On Wednesday the 6th I spent the entire day at Riverside High School giving presentations for the non-profit I run, The Diversity Project. I was so nervous because it had been so very long since I had done a presentation and I had no idea if it would go well. The day went really well I thought but with some of the classes being so quiet I had no idea what they really thought. Well I just got this message from the teacher (who is an old friend of mine) giving me feedback from the students about the presentations:
1. THEY LOVE YOU (obvs!)
2. Overall, the large majority of kids (even the ones who think they're too cool) really resonated with how POSITIVE your message was. Every kid liked it, and the large majority of them said that they really NEEDED to hear that, and it really has stuck with them
3.They felt very safe, and even if some of the kids didn't say much during the presentation, they felt like it was an opportunity to be themselves, and open up about what's going on in life.
4. Even if they pretended they weren't into it, they liked that you had them up and moving a bit! Some classