWN SKIN.
AND I THINK THAT, AS YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, TAKING A STEP BACK AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE GOOD IS, IS SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL IN, IN FINDING ACCEPTING ONESELF AND KNOW, AS YOU SAID, ONE'S BIGGEST JUDGE OF THE, OF THEMSELF IS, IS THEIR OWN SELF.
UM, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING TOO QUICK TO JUDGE AND BE HARSH ON YOURSELF, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH AS YOU SAID, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DRIVES SUCCESS.
YOU KNOW, NOTICING WHAT IS WRONG AND, AND WHERE YOU CAN IMPROVE ON YOURSELF IS HOW YOU MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER PERSON.
AND, UM, I THINK THE, THE MAIN WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET OUT HERE IS, YOU KNOW, LIFE IS NOT PERFECT.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE SUNSHINES AND ROSES.
SO I THINK ACCEPTING THAT THERE IS GONNA BE BAD THINGS IN LIFE, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT'S JUST A PART OF THE PROCESS AND, AND BUILDING WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON IS, IS THE BIGGEST FACTOR.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING, YOU KNOW, TAKING A STEP BACK AND LOOKING AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE GOOD AND REWARDING YOURSELF FOR THAT IS, IS THE BIGGEST THING THAT CAN BOOST YOURSELF CONFIDENCE AND, AND BEING YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR SELF-ESTEEM, BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
SO I'M UNASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT I STILL STRUGGLE, UM, RECOGNIZING THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
UH, I THINK EVERYBODY REALLY STRUGGLES WITH THAT.
UM, BUT PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT BOTH OF Y'ALL SAID, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO, OR AT LEAST TO ME, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ACCEPT ALL OF MY FAILURES THAT I'VE HAD AND ALL OF MY SUCCESSES AS WELL.
I THINK THEY BOTH JUST LEAD YOU TO THE RIGHT PATH THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON, OR AT LEAST I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT THINK YOU ALWAYS GO WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU SHOULD BE GOING IN LIFE.
SO IN THE END, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOU GET THERE OR WHAT YOU DID TO GET THERE, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY BE WHERE YOU ARE MEANT TO BE.
AND I MEAN, THAT'S BASICALLY, THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
I JUST BELIEVE THAT, UM, OH GOSH, UH, LIKE, YEAH, STEPPING BACK, REFLECTING ON WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND KNOWING TO, KNOWING THAT MAKING MISTAKES IS A PART OF GROWING AS A PERSON.
AND TO BE A BETTER PERSON, YOU HAVE TO MAKE MISTAKES AND TO NOT ONLY MAKE MISTAKES, BUT KNOW HOW TO LEARN FROM THEM.
NOT ONLY MAKING MISTAKES, WHAT YOU SAID, LEARNING FROM THEM.
AND, UH, WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING SOMETHING I THOUGHT ABOUT IS A BIG PART OF, UH, ACCEPTANCE IS LIKE ADMITTING WHAT YOU WHAT, THAT IT MAY BE HARD ADMITTING THAT IT CAN BE DIFFICULT, ADMITTING THIS IS SOMETHING I MAY NOT LIKE ABOUT MYSELF.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S BIG ENOUGH AND BRAVE ENOUGH TO BE HONEST ABOUT.
SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY BIG FOR YOU ALL TO SAY.
I THINK, UH, NOW I WILL ASK, WHAT DOES SELF SELF-ACCEPTANCE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU THESE DAYS? I KNOW YOU ALL ARE IN, YOU'RE SENIORS, YOU'RE YOUR, UH, STUDENT LEADERS.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU YOURSELF THESE DAYS? SURE, I'M IN MY EYES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IS I, I THINK SELF-ACCEPTANCE AND SELF-ESTEEM IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SUBJECTIVE TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW ONE DEFINES THAT AND ALSO HOW THEY ACCEPT THEMSELF.
BUT IN MY EYES, I THINK IT'S JUST, UH, AS I'VE SAID EARLIER, BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, AND IF, IF YOU JUST, UH, UH, PINPOINT EVERY LITTLE HARSH AND BAD THING IN YOUR LIFE, OH, I COULD HAVE DONE THIS BETTER, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT, I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS.
AND LIVING WITH REGRET, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO EAT YOURSELF ALIVE.
AND I THINK BEING COMFORTABLE WITH WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE AT IN LIFE, GIVEN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT KNOWING THAT I'VE TRIED MY HARDEST IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT HELPS ME A LOT BECAUSE OF COURSE, IF I SIT BACK AND I DON'T TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT I, THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN AND, AND ALSO KNOW
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I DIDN'T TRY MY MY HARDEST AND GIVEN MY ALL, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HELPS ME BE COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE I'M AT.'CAUSE I KNOW I'VE DONE THE BEST THAT I, THAT I COULD HAVE DONE.
UM, AND I THINK JUST THE, THE BASIS OF SELF-ESTEEM AND BEING COMFORTABLE IS JUST LOOKING AT AND ANALYZING YOUR OWN OR ACCEPTING YOUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHERE YOU ARE AT LIFE AND BEING HAPPY WITH THAT.
'CAUSE OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE DISCUSSED EARLIER SOCIAL MEDIA.
I DON'T, I TAKE EVERYTHING I SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH A GRAIN OF SALT.
I MEAN THINGS I STILL SEE ON THERE AFFECT ME.
THAT'S HOW WE ARE AS HUMANS AND, AND HUMAN NATURE OF, OF BEING AFFECTED BY WHAT WE SEE AND WANTING TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF OURSELVES.
BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS A FALSE REALITY.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANYTHING BAD THAT YOU SEE, WHETHER IT'S INFLUENCERS OR YOUR FRIENDS OR OTHER PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE YOUR PEERS THAT YOU, THAT YOU LOOK UP TO POSSIBLY THAT POST LIKE THIS PERFECT LIFESTYLE.
I THINK SHUTTING THAT OUT AND, AND NOT LOOKING THAT, AND, AND ALL HONESTY, NOT EVEN BEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR, AND NOT EVEN LOOKING AT THAT IS, IS THE BIGGEST HELP.
IT'S JUST BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
I THINK THAT'S THE BASIS OF THAT.
LET ME ASK REALLY QUICKLY, WHO DO YOU ALL TAKE BREAKS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA? RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU TAKE SOCIAL MEDIA BREAKS.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S A BREAK? HOW LONG IS A BREAK TYPICALLY? A WEEK, A MONTH.
WHO, WHO? YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, WHO TAKE
WHEN YOU SAID A MONTH, HOW LONG, HOW LONG A BREAKS USE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA? A WEEK.
WHO'S, WHO'S DONE A MONTH BREAK? THAT'S, THAT'S UNDER, THAT'S UNDER 20.
WHAT DO Y'ALL DEFINE AS, I GOT A QUESTION.
WHAT DO Y'ALL DEFINE AS SOCIAL MEDIA? DO Y'ALL COUNT SNAPCHAT OR SOCIAL MEDIA OR FORM OF COMMUNICATION? SNAPCHAT IS DEFINITELY A SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT'S A, THAT'S LIKE A GOOD QUESTION THOUGH, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE HALF THE TIME, A LOT OF THE WAYS THAT I'M COMMUNICATING WITH MY FRIENDS AND WITH MY PEERS AND LIKE FINDING INFORMATION, LIKE HALF THE, LIKE FOR SCHOOL, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT 50% OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON IN SCHOOL IF I DIDN'T HAVE SOCIAL AND I WASN'T LIKE PAYING ATTENTION TO SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? NO.
