What At-Risk Youth Have to Teach Us About Life

The most profound changes often come from the smallest of shifts in our perspective. This is a belief I find myself coming back to again and again, especially when evidence mounts to support it.

Recently, I spent two weeks volunteering with at-risk youth at Theater Camp through Free Arts of Arizona. The camp helps abused and neglected youth living in groups homes, shelters, and treatment facilities tell their stories through the creative arts (acting, spoken word poetry, dance/movement, visual arts, and music).

Having just gone through a major re-brand in my business, I was ready for a break. Things didn’t go as planned and instead of spending more time troubleshooting technical issues and living in the space of uncertainty, I was so grateful to get away. I knew the time focusing on other things would help shift my perspective, and I was right.

I also believe that there are lessons everywhere. Lessons to help us remember. Lessons to help us regain our perspective on what truly matters. Here are just some of the lessons I learned (and re-learned) by stepping away from my daily routine and being of service to some amazing young folks:

1. We all want to be seen for who we truly are. These kids had some poignant stories to share about what they’ve been through – sexual abuse, gang violence, parents dying naturally or being murdered, physical abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. Even some of us who didn’t grow up in “the system” have similar stories to share. But we are NOT our stories. We are survivors. We all want to love and be loved. We all want to be accepted.

2. We all have a voice – and that voice matters. In a discussion early on in Theater Camp, the kids talked about wanting to have a voice in what happens to them. They are sometimes left out of important talks that affect where they live and with whom. While there are decisions to be made from a bigger picture perspective, no one’s voice should ever be excluded from the conversation. That goes in your life too. Just because your voice may not be the final say, it still deserves to be heard. Your voice matters, especially when it comes to your life. Speak up. Be heard.

3. We all want to be part of something. Many of these kids said they wanted to be part of a family. Some turned to gangs or drugs or self- harm behaviors (like cutting themselves) to escape the pain of NOT feeling like they belonged. There is a basic human need to feel like part of a bigger whole – a community or family. These kids found that type of support at Theater Camp and were able to thrive because of it. Sometimes the people you are born to are NOT the healthiest. But that doesn’t mean you cannot create your own community or family. We all need that kind of support to help us grow and thrive.

4. We all need encouragement and support. So many of these kids wanted to quit and give up. Some walked out of rehearsals or froze or said they weren’t going to get on stage. They were afraid. Can you relate to wanting to give up due to fear? I sure can. But what amazed me is that just a few words of encouragement, a chat about how fear is a GOOD THING because it tells you that what you are doing is really important, and some rallying made all the difference. These kids (who often have been disappointed numerous times by several adults in their lives) KNEW that me and the other adults there had their backs. We were there to support them through the fear and celebrate with them when they moved through it. I cannot stress this point enough – you can do great things with the right support behind you.

5. We must be vulnerable in order to grow. Vulnerability is scary. There’s no way around it. In order to get past hurt, pain, fear, anxiety, etc., we must feel it and move through it. And the only way to do that is to be vulnerable. Showing our vulnerability to others is healing not only for us, but for those witnessing it. This was Theater Camp. The kids who were brave and shared their stories inspired the kids who didn’t. The audiences who came to the final performances were invited to share how they were affected. Many stood up in tears, stating how they could personally relate to the kids on stage or how those stories touched them deeply. Some would tell you that vulnerability is weakness, but I challenge that. If you have ever witnessed anyone sharing their pain, you know how much courage it takes to do that. We open ourselves up in such a beautiful way by doing that. And it’s my honor to witness people doing that – not only these kids but also my clients.

I’m sure there are other lessons in the Theater Camp experience, and perhaps I’ll write more about them when they surface. For now, I’m honored to have been a witness to these young folks on their journey to healing. Their bravery has impacted me and everyone else who worked with them and who came to their performances. And they have helped remind us all some very important life lessons.

