Issue Two
Life is a practice. It’s also messy and lonely at times. What practical and compelling steps can a young person take to better care for themselves, knowing this will serve as a preventive investment for their future? There’s a lot that we can’t control in the world, but I will tell you a fundamental truth -- the parts that you CAN control and shine your light on will bring the deepest joy and set you up to live long, strong and with ease -- a life with a strong pulse and sparks flying out the tail end of it.
With my heart full, I share this evidence-based and contemporary collection, to help you and your young humans dial into the things and people that make you feel alive and strong, and to practice building that into every day.
01
Identity.
Soldiers of Love.
Music helps us understand what is relevant, what we feel. The adolescent brain is deeply wired to music and it plays an important part in this transitional period of life and defining personal and social identities.
"My attitude was, I can't trust a social safety net. And ain't no cavalry coming...I could not have known then that Sade would speak for and to me in every decade of my life. When I am 20, everything is terrible and beautiful and possible. And I feel the germ of a plan."
Twins brothers, Tim and Fred Williams, 2020 you tube sensations, listen to Bob Dylan, the 60’s counter-culture icon, after seeing his name mentioned in President Obama’s book A Promised Land.
"People around our age should explore more music..it's cool to listen to different kinds...just be different, because everybody is stuck in one path."
02
Purpose.
The Times, They Are A Changing
The more action you take on your ideas, the more they will flow. Small ideas — like buying clothing from brands you admire or saying how you feel to a friend — will change your life.
Gen Z-ers have the determination and spirit to go after the things they believe in and young organizers and voters are increasingly aware of the power that they have. Most see the country’s growing racial and ethnic diversity as a good thing.
Acting on your ideas leads to other ideas. Experiences are the doorways to better ideas and will reshape your confidence, imagination, and future.
Listen, learn and stand up tall.
03
Spirit.
“This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” -- C.S. Lewis
Parents have a spiritual obligation to allow themselves to be transformed by their children as much as they seek to transform them.
Dr. Shefali, a clinical psychologist and parenting expert, tenderly examines the power dynamic in families. I believe we need to show grace to our children, who have truly experienced social separation, educational disruption, and athletic challenges unlike anything we lived through. They have been forced in front of screens, and isolated from their peers, and at times they are acting out. Am I seen? Am I worthy? Do I matter?
Can we approach them with grace and understanding?
04
Body.
Beautiful Boys.
"A boy’s voice quiets right around the same time that he is cluelessly steeped in his own body odor..."
Young or old, one of the biggest myths about the beauty myth is that it's female. Adolescent boys suffer from unrealistic beauty standards, too. Growing up and feeling your body change is a tough time for everyone. Our culture pushes constant comparisons, it’s easy to feel you haven’t got the ‘right’ body. We could all do well to develop a personal identity that isn’t based on our physical traits.
Young people often feel vulnerable, perhaps especially when they open up to adults. Remember that well-intentioned guidance is often heard as criticism and lectures as outright attacks.
Be kind to yourself and always try to think about how your words impact those around you.
05
Connection.
Steady now...
Photographer Tobias Baumgaertner won an award for capturing these two widowed fairy penguins looking over the Melbourne skyline. Biologists have followed them as they meet every night to comfort each other.
Penguins and people share a deep biological need for connection. We are soothed by touch, warmth and connection.“It’s hard to find meaning in what we do if at some level it doesn’t help someone else or make someone happier."
Even when we are apart, an open heart and some curiosity in others can bridge the gap.
Quote.
"There is a crack in everything. That is how the light gets in."
--Leonard Cohen