OR LIKE MY, MY, MY FRIEND IN MY GROUP PROJECT IS LIKE, HEY, HANNAH, AND TEXT ME ON INSTAGRAM.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO I THINK, I DEFINITELY THINK THAT SOCIAL MEDIA KIND OF DOUBLES AS THAT FORM OF COMMUNICATION.
'CAUSE LIKE NO ONE THINKS OF LIKE THEIR MESSAGES APP AS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE WHAT DEFINES SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW YOU TALK TO PEOPLE.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU LOOKING AT PICTURES? LIKE WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF THAT REALLY? YOUR INTAKE? YEAH.
SOMEONE HAVE A QUESTION? FEEL FREE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE OR COMMENT.
WE, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO WEIGH INTO THE CONVERSATION, UH, ESPECIALLY THE SOCIAL, LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA.
NOW, TAYLOR, I'M GONNA PICK ON YOU.
BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE IN HERE THAT DOES NOT HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA.
ALL OF US ARE ALIENS COMPARED TO YOU.
SO LIKE, HOW DO YOU THINK COMPARED TO YOU AND YOUR PEERS, HOW DO YOU THINK IT IMPACTS, UH, YOUR INTERACTIONS? I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT I DO HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT
UM, I FIND THAT BENEFITS ME FROM WHATEVER MY FRIENDS ARE POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT ALSO DOES NOT BENEFIT ME BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING OUT OF SCHOOL.
BUT, UM, I GUESS IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH, I THINK BEING OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN A WAY IS BENEFICIAL.
BUT ALSO UNBENEFICIAL, I THINK IT IT BE SOCIAL MEDIA.
I THINK I USE IT AS A DISTRACTION FROM ACADEMICS, BUT BEING OFF OF IT ALLOWS ME TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE.
SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE COUNTERINTUITIVE IN A WAY.
LIKE I FIND THAT BEING OFF OF IT MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT HAPPIER, BUT IT ALSO MAKES ME A LITTLE BIT MORE STRESSED ABOUT ACADEMICS.
SO IT DOES KIND OF A DOUBLE THING.
I THINK THAT'S JUST FOR ME PERSONALLY, BECAUSE EVERYTHING, I FOLLOW A LOT OF LIKE NEWS STUFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, LIKE WASHINGTON POST AND NEW YORK TIMES.
SO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ARE A BIT MORE NEGATIVE IN THAT SENSE.
UM, SO TAKING A BREAK FROM IT IS DEFINITELY LIKE A MOOD BOOSTER, BUT IT, IT'S ALSO LIKE A STRESS THING BECAUSE THEN I'M LIKE, OH, I HAVE TO DO HOMEWORK AND STUDY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE THREAD.
UM, SO WHEN YOU, US WERE, TELL US YOUR NAME.
MY NAME IS MYRE AND I'M ONE OF THE YPAC MEMBERS HERE.
SO IT WAS JUST FOR, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT LIKE, BREAKS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND LIKE HOW YOU GO, WHY DO YOU TAKE THE BREAKS? UM, I THOUGHT THAT KIND OF DOVETAILED NICELY WITH FINDING YOURSELF BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PURPOSE IS OR IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING EVEN TO ON SUCH, ON A SMALL LEVEL THAT, OH, I HAVE THIS TO-DO LIST, I NEED TO GET THINGS DONE.
AT THAT POINT, YOU CAN BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE YOU ARE SELF-AWARE ENOUGH TO CONTROL YOURSELF AND GET OFF AT THE RIGHT TIME.
SO I THINK, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TOOL TO EDUCATE YOURSELF AS WELL.
SO, UM, LIKE TAYLOR MENTIONED, IT IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYTHING IN SOCIETY IS, AND IT, I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW WE USE IT AND OUR PERCEPTION
[01:00:01]
OF IT.AND THE WAY WE'RE USING IT HERE IN THIS MEETING RIGHT NOW IS POSITIVE BECAUSE WE'RE RECORDING THIS AND WE'RE TRYING TO BROADCAST THIS.
BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF BAD THINGS OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU SHOULD GET OUT OF IT.
AND THAT HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS AS WELL.
LIKE, IF YOU'RE AT A PARTY, WHEN'S THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAVE.
AND THAT, THAT IS PART OF FINDING YOURSELF AND KNOWING WHO YOU ARE.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR WEIGHING IN.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE MORE SOCIAL MEDIA BREAKS IN 2024, RIGHT,
SO AVA, YOUR SELF DECEPTIVE, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU TODAY? OR THIS IN THIS TIME? SELF-ACCEPTANCE? UH, WELL, I REALIZED THAT AS I'M GROWING UP, THAT THE PEOPLE THAT I SURROUND MYSELF WITH, LIKE MY FRIENDS THAT, OH,
I HAVE TO REALIZE THAT ALTHOUGH THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT I LOVE AND, YOU KNOW, I ADMIRE THAT MAYBE I SHOULDN'T SURROUND MYSELF WITH THEM, BUT THANKFULLY MY FRIENDS ARE GOOD PEOPLE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
BUT THAT, THAT IS A THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
'CAUSE THAT IS A VERY REAL THING IN HIGH SCHOOL, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE STARTING TO GO TO COLLEGE AND YOU'RE REALIZING, OH, I'M MAKING LIFE CHOICES THAT ARE GONNA MAKE ME BETTER.
OR, UH, THINGS ARE, YOU JUST GROW APART.
AND I THINK THAT'S A SELF ACCEPTANCE THING TOO.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO QUESTION WHO AM I NOW? HAVE I CHANGED? DO I THINK THAT I'M TOO DIFFERENT FROM MY PEERS? SO I THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
SO MY SELF-ACCEPTANCE, MICHAEL HAD SAID SOMETHING THAT, UM, ONE OF HIS FORMS OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE IS KNOWING THAT HE TRIED HIS BEST.
AND ONE OF MINE IS VERY SIMILAR.
EVEN IF I THINK THAT OUTCOME MIGHT NOT BE A POSITIVE OUTCOME OR THE OUTCOME THAT I WANT, AT LEAST I HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT I GAVE SOMETHING MY AUNT INSTEAD OF NOT KNOWING WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN THE OUTCOME IF I HADN'T DONE ANYTHING.
AND I THINK SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF US, WELL I HOPE A LOT OF US STRUGGLE WITH, NOT JUST ME,
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I STRUGGLE WITH A LOT.
BUT I REMIND MYSELF THAT IN THAT MOMENT, UM, I MADE THE, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE, KNOWING THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND KNOWING WHAT INFORMATION I HAD AVAILABLE.
THEN, UH, MAYBE NOW THAT I'M OLDER AND MAYBE HOPEFULLY A LITTLE WISER, UH, I MIGHT SEE IT AS A BAD DECISION, BUT I TEND TO FORGET THAT THE PAST ME IS A, UM, A DIFFERENT PERSON, NOT THE SAME PERSON I AM TODAY.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOULD REMIND THEMSELVES AS WELL, INSTEAD OF JUST CONSTANTLY BEATING THEMSELVES DOWN OVER ANY PAST DECISIONS THEY MAY HAVE MADE.
I WILL SAY, TO KINDA ADD TO WHAT ANNA SAID, I THINK SOMETHING THAT I USED TO STRUGGLE WITH A LOT, BUT I THINK I'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB AT, UM, COMING TO TERMS WITH OR LIKE UNDERSTANDING NOW, IS THE SIGNIFICANCE THAT COPING SKILLS PLAY IN FINDING YOURSELF.
AND I KNOW THAT'S KINDA LIKE A WHAT, BUT WHEN YOU CAN UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THAT, HEY, NOT EVERY SINGLE THING I'M GONNA DO IS PERFECT, UM, AT LEAST I TRY MY BEST OR, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, WHEN YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THAT THE, THE COPING SKILLS THAT YOU HAVE TO HANDLE AN EVENT OR A SITUATION OR YOUR FRIENDS CHANGING AND YOU NOT RECOGNIZING IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE LIKE, LIKE MICHAEL SAID, LIKE LIFE HAPPENS VERY FAST.
