Conventional bullying and cyber bulling are far too common in today’s America. Many youth are hurting in some way but have been offered no acceptable or effective tools for coping with pain and improving one’s life. When that is the case, a youth speaker may be the only person in that young person’s life that says something that can change their perspective or remind them why they matter and why their choices need to start reflecting the valuable person they truly are.Children as young as five years old can benefit from youth speakers specializing in youth-related issues.
High schools and colleges around the country should have youth speakers in their rolodex. There never will be another opportunity to teach such life affirming messages to such a vast and diverse range of people after graduation. School is not merely reading, writing, and arithmetic. The humanities and many of life’s most important lessons are also learned in an academic setting. Real personal change happens when a person learns how their life actions impact their entire point of view and emotional outlook. When a young person is balanced in their thinking, values himself/herself fully, and has the empathy to put himself/herself in the shoes of others, conflict resolutions will be more humane. We will foster a sense of community where people see themselves in others, so they wish each other well, even if they disagree.
When people learn effective tools, there is no challenge or conflict they cannot handle. Learning to let go of personal baggage is one of the most liberating things one can do in order to become a mentally healthy individual. Mental baggage is the enemy within that the right youth speakers can teach kids to be conscious of and know its negative effect on everything. The ability to properly handle another person’s negative energy is a great skill that is even less understood but oh so important to deescalating situations among the youth. We all need to know that you can’t control another person’s mood, but you can control your own while trying to effectively let that other person know you respect them and yourself.
In almost every case of bullying, you will see people in serious need of what I like to call “knowledge of self”, and this is on both ends of the bullying. The perpetrators are held down by their own baggage and are trying to share their pain with someone they see as being vulnerable. They may notice that the other person is burdened by their own baggage. This is important, the types of lessons a good youth speaker can teach will actually make kids less likely to be bullied because they will give a sense of confidence that bullies are simply not attracted to.
Judgment and jealousy ruin everything. If you are often having thoughts that someone who recently suffered a misfortune deserved it, someone has received a reward that they do not deserve, or that a colleague has an undeservedly high opinion of himself, you may ultimately do or say something that hurts that person, but just know that you are actively hurting yourself first.
Schools that book youth speakers who can impart these principles will ultimately enjoy a much safer campus. Parents should bring up the issue of bullying at the next PTA meeting. Even if your child has not complained of it, there is a chance that it is going on, and if not with your child, it most certainly is happening to someone else’s. And of course there is a risk that your child is indeed the one doing the bullying. In that case, they must be told that it absolutely must stop, and then let them know that the rage or insecurity inside them can be worked on. No problem is too big for reflection and conscious action.
Today’s blog was written on behalf of mysoulspeaking.com, a site where you will find words of wisdom from renowned youth speaker Steve Zaudtke.