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Happiness

For the past two Mondays, I had the chance to go to a school with my friend, Kathleen from Nine Rising, and my co-leader Steve, from November Project, to speak to grade 7/8 youth about stress management, self-care and happiness.

If you were to go back to grade 7 or 8 you, what would you remember? What was the story? What was happening in your family dynamic? What was happening to your body?

I find it hard to remember but I do know I was just getting my feet wet playing basketball and trying to find my tomboyish place amidst my gal pals all while trying to do well in school. I was taller than most, I lived in the boonies, life was fun and I was a happy kid.

</who>Photo by David Vassiliev</who>

I don’t know about you, but I wasn’t learning about those things when I was in grade 7/8. We weren’t taught what stress was and we sure as hell weren’t taught how to manage it. Can you imagine how older generations were cut out to deal with their stresses? Not well I can imagine.

We didn’t have social media to know what self-care looked like and we didn’t have hashtags to describe what it means to #loveyourself. We didn’t really talk about happiness either. We just did things that made us happy and if it didn’t, we lost interest real quick.

An interesting thing happened when we asked the youth what would be one thing that would make them ultimately happy right now. There were some smart answers like more Fort Night (which I’ve come to learn is a video game), no school, summer break, cupcakes, puppies, kittens, horses, and visiting friends.

Then there was the most common answer... money.

Well, the beautiful thing about the circumstances of Steve and I being the guests was that we learned it’s a privilege to be in front of these youth. It’s a privilege to hear what the have to say and best yet, it’s a privilege for us to witness them hear their own voice speak their truth. Then we asked why would money make you ultimately happy?

“Well because it can buy stuff that makes you happy.” A very simple answer to someone who hasn’t had a whole life of experiences to show them that there is more than money out there to make them happy.

There was no need to tell them they were wrong. We were there to share with them. We asked them to dig deep about what they love to do, to get outside and enjoy nature with no agenda and we asked them to let go of any expectations they put on themselves or have put on them by parents, teachers and coaches.

<who>Photo by Kezia Nathe</who>

What I’ve come to understand is that the secret to ultimate happiness doesn’t require one formula, recipe or ingredient. No one has your answers. No one has the magic potion. You are on your own path to your own destiny. You get to create your happiness and freedom. Money won’t set you free. Living the life you’re meant to will.

happy May Long Weekending!

xx

roz



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