LIKE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE COPING SKILLS, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, WHETHER THAT'S GO TALK TO SOMEONE, WHETHER THAT'S READ A BOOK, WHETHER THAT'S PLAY CHESS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, TO KIND OF TAKE YOU OUTTA THAT MOMENT, BUT NOT, NOT SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG 'CAUSE THINGS FESTER AND ACTUALLY ADDRESS IT, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND ADDRESSING IT AND MOVING ON, LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME IS NOT, I HAD A REALLY BAD DAY, ALL THESE TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN, BUT LET ME GO DO SOMETHING ELSE AND IGNORE IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
UM, AND SO JUST BEING LIKE, OKAY, SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED, THIS IS HOW I'M GONNA FIX IT.
AND THEN MOVING ON FROM THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE, BECAUSE HARPING ON THINGS AND LETTING THINGS FESTER IS JUST KIND OF ONE OF THE WORST WAYS WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING YOURSELF BECAUSE THEN EVERYTHING IS EXAGGERATED TIMES 10, EVERY EMOTION, EVERYTHING.
AND IF I CAN ADD, I THINK SELF-ACCEPTANCE ALSO FOR YOUR PEERS IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW IT ALL.
YOU DON'T, YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS NOW THERE.
AND 'CAUSE THERE ARE ADULTS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE DO NOT KNOW IT ALL.
YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY ACCEPT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I'M GETTING BETTER AT THIS.
AND, UH, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S BIG.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, DISCOVERY, A LOT OF THAT, AND WE'VE ALLUDED TO A LITTLE BIT, COMES FROM LIKE PEERS AND MENTORSHIP.
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I WOULD LOVE FOR EVERYONE DOESN'T HAVE TO ANSWER.I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO WEIGH IN ON HOW HAS PEERS OR PEER SUPPORT GROUP, YOUR FRIEND GROUP OR MENTORS, HOW HAS THAT PLAYED INTO YOUR, UH, SELF-DISCOVERY AND FINDING YOURSELF? SURE, I CAN SPEAK ON THAT.
I THINK THAT I'LL, I'LL GO UP LIKE AGAINST OR I'LL TALK, I'LL TALK ON EACH POINT, UH, PEERS AND ALSO MENTORSHIP BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE EXPERIENCE WITH BOTH.
I THINK THAT, UH, PEERS AND FRIENDS, WHETHER YOU COUNT THAT I I I THINK ALSO FAMILY COUNTS IN THAT AS WELL.
YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY ARE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCES IN YOUR LIFE, WHETHER THAT IS IN YOUR DECISIONS AND ALSO HOW YOU ARE AS A PERSON AND, AND YOU KNOW, HOW YOU TALK, HOW YOU ACT, HOW YOU THINK, WHAT YOU VALUE, UM, WHETHER THAT'S RELIGIOUS AS WELL.
I THINK THAT ALL IS THE, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON THAT.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FINDING, UM, A, A FRIEND GROUP THAT LIKE HOLDS THOSE SIMILAR VALUES TO YOU IS IF, IF ONE CAN FIND THAT, THAT'S VERY, UM, THAT'S VERY FORTUNATE FOR THEM TO ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND THAT'S VERY VALUABLE FOR ONE.
UM, AND I THINK FRIENDS, UM, AND, UM, FAMILY CAN HAVE VERY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON HOW YOU ARE IN FINDING YOURSELF.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE CAN BE PEER PRESSURE IN IN YOUR, IN YOUR FRIEND GROUP AND, AND YOU CAN BE FORCED OR YOU CAN TRY TO CONFORM, UM, TO A, A FRIEND GROUP OR TO DIFFERENT IDEALS THAT, THAT AREN'T YOURSELF AND AREN'T GOOD.
AND THAT CAN, THAT CAN MOLD YOU IN A BAD WAY AND, AND FORCE YOU TO MAKE VERY BAD DECISIONS THAT CAN LEAD YOU ON A BAD PATH.
I MEAN, I I, I SEE IT ALL AROUND ME AT SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY GOING TO A SCHOOL THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WITH OVER 3000 STUDENTS THERE.
UM, SO I MEAN THERE'S, I SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT I'M THERE THAT THERE'S PEOPLE TRYING TO FIT IN, UM, TO A GROUP THAT THEY'RE NOT A PART OF.
AND I THINK ALSO THIS GOES DOWN TO LIKE PSYCHOLOGY IN GROUPS AND OUT GROUPS.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUR IN-GROUP OR PEOPLE ARE ARE CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE YOUR PEOPLE, BUT THEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CONFORM OR YOU, OR YOU KIND OF ALIENATE YOURSELF FROM, FROM OUT GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, UM, ASSOCIATE WITH.
AND ALSO PEOPLE ALIEN ALIENATE OTHERS.
AND YOU ALSO MIGHT TRY TO CONFORM YOURSELF TO FIT INTO THOSE GROUPS.
SO I THINK THAT THERE CAN BE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS THAT CAN COME FROM FRIENDS.
AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN BE POSITIVELY INFLUENCED BY FINDING FRIENDS WHO TAKE SIMILAR VALUES WITH YOU, WHETHER THAT IS FINDING A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, SCHOOL AND, AND ALSO LIFE.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO FRIENDS THAT WILL INFLUENCE YOU TO BAD THINGS, SUCH AS DOING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL OR, OR GOING AND DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ALSO VERY, UM, INFLUENTIAL FOR ONE.
UM, I'VE, I'VE DEALT WITH A LOT OF MENTORS IN MY LIFE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THESE EXAMPLES IS THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL, WORKING WITH PEERS THAT ARE, HAVE SIMILAR VALUES TO ME AND ALSO DEALING WITH ADVISORS.
ADVISORS AND ADULTS WHO WORK WITH PEER DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, HELP GUIDE ONE IN THEIR LIFE THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, ON THE BASIS, I KNOW THE QUESTION YOU ASKED ABOUT DISCOVERY, UM, FINDING GOOD PEERS AND ALSO FINDING GOOD MENTORS REALLY HELPS, UM, ONE WITH DISCOVERY AND, AND, AND KNOWING, AND AS WE, I'M NOT SURE YOU SAID EARLIER, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
FINDING PEOPLE ARE WHO ARE, UM, BENEFICIAL WITH THAT IS VERY HELPFUL IN FINDING ONESELF.
AND ALSO GUIDING ONE'S DISCOVERY, UH, FINDING PEERS THAT HELP GUIDE, GUIDE AND BE THE, THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF.
AND ALSO FINDING MENTORS THAT HELP GUIDE YOU AND, AND, UM, NURTURE YOUR SUCCESS AND YOUR DEVELOPMENT IS, IS VERY BENEFICIAL.
KIND OF GOING OFF OF WHAT MICHAEL SAID, SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO SHARE SIMILAR VIEWS, SIMILAR INTERESTS, SIMILAR HOBBIES, AND LIKE, OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOUR FAVORITE COLOR IS PURPLE.
YOU ONLY TALK TO PEOPLE WHOSE FAVORITE COLOR IS PURPLE.
BUT, UM, UH, AND LIKE DE SOME, DEFINITELY BEING OPEN-MINDED IS IMPORTANT AS WELL.
BUT JUST USING MYSELF AS AN EXAMPLE, I HAVE LIKE A PARTICULAR GROUP OF FRIENDS AND WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE SIMILAR INTERESTS.