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Listen to Lisa Wechtenhiser’s “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on July 2, 2015

Join me as I interview Lisa Wechtenhiser on Thursday, July 2, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

Lisa Wechtenhiser | www.practicallyintuitive.com

Lisa Wechtenhiser of PracticallyIntuitive.com works with intuitives, soul-preneurs and healers helping them expand their gifts and build a solid business so they stop giving their gifts away for free and make a real impact in the world. Lisa’s expertise comes from over 30 years helping financial advisors build their business while she built Practically Intuitive. Known for her warmth, just the right amount of tough love and her ability to get you out of overwhelm and into action fast, Lisa gets the world of Woo and the world of business and helps you manage them too so you create a business that supports you while you support others!

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Q&A: How Do I Stop the Spinning Thoughts

In today’s Q&A video blog, I’ll be answering a question that I get asked quite a bit in my live workshops…

How do I stop the spinning thoughts?

You know, the thoughts that keep spinning around in your head. The what if’s. The worries. The spirals of one thought leading down to some dark and dreary places. Watch and listen as I share some tips on how you can get out of those spinning thoughts.

Want to know more about how to tame your fear, embrace your greatness, and get out of your own way?

Ask your question and you just might see it in an upcoming video blog. Simply send your question to krylyn@krylyn.com.

Listen to Jacqueline Freeman’s “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on June 25, 2015

Join me as I interview Jacqueline Freeman on Thursday, June 25, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

[color-box]Thursday, June 25, 2015, 11:00AM PST / 2:00PM EST

Jacqueline Freeman | www.ritesopassage.com

Jacqueline Freeman is a relationship alchemist and celebrant that is passionate about helping people nourish Love’s roots. The starting place? Embracing your natural preferences, befriending your emotions, and being at Home in your body so you can feel the support that is always around you. Raised in a strict Southern Baptist home in Tennessee, she was told that her body was the enemy. Her graduate studies in women’s images in the media and how they impact sense of power and self-esteem confirmed her intuition that maybe its not our bodies that’re the problem, but our attitudes towards them. Since our relationship with our body and emotions is the template for *every other* relationship in our lives, it’d do us good to make sure we’ve got a healthy marriage there!

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Listen to Ruschelle Khanna’s “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on June 18, 2015

Join me as I interview Ruschelle Khanna on Thursday, June 18, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

[color-box]Thursday, June 18, 2015, 11:00AM PST / 2:00PM EST

Ruschelle Khanna, LCSW | www.30daysofprayer.org

Ruschelle Khanna, LCSW is a dynamic speaker and health advocate for women. While suffering a severely disabling systemic infection,, Ruschelle discovered a profound presence of God. In experiencing extreme physical pain in her brain and spinal cord, Ruschelle awakened to the full meaning of present centered living and connection with Divine Spirit. Since that time, she has devoted her time to teaching women to stop running from their pain, to take control of their lives and live in the joy of the present moment. She is excited to share her first book, 30 Days of Prayer: Healing Autoimmunity for Women, an inspirational companion on your journey to healing.

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Listen to Therese Skelly’s “Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Story” on June 11, 2015

Join me as I interview Therese Skelly on Thursday, June 11, as part of the Get Out of Your Own Damn Way Jam Sessions. Powerful people sharing powerful stories of how they tamed their fears, embraced their greatness, and got out of their own damn way. Sign up to listen in for free by entering your name and email below.

[color-box]Thursday, June 11, 2015, 11:00AM PST / 2:00PM EST

Therese Skelly | www.happyinbusiness.com

Known as the “Money Mindset Mentor and Business Catalyst, Therese Skelly works with service based entrepreneurs who love what they do and are ready to grow their business in a much easier and more authentic way. Therese helps those whose business is part of their life purpose clear money blocks so they can learn how to own their value and have powerful, authentic sales conversation. This means they will make more money, serve more people and have a business that makes them happy. Drawing from her own journey of losing everything in service of living the entrepreneurial dream, Therese has created a way to teach her clients how to get their gifts in the world, so they can make the huge difference they desire to. A former psychotherapist, combined with years of marketing/strategy and consulting, Therese offer’s the perfect blend of both “inner game” work and very tactical, real world strategies that allow her clients to see the results they desire.

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