kristina's corner

What would you say to your teenage self?


I had the opportunity to address teen-aged students at my high school alma mater yesterday.  Public speaking has ever presented a panic-inducing challenge for me, but after much self Reiki, breath practice, and positive encouragement from my peers, I quieted my nerves enough to go ahead.  First! As a leader! Four times! Whew...


I was put in the Life Journey panel- we were all presenting on how your life path is often winding. And difficult. And full of challenge. And how to try to integrate the negative and learn from it to create positive outcomes.  And ironically (correct usage?) one of our panelists couldn't make it unexpectedly leaving us with only two people to cover forty minutes in one of the presentations.  (We had been told to prepare for five minute presentations.)  As an excellent example of turning a seeming negative into a positive, I turned one of my talking points into a group exercise and my co-presenter and I got out into the group and mingled. At the end we had the best question and answer period our group had all day.  We actually had students rushing up to us at the end to ask us more.


I was completely unprepared for this.


One of the students asked how to handle a downturn if it was "particularly bad." I hope I answered sufficiently well, and I may ask the guidance counselor to follow up, but my head has been spinning ever since with more ! better ! answers to his question.  I don't think I'm going to be able to stop thinking about it until I write it all down.  So, my next little mental project is going to be writing "Letters to my Teenage Self." (I hope its not already taken.) 


What's the first thing?  Perhaps, there will be joy.


I would love to hear your advice to your teenage self.