AND SO BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH SIMILAR INTERESTS, IF I SAY, HEY, I'M FEELING THIS WAY NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING.
AND LIKE, MAYBE IT'S LIKE SOMETHING ELSE ON A DIFFERENT LIKE PLANE HAPPENING.
BUT WHEN YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMILAR INTERESTS, SIMILAR BELIEFS WITH YOU, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO GO THROUGH THINGS BECAUSE EVERYONE CAN RELATE.
AND THEN ALSO KIND OF, AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MY MOTHER WOULD ALWAYS SAY TO ME, AND, AND I KIND OF REPEAT IT TO MYSELF, BUT LIKE, I'M HANNAH WHEREVER I GO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, I'M GOING TO BE WHO I'M GOING TO BE.
I'VE, IT, IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO GET TO THIS POINT AND NOT CHANGING MYSELF OR MORPHING MYSELF OR LIKE CODE SWITCHING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, DEPENDING ON THE GROUP THAT I'M WITH.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE FIRM AND YOUR BELIEFS AND YOU'RE FIRM AND WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON, EVERYTHING ELSE KIND OF FALLS IN LINE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AROUND, THE PEOPLE WHO SHARE THOSE SIMILAR BELIEFS AND VIEWS WITH YOU, I DON'T WANNA SAY COME TO YOU, BUT IT, IT'S A LOT.
THEY STICK OUT IN THE CROWD, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WHEN YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO CHANGE YOURSELF FOR A HUNDRED DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO I THINK THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DISCOVERY AND HOW PEER AND, AND PEERS AND MENTORS HELP WITH THAT, SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH PEERS AND MENTORS WHO ARE SIMILAR AND IDEALS TO YOU HELP YOU RECOGNIZE LIKE, HEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY DID THAT THEY HAD THIS IDEA, WE'RE SIMILAR.
AND OBVIOUSLY, I'M NOT SAYING LIKE BE A FOLLOWER, BUT I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, IT HELPS YOU
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RECOGNIZE THINGS THAT MAYBE YOU DIDN'T SEE BEFORE BECAUSE YOU WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.UM, SO I'LL GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF ONE OF MY MENTORSHIPS.
SO GROWING UP, I FEEL LIKE MOST OF US, LIKE MICHAEL SAID, THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE, UM, TO PURSUE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO FOCUS ON WAS NARROWING DOWN THOSE OPTIONS.
I WASN'T TOO FOCUSED ON FINDING ONE SINGLE PROFESSION, BUT AT LEAST JUST NARROWING IT DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO DO.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, SOPHOMORE YEAR I STARTED, UH, SHADOWING A AESTHETIC NURSE INJECTOR HERE IN HOUSTON.
I MANAGE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT FOR HER.
AND I SAW MYSELF THROUGH HER, WE'RE BOTH HISPANIC.
UM, WE BOTH KIND OF WENT THROUGH THE SAME THINGS GROWING UP.
AND I FINALLY, IT FELT LIKE I FINALLY FOUND MYSELF, UM, WITHIN SOMEONE ELSE, SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY UNDERSTOOD ME, MY SIBLINGS, THEY DON'T LIKE TO DO THE SAME THINGS I DO.
SO I WAS FINALLY WITH, WITH SOMEONE, I FELT LIKE I SEE HER AS A SECOND MOTHER.
UH, I'M, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO RELATED TO ME AND WHO COULD HELP ME IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING MYSELF AND, UM, CHOOSING WHAT TO DO WITH, UM, MY FUTURE BASICALLY.
AND, UM, GOING OFF OF WHAT HANNAH KIND OF SAID, LIKE SHE SAID, HER FRIENDS AND HER KIND OF HAVE THE SAME KIND OF, LIKE, THEY THINK THE SAME, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S LIKE IMPORTANT TO ALSO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T NORMALLY SEE YOURSELF WITH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION CAN REALLY OPEN YOUR EYES TO SOMETHING YOU PROBABLY WOULD'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF BEFORE.
UH, SOUNDS LIKE A, A BIT OF GOING BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE SOMETIMES.
AND ALSO, UH, LEARNING ABOUT YOUR VALUES, UH, KNOWING WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL VALUES? WHAT IS IT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME? WHAT IS IT THAT I REFUSE TO DO? WHAT AM I NON-NEGOTIABLES? WHAT, WHAT DO I PRIORITIZE? AND, UH, FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, HANNAH, THE THE RIGHT PEOPLE WILL BE DRAWN TO YOU, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S JUST HOW LIFE HAPPENS.
AND I'M REALLY, WHEN YOU START TALKING, IT ALSO REFLECTED OUR LAST CONVERSATION ABOUT CULTURAL IDENTITY TOO.
UH, YOU BEING ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE THAT HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS YOU, SAME STORIES, AND JUST WHAT THAT MENTORSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
AND JUST KNOWING THAT, OKAY, THIS IS ANOTHER FORM OF MYSELF AND A DIFF IN, IN SOMEONE ELSE.
SO, UH, AS WE WRAP UP, I WANT TO ASK, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE WALKING AWAY WITH SOME RELEVANT RESOURCES, TIPS, OR THINGS THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH YOUR PEERS, CONSTITUENTS.
UH, SO WHAT ARE SOME ADVICE, TIPS, SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE IMPLEMENTED OR USED OR HEARD ABOUT, UH, THAT CAN BE HELPFUL FOR THOSE WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING YOURSELF? SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DO ONE THAT YOU CAN, UH, YEAH, MAKE, MAKE IT PERSONAL.
SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE TRIED AND SOMETHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
SO SOMETHING YOU'VE TRIED THAT'S HELPED YOU AND SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
AND WHILE THEY'RE LOADING THEIR THOUGHTS, ARE Y'ALL ENJOYING THE CONVERSATION? YEAH.
SO IF THERE'S ONE PERSON THAT MAY WANT IT, MATTER OF FACT, RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? YEAH.
THANK YOU ARI, COME ON UP TO WE'RE NOT, LOOK, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT ANY PRESSURE, BUT COME ON TO THE MIC.
Y'ALL GOT, YOU GOT, Y'ALL GOT ANSWERS? CAN YOU ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN? THE QUESTION IS GOOD.
SO HE HE'S GONNA LISTEN TO IT TOO, WHILE HE'S COMING TOO.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS ONE THING YOU'VE DONE TO HELP WITH SELF SELF-ACCEPTANCE AS A, AS A PEER, AS A STUDENT LEADER? AND WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD OFFER TO, TO YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR PEERS? SO ONE THING YOU'VE TRIED OR SOMETHING ELSE YOU WOULD OFFER.
YOU WANNA GO FIRST? YOU WANNA GO LAST? OKAY.
YOU'RE GONNA GO IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
SO SOMETHING THAT I'VE DONE PERSONALLY THAT'S HELPED ME WITH MY, UM, FINDING MYSELF AND ALSO MY SELF-ASSURANCE IS UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT AND THAT I DON'T NEED TO CONFORM OR BE WHAT ANYBODY ELSE WANTS ME TO BE.
AND THAT ALSO GOES WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT MY FAMILY AND PEERS EXPECT OF ME.
AND ALSO WHAT I SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY HELPED ME IS, IS UNDERSTANDING AND, UM, FINDING OR UNDERSTANDING WHO I AM AS A PERSON.
ALSO DOING WHAT I ENJOY, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE MY FRIENDS DO IT OR MY FAMILY DOES, OR SOMEONE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING THAT I DO, DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S RIGHT OR WRONG.
UM, I THINK, AND WHAT I'M GETTING AT HERE IS THE MORAL STORY IS DOING WHAT YOU LOVE AND DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR YOURSELF.
