Today is Wuf Shanti’s 11th Birthday! That actually means that it is my Great Grandpa Jack’s birthday, AND my 11th year anniversary of being a mental health education advocate.
Wow. 11 years-ago, I had no idea that a drawing of a dog with the words “Think Well to Be Well” on top of it would bring me to this place, where I am today.
I’m feeling such gratitude for everything that Wuf Shanti has brought into my life, the people I’ve met, opportunities it has brought me, the people it hopefully helped.
Today I feel like writing about Choices. Because I could have chosen, along this road, at any point, to stop what I was doing. Make no mistake, it was hard work, doing all of this while also in school, participating in extracurricular activities, studying for SATs, etc. Sometimes it was super stressful, and I had to practice what I preach.
But then I would have missed out on meeting some amazing people, having incredible experiences, and most importantly, helping people. And that’s really important to me.
We all have choices. I’m 19. Do I get to make my own choices now? I ask this because I feel like I do…but if you ask my parents, they still have a say. LOL, Like where I will live in college or where we go on vacation, and they try to tell me what to eat (anything healthier than chocolate chip cookies), and to stand up straight, and a bunch of other things. But I know they mean well.
Will I always make the correct choice? Of course not. But neither do they. Neither does anyone. All of us, on this planet, are human. We make choices, some of which are mistakes, every day. If we can learn from them, great. If not, then at a minimum, we should not be judged for them. I know, easier said than done.
I remember when I was younger, it was my choice to put my phone down and stop social media. It was great. But then it was my choice to pick up my phone and get back on socials. Do I spend too much time now on my phone? Oh yea, totally. But, my choice. And I am positive that one day in the future, I will make the choice to put the phone down again. But sometimes I do wonder…. What will I say to my kids when they are on their phone too much or only want to eat cookies? Will I say something to them, or will I stay quiet and let them figure it all out on their own? I guess that’s another choice I will have to make.
For now, I am so grateful that I made the choice to continue with Wuf Shanti, that it lead me to where I am now, and I am excited to see what the future holds.
My book, Stress Less: Mindfulness for Teens, is on pre-sale now. You can get it on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Target, Books & Books, or anywhere that they sell books.