NOT TRYING TO PLEASE OR CONFORM TO WHAT ANYBODY ELSE WANTS OR EXPECTS OF YOU IS, IS THE BEST WAY TO BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU SHOULDN'T BE.
UH, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BASIS OF NOT BEING HAPPY
[01:15:01]
OR COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN.AND I THINK THAT ALSO, UM, I LOST MY EXACT THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING FOR
UM, BECAUSE I, I, I, I HAD THE EXACT PUNCHLINE I WAS GOING FOR.
OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL LET IT LOW.
UM, WELL I BELIEVE THAT 'CAUSE OH, UH, MY PARENTS OFTEN TELL ME THAT THEY KNOW ME BETTER THAN I KNOW MYSELF AND WELL, WOW.
I GUESS, I GUESS KNOWING, FIGURING OUT THAT THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE BECAUSE THE THINGS I DO ARE COME KIND OF SUBCONSCIOUS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE KNOWN ME MY WHOLE LIFE.
AND IT'S JUST OVERALL LEARNING HOW TO TAKE CRITICISM, NOT ALWAYS TO HEART, BUT JUST KNOWING TO TAKE CRITICISM AND TRYING TO HELP FIX YOURSELF.
BECAUSE LIKE MY DAD ALWAYS SAYS, THEY'RE WHAT THEY TELL ME.
IT'S ALWAYS FOR THE GOOD OF ME.
THEY'RE NEVER TRYING TO MAKE ME A LESS PERSON, BUT A BETTER PERSON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YEAH.
THE, THE YOUNGER YOU ARE, THE MORE YOU THINK YOU KNOW.
UM, SOMETHING THAT I DO TO, I FIND MYSELF, I LIKE TO TRY DIFFERENT THINGS AND, UM, GET DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN AND, UM, KIND OF JUST LIKE, SORT OUT WHAT I LIKE AND WHAT I DON'T LIKE.
UM, SOMETHING I WOULD SAY TO DO IS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, JUST TRY THINGS OUT.
TRY PLAYING THIS SPORT OR FIND A NEW HOBBY.
YOU'LL FIND OUT WHAT YOU LIKE AND WHAT YOU DON'T.
AND, UM, THAT'LL HELP, YOU KNOW, BUILD YOURSELF.
AND WHAT I GOT FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BE BOLD ENOUGH TO JUST TRY IT.
LEARN WHAT YOU LIKE, LEARN WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE, AND BE OKAY WITH COMMUNICATING THAT.
CAN WE GIVE 'EM A HAND? THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRESS SHARP.
OH, MY BRAIN HAS BEGAN WORKING AGAIN.
I, I GOT THE, THE THOUGHT BACK.
SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY, THE PUNCHLINE WAS THAT YOU SHOULDN'T TRY TO PLEASE ANYBODY ELSE AND, AND, AND LIVE UP TO ANY, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WANT OF YOU AND BE COMFORTABLE IN WHAT YOU DO AND, AND WHAT YOU WANNA DO.
NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DO CERTAIN THINGS OR WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND, AND EVERYBODY'S DIFFERENT.
SO THE BIGGEST THING THAT HELPS ME BE COMFORTABLE AND HAPPY IN MY OWN SKIN IS DOING WHAT I LOVE.
NOT TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULD, AS TO COREY DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, TRYING NEW THINGS, OF COURSE THAT HELPS WITH DISCOVERY AND, AND FINDING YOURSELF AND ALSO BROADENING YOUR SCOPE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE, BUT DOING WHAT YOU LOVE AND, AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND, AND NOT LETTING OTHER PEOPLE INFLUENCE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEST FOR YOURSELF IS THAT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE, THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOURSELF.
DON'T LET OTHER PEOPLE TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANNA DO.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT HELPS ME.
COM BE COMFORTABLE MY OWN SKIN FOR SURE.
IMMERSED INTO WHATEVER BRINGS YOU JOY.
I THINK, UM, SOMETHING THAT HELPS ME, LIKE BEING MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MY SKIN, HAVING, LIKE BEING MORE REASSURE OR SELF-ASSURED.
UM, I, I REALIZED ESPECIALLY WITH THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT IT'S KIND OF A, IT'S ALWAYS LIKE A MOVING GOAL, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE THE NEXT TREND, THE NEXT THING.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN I REALIZED LIKE IT WAS JUST REALLY, EVERYONE WAS JUST PAYING A BIG GAME OF TRIAL AND ERROR AND SEEING WHAT KIND OF STUCK.
UM, I THINK THE THING THAT I DO THE MOST IS REGARDLESS, KIND OF LIKE MICHAEL WOULD SAID MICHAEL SAID, BUT LIKE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME, I ALWAYS KNOW, I ALWAYS HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT I DO, OF WHAT I WANT TO DO, AND I JUST KIND, I KIND OF GO FOR THAT.
I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH KO AND LIKE, I HAVE LIKE A WHOLE LIKE THING OF LIKE PAST HYPER FIXATIONS, BUT THEY'VE ALL TAUGHT ME GOOD LESSONS.
SO I WILL SAY THAT ALL POTTERY AND ARTS AND CRAFTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, DEFINITELY TRY NEW THINGS.
BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, I THINK, I THINK I SAID THIS EARLIER, BUT LIKE COPING SKILLS.
SO BEING ABLE TO TELL MYSELF LIKE, HEY, JUST BECAUSE THIS PERSON HAS THIS TRENDY OUTFIT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I NEED THE TRENDY OUTFIT.
AND SO THAT SAVES ME TIME AND MONEY.
BUT, UM, IT, IT ALSO HELPS ME BEING MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF AND WHO I AM BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER BE LIKE EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO JUST KIND OF STAYING TRUE TO WHO I AM AND NOT LETTING OTHER PEOPLE INFLUENCE ME IN THAT WAY, UM, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, THAT WORKS FOR ME, THAT, THAT THAT COPING SKILL AND THAT ABILITY TO KIND OF BRUSH IT OFF, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING ELSE, BUT INSTEAD I'M GONNA SAY THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S MORE PERSONAL TO ME.
UM, AND I THINK IT HELPS ME THE MOST.
SO FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, I THINK I'VE TURNED INTO A PRETTY RELIGIOUS PERSON AND IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS FORCED ON ME BY MY PARENTS.
IT'S A JOURNEY THAT I DECIDED TO GO THROUGH BY MYSELF.
AND SO WHAT HELPS ME IS KNOWING THAT SOME, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE, A SPIRITUAL BEING THAT'S LOOKING OUT FOR ME.
[01:20:01]
SO BY THAT I MEAN, I MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND ME RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I KNOW THAT IN THE END IT WILL ALL WORK OUT, UM, FOR LIKE MY BENEFIT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.SO, OH, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
I WAS LIKE, YEAH, I'M BLINKING.
SO I THINK, I THINK ALL OF WHAT YOU ALL HAVE SAID HAS BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AND I KNOW, UH, FIRST LEMME COMMEND YOU ALL ON LEADING THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE AS YOU ALL ARE LEADING THE CONVERSATION, YOU'RE ALSO LEARNING HOW TO FIND YOURSELF IN WHATEVER WAY THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO COLLEGE, WHETHER YOU'RE IN POSITIONS, UH, WHETHER YOU'RE APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, KNOW THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING YOU AND YOU'RE NOT ALONE EVEN AS STUDENT LEADERS.
AND THAT GOES FOR THE SAME FOR YOU ALL AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS BEFORE WE WRAP UP? COME ON, COME ON, COME ON.
UM, I JUST WANNA DO LIKE A PERSONAL TIPS THAT I DO.
UM, SO A FEW MONTHS BACK I WAS LIKE REALLY NOT CONFIDENT AND I WAS TALKING TO MY FRIEND AND SHE WAS LIKE, ONE OF MY TIPS IS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WORTH AND NOT WORTH IN MONEY, WORTH IN HAPPINESS, AND LIKE, JUST HAVE LIKE A SHEET OF PAPER AND WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU'RE WORTH AND DON'T TELL ANYBODY.
SO, SO TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THEY'RE SMARTER THAN ME.
WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST? LIKE WHAT, WHAT DOES YOUR LIST LOOK LIKE? I THAT YOU, THAT YOU WANNA DISCLOSE? UM, I WOULD LIKE, THE WHOLE POINT OF THE LIST IS NOT FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO KNOW.
LIKE, IF YOU TELL OTHER PEOPLE IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S LIKE TELLING OTHER PEOPLE WHAT YOU'RE WORTH, BUT YOU, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW, YOU KNOW? GOT IT.
I NEED TO DO THE SELF REFLECTION.
HI, MY NAME IS ALYSSA AND I'M PART OF YPAC.
ONE IS, WHAT IS A WAY TO BUILD YOUR SELF-ESTEEM WHEN YOU'RE AT YOUR VERY, VERY LOWEST GONNA BE VULNERABLE AND SAY, I, Y'ALL, I JUST CRY.
LIKE, AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH CRYING, BUT IT HELPS ME GET IT OUT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND LIKE, I KNOW THAT'S LIKE, WELL, HELLO, DUH HANNAH.
BUT LIKE, WHEN I, WHEN I CRY, I GO IN MY ROOM AND I CLOSE MY DOOR AND I, AND I SAY LIKE, I HAD A REALLY BAD DAY AND I CRY AND I LET IT OUT.
AND I, IT MAKES ME FEEL SO, AND I KNOW IT SOUNDS CLICHE, BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF, I KNOW MY EMOTIONS ARE VALID, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THEN, AND THEN ALSO TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE WITHIN THAT CIRCLE, IT IT WITHIN YOUR CLOSE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS THAT YOU TRUST, UM, ASSUMING THAT THEY'RE GOOD FRIENDS, THEY TOO WILL KIND OF HELP YOU IN LIKE SEEING THE TRUTH.
BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I'D BE LIKE, THIS IS SO TERRIBLE.
AND THEY'RE LIKE, HANNAH, IT, YOU GOT LIKE A, IT'S A 80, LIKE, YOU'RE FINE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, THEY KIND OF HELP YOU BRING YOU BACK DOWN TO REALITY.
AND SO I THINK THAT HAVING THOSE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, BUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF AND RECOGNIZING, UM, THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT KIND OF HELPS ME COPE.
I THINK TO TOUCH ON WHAT HANNAH SAID IS JUST THE BIGGEST OR THE BIGGEST HELP THAT YOU CAN DO WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE IN THAT SITUATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY, IT'S A VERY HARSH AND SCARY, YOU KNOW, SITUATION THAN ONE CAN BE WHEN YOU'RE LIKE THAT, WHERE THE WHOLE WORLD FEELS LIKE IT'S FALLING DOWN ON YOU.
BUT I THINK THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF IS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING THE SITUATION YOU'RE IN, AND ALSO SEEKING HELP EXACTLY HOW LIKE HANNAH DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, CRYING AND JUST LETTING IT OUT AND ACCEPTING AND BEING IN THAT MOMENT.
AND ALSO SHE TOUCHED ON, YOU KNOW, SEEKING HELP IN OTHERS, YOU KNOW, CONFIDING IN SOMEONE THAT YOU TRUST, WHETHER THAT'S A FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND OR SOME OTHER MENTOR OR PEERS.
I THINK THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS, IS NOT BOTTLING IT UP AND, AND GOING AND SEEKING, SEEKING HELP AND TALKING TO OTHERS ABOUT IT.
UH, USUALLY I PROP LIKE CANICE SAID, I'LL CRY ABOUT IT OR SOMETIMES I JUST SLEEP ON IT 'CAUSE SLEEP.
'CAUSE WHENEVER YOU'RE SLEEPING YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT THINKING ABOUT IT ANYWAYS.
SO LIKE ALL THESE THREE, UM, YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CRY.
MAYBE YOU CAN LIKE EVEN ADD DRAMATICS, LIKE SLIDE DOWN THE WALL OR SOMETHING, LIKE GRIP YOUR HAIR.
YOU CAN PRETEND LIKE YOU'RE IN A MUSIC VIDEO OR SOMETHING.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S LITERALLY ALL I DO.
REALLY CRY AND SLEEP AND IT, IT GETS WELL, AT LEAST IT GETS BETTER FOR ME.
SO MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK IT WOULD AFFECT A PERSON OR YOURSELF IF YOUR PARENTS, FAMILY OR FRIENDS DON'T ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE?
[01:25:02]
WANNA GO AHEAD.UM, I THINK THAT'S A HORRIBLE PLACE TO BE IN, IN ONE'S LIFE WHEN YOUR FAMILY AND, AND YOUR AND YOUR BIGGEST SUPPORT SYSTEM DOESN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT YOU OR LIKE SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, AND IS HAPPY WITH WHO YOU ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A HORRIBLE PLACE TO BE AND I HOPE THAT NO ONE EVER HAS TO EXPERIENCE THAT.
BUT SADLY THAT ISN'T THE REALITY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HORRIBLE PLACE TO BE IN.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK UP TO THEIR PARENTS AND ESPECIALLY THEIR FAMILY, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT SOMEONE'S CLOSEST TO.
AND ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO IMPRESS OR, OR MAKE THEIR PARENTS PROUD.
AND WHEN THOSE LIKE FAMILY MEMBERS DON'T SUPPORT YOU, ESPECIALLY I KNOW LIKE WE DISCUSSED EARLIER IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR DISCUSSION WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, PRESSURE AND EXPECTATIONS CAN BE DRIVEN FROM LIKE YOUR FAMILY.
IF, IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW ANNA TALKED ABOUT IT, LIKE YOUR FAMILY HAS BASELINE OF WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO EITHER A LAWYER OR A DOCTOR OR ENGINEER OR SOMETHING OF THE SORTS.
UM, AND, AND IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, THAT MAYBE WON'T MAKE THEM HAPPY OR OR PROUD OF YOU AND THEY'LL KINDA LIKE MAYBE DISOWN YOU OR THEY WON'T SUPPORT YOU.
AND I THINK THAT'S A HORRIBLE THING TO, UM, OR HORRIBLE POSITION TO BE IN.
AND IT'S, AND IT WON'T BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND, YOU KNOW, BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN AND ALSO SUCCEEDING.
BUT I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, A WAY TO SURPASS THAT AND, AND, AND, UM, STRIVE FOR SUCCESS IN THAT SITUATION IS AS WE DISCUSSED, UM, BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
AND AS I LIKE THE POINT I BROUGHT UP, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE ANYBODY ELSE HAPPY AND, AND FOCUS ON MAKING YOUR OWN SELF HAPPY.
YOU DON'T NEED TO PLEASE ANYBODY ELSE BUT YOURSELF.
AS, AS I A LOT, I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH MICHAEL IN THAT THOSE, WHEN THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU AREN'T MAKING YOU FEEL GOOD, AREN'T UPLIFTING, YOU AREN'T MAKING YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE OR VALIDATED IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
IT, IT REALLY DOES HAVE A, A, A LARGE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PEOPLE.
AND I HATE WHEN I SEE THAT, OR I HATE WHEN I OVERHEAR SOMEONE BEING LIKE, MY WHOLE FAMILY HATES WHAT I'M DOING WITH MY LIFE.
THINGS LIKE THAT JUST REALLY MAKE ME SAD.
UM, BUT, AND, AND I, AND I HOPE, I HOPE THE ADULTS AND THE PARENTS IN THIS ROOM AREN'T, DON'T GET MAD AT ME, BUT AT, LIKE MICHAEL SAID, AT THE END OF THE DAY, LIKE, IT'S YOUR LIFE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, YES, THEY HELPED YOU, THEY GUIDED YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY, A LOT OF THE TIMES EVERYTHING ELSE KIND OF STARTS TO FALL APART.
SO I DEFINITELY BELIEVE IN OBVIOUSLY BEING RESPECTFUL, BUT I DEFINITELY BELIEVE IN DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU.
AND LIKE AVA MENTIONED, MY MOM WOULD SAY THE SAME KIND OF THING OF LIKE, I KNOW YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW YOURSELF, BUT LIKE YOU GET TO A CERTAIN POINT AND YOU GET TO A CERTAIN AGE WHERE LIKE, THAT'S JUST KIND OF NOT TRUE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE I THINK I CAN ATTEST FOR A LOT OF, LIKE TEENAGERS, PRE ADULTS IN HERE.
I DON'T TELL MY MOTHER EVERY SINGLE THING I DO.
I DON'T TELL HER EVERY SINGLE PERSON I'VE TALKED TO EVER I HAVE MET IN MY LIFE.
SO YOU DO KNOW YOURSELF THE BEST OUT OF EVERYONE IN THIS ENTIRE WORLD.
AND SO JUST KIND OF DOING WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND OBVIOUSLY BEING OPEN TO GUIDANCE AND ACCEPT AND, AND HELP.
BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE, HEY, THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO DO, THIS IS WHO I NEED TO BE, BE THAT PERSON.
AND THEN AGAIN, IT'S A BIG GAME OF TRIAL AND ERROR IN TWO, IN TWO YEARS YOU CAN DECIDE, I DON'T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE THIS CAREER, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
LIKE IT'S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES.
IT'S OKAY TO ADMIT LIKE, HEY, THIS WASN'T THE RIGHT THING FOR ME, OR IT WAS ONLY RIGHT FOR THIS TIME.
YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK, WELL, I I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE A LITTLE BIT SELFISH AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T AFFECT NEG, LIKE NEGATIVELY AFFECT THOSE AROUND YOU.
BUT IT DOES POSITIVELY AFFECT YOU.
YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT'S BEST.
LIKE THEY'RE SAYING YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR YOURSELF.
UM, THANKFULLY I HAVEN'T BEEN IN A POSITION WHERE MY PARENTS HAVE MADE ME FEEL THAT WAY, BUT I DO HAVE FRIENDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT.
AND THANKFULLY ME AND MY PARENTS, UM, WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO HOUSE THEM.
UH, I'VE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS LIVE WITH ME THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH IT.
UM, AND I KNOW NOT ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS WILL, YOU KNOW, ALLOW YOU TO LIVE WITH THEM.
BUT, UM, I ALSO THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH.
AND IF I CAN WEIGH IN, UH, UNDERSTAND THOSE WHO ARE YOUR RELATIVES AND THOSE WHO ARE YOUR FAMILY.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES FAMILY CAN GO BEYOND THOSE WHO ARE BLOOD.
UH, SO SOMETIMES THAT COULD BE A MENTOR AT SCHOOL, A TEACHER, OR PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK IDENTIFYING A FAMILY ON THAT LEVEL CAN BE A LEVEL, ANOTHER LAYER OF SUPPORT AS WELL.
UM, FOR ME, IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT'S GOING TO SUPPORT YOU, THEN MAYBE FIND SOMEBODY THAT WILL, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TIME SOMEBODY IS GOING THROUGH THE, A SIMILAR THING THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH.
AND TO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT PROBABLY WOULD HELP YOU, YOU KNOW, LOOK.
SO YEAH, I WILL SAY LIKE REALLY QUICKLY, THIS IS LIKE JUST A, I READ SOMEWHERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT I, IT KIND OF LIKE HAVING, SO IT WAS LIKE SUCH A NICHE THING AND SOMEONE'S LIKE, THIS EXACT THING HAPPENED.
I WAS LIKE, WAIT, THAT HAPPENED TO ME TOO.
LIKE, TO BE HONEST, Y'ALL, LIKE, NOTHING IS REALLY AN INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE.
THEY'RE A, NO MATTER HOW NICHE OR DIFFERENT OR SPECIFIC YOU THINK SOMETHING IS THAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU, AND IT'S NOT SAYING LIKE NO ONE HAS ANY INDIVIDUALITY OR UNIQUENESS, BUT
[01:30:01]
A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE THAT HAS GONE THROUGH SOMETHING SIMILAR TO YOU AND IT'S JUST ABOUT REACHING OUT.IT'S JUST, AND THEY'RE USUALLY MORE THAN LIKELY LIKE, WILLING TO HELP.
LIKE, HEY, I APPLIED FOR THIS COLLEGE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE, YOU GO TO THIS COLLEGE, CAN YOU HELP ME? A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME, THEY'LL BE LIKE, YEAH, I HAVE SO MANY GREAT TIPS FOR YOU.
SO I, I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT OF REACHING OUT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, IF YOU'RE, IF IT'S NOT SOMEONE LIKE AVEN SAID, THAT'S IN YOUR CIRCLE ALREADY, YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND PEOPLE.
AND I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT NICHES.
EVEN IF IT'S LIKE A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, YOU CAN CALL THEM AND SOMETIMES THEY MAY SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE A HOUSTON CHAPTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT MAY BE RESOURCEFUL.
I PROMISE YOU IT DOES NOT BITE.
YOU CAN PULL IT DOWN, YOU CAN SPEAK IT TO IT.
SWITCH, YOU CAN PULL IT TO YOU IF YOU WANT TO.
AND THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR Y'ALL IS, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE FOR Y'ALL IS, HOW CAN FINDING YOURSELF AFFECT YOU, AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH SEVERELY VERILY? I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES IN FINDING YOURSELF, AGAIN WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
AND SO ALL OF THAT KIND OF LEADS LIKE TO LIKE A, THIS VICIOUS CYCLE OF, UM, QUESTIONING YOURSELF, WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOU WANNA BE, UH, A LOT OF THE TIMES.
SO I, AND I, LIKE I SAID, I'VE, I'M LIKE A, I'M GONNA BE HONEST, LIKE I'VE GONE THROUGH IT WHERE I'VE BEEN LIKE, BUT I WANNA BE LIKE THIS AND I WANNA LOOK LIKE THIS PERSON, OR I WANNA DO THESE THINGS THAT EVERYONE ELSE AROUND ME IS DOING.
AND I FELT BAD AND I, I, LIKE, I DIDN'T POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I DIDN'T TALK TO MY FRIENDS.
LIKE, I WOULD GO MIA FOR MONTHS AND MY FRIENDS WOULD BE LIKE, HANNAH, HANNAH BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE SUMMER.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT WAS BECAUSE LIKE I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH WHO I WAS AT THE TIME.
UM, THANKFULLY I AM NOW, BUT I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WITH WHO I WAS AT THE TIME, AND SO I FELT REALLY BAD.
SO I THINK THERE'S LIKE SUCH A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN LIKE, FEEL LIKE FINDING YOURSELF, KIND OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE, BEING SELF-ASSURED AND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, RIGHT? LIKE HAPPINESS, THE THINGS THAT COME FROM LIKE, UH, THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF HAPPINESS THAT JUST COMES FROM BEING LIKE SECURE AND FEELING GOOD IN YOUR OWN SKIN.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO YEAH, I THINK ANOTHER, UH, TO PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT HANNAH SAID, AND ALSO TO TAKE ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THAT IS, UM, THE BEST WAY I CAN PUT IT IS UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING THE JOURNEY THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE TO BE ABLE TO FIND YOURSELF.
AND AS YOUR QUESTION ASKED IS HOW THAT CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOU.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, POINTS OF, OF LIKE, THERE'S GONNA BE PITFALLS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA FALL INTO POINTS OF, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON, AND THERE'S GONNA BE HARSH POINTS IN FINDING YOURSELF, BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S PART OF THE, THE, THE JOURNEY AND THE BIGGER PICTURE OF, YOU KNOW, FINDING WHAT YOUR TRUE HAPPINESS IS AND WHAT YOUR CALLING IS.
UM, AND I THINK JUST BEING ACCEPTING OF THAT AND, AND KNOWING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, DOWNFALLS AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, REPERCUSSIONS OR NOT NECESSARILY REPERCUSSIONS IS THE, THAT'S A BAD WORD TO USE, BUT THERE'S GONNA BE NEGATIVE AND, AND BAD AND SAD MOMENTS.
UM, IS, IS THE BEST WAY TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY.
AND THAT THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS AND PART OF THE JOURNEY AND, AND UNDERSTAND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S KINDA LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, VERY EXPECTING TO SAY OF, OF, YOU KNOW, HOW HUMANS ARE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WAY HUMAN NATURE IS, WE DON'T LIKE, NECESSARILY, WE DON'T NECESSARILY LIKE CHANGE.
WE LIKE TO BE COMFORTABLE WHERE WE ARE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, UNCERTAINTIES WHAT DRIVE STRESS AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING HAPPY WHERE YOU ARE.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THAT UNCERTAINTY AND GOING INTO THAT PROCESS OF BEING UNCOMFORTABLE AND STEPPING OUTTA YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS JUST, IT, IT MIGHT NOT FEEL RIGHT IN THE MOMENT, BUT THAT'S JUST THE JOURNEY THAT'S GONNA GET YOU TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN LIFE.
UM, FOR ME, LIKE FIGURING OUT WHO YOU ARE IS ALSO KIND OF ABOUT STEPPING BACK AND KIND OF LEARNING TO BE ALONE, BUT ALSO WITH BEING ALONE, YOU KIND OF CAN OFTEN END UP BEING LONELY.
AND AS HUMAN HUMANS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL CREATURES.
SO TO FIG, FIRST YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT YOURSELF TO KNOW WHEN TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE, BUT ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES TO FIGURE OUT YOURSELF, TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE.
SO LIKE MR. MCLENDON SAID, UM, I THINK FIGURING OUT IS A PROCESS THAT IT'S JUST GONNA HAPPEN THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE.
AND I THINK IT CAN AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH WHENEVER YOU THINK YOU NEED TO GET IT DONE BY A CERTAIN AGE.
UM, BECAUSE FINDING YOURSELF, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST LIKE SIT DOWN AND DO.
LIKE, YOU DON'T GO HOME AND YOU, YOU SIT DOWN, YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, TIME TO FIND MYSELF.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS THROUGH, UM, FAILURES THROUGH, UM, JUST TO, YEAH, JUST THROUGH ANY, THROUGH WHAT YOU, THROUGH LIFE, THAT'S HOW YOU FIND YOURSELF.
YOU MAKE CHOICES, YOU MAKE CERTAIN DECISIONS AND THAT'S HOW YOU LEARN.
BUT YOU NEVER SIT DOWN AND YOU DECIDE LIKE, OKAY, I HAVE TO FIND MYSELF NOW.
[01:35:01]
EVERYONE GOES THROUGH AND YOU DO IT, UM, WITHOUT KNOWING THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING IT.WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN TELL A PERSON THAT FEELS LIKE, LIKE HOW YOU HAD SAID WHEN SOMEONE HAS TO STEP BACK AND BE LONELY, WHAT ARE SOME POSITIVE THINGS YOU WOULD TELL A PERSON AT BECAUSE IT WOULD, IT WOULD, UM, BEING ALONE TRYING TO FIND YOURSELF IS REALLY HARD.
SO WHAT ARE SOME POSITIVE THINGS THAT YOU COULD TELL THAT PERSON TO KEEP THEM GOING? UH, I'LL ACTUALLY LEAD THIS ONE.
UH, ONE THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO STUDENT LEADERS LIKE YOURSELF IS, UH, LEANING INTO YOUR, YOUR COMMUNITY.
UH, SOMETIMES YOU CAN INTERNALIZE WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT PEOPLE WANT TO HELP YOU, BUT THEY HAVE TO KNOW SOMETIMES THAT YOU NEED HELP.
THAT, UH, SOMETIMES THERE'S RESOURCES AVAILABLE OR PEOPLE, UH, AROUND YOU, WHETHER TEACHERS AND PEERS.
AND SOMETIMES WHEN UH, YOU CARRY THINGS WELL, PEOPLE THINK THAT YOU'RE DOING WELL AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, UH, LEAN INTO YOUR COMMUNITY, FIND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN SAY, HEY, I'M NOT HAVING THE BEST DAY.
AND KNOWING WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT MAY, THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR YOU, HEY, I MAY NEED YOU TO BRING ME LUNCH.
UH, CHECK ON ME, MAKE SURE I TOOK A SHOWER TODAY.
UH, MAKE SURE THAT I, UH, AM COMMUNICATING AND SHOWING UP TO CLASS ON TIME.
UH, SO I THINK LEANING INTO YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT CAN SEEM, UH, EASIER SAID THAN DONE, BUT JUST, OR SOMETIMES JUST FIND YOUR FAVORITE EMOJI AND SEND IT TO THE PERSON WHEN YOU'RE HAVING A LOW MOMENT.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY TIP TO LEAN INTO THAT COMMUNITY SO YOU DON'T FEEL ALONE.
I THINK TO ADD ON TO THAT ALSO WITH HOW YOU ASKED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU BE THERE FOR SOMEBODY? IS THAT ESSENTIALLY KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? OKAY.
UM, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT OR ADDRESS THAT IS, UM, BEING, UNDERSTANDING AND ALSO SYMPATHETIC OF A SITUATION AND BEING THERE FOR THEM BEING, BEING A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THEM.
UM, I, I TOOK A, UH, A SUICIDE PREVENTION CLASS.
I KNOW THAT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TOPIC, BUT I THINK ALL THESE THINGS KIND OF FALL INTO THAT WHEN SOMEONE ISN'T AT THAT LOW POINT IN THEIR LIFE, UM, THE BEST THING TO DO IS BE UNDERSTANDING.
THE BEST THING TO DO IS BE UNDERSTANDING AND, UM, AND COMPASSIONATE ABOUT IT, BUT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO RELATE WITH THEM.
AND IT MIGHT SEEM, SEEM HARSH TO SAY, BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TELL 'EM, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SUCKS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE HELP AND, AND HELP 'EM UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY AND THE SITUATION THEY'RE IN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH POINT, YOU KNOW, THAT SUCKS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I'M SORRY YOU'RE IN THAT POSITION, BUT, YOU KNOW, HELP 'EM UNDERSTAND THE, AND SEE THE, THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
YOU KNOW, BE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM.
TELL 'EM EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, POINT OUT THE GOOD IN IN THEIR LIFE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND, AND TELL 'EM THIS WILL THIS JUST A, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HELP BUILD WHO YOU ARE AND IT'S THE JOURNEY AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOW POINT AND I UNDERSTAND IT SUCKS THE POSITION YOU'RE IN, BUT BE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM AND BUILD THEM BACK UP AND SEE THE GOOD AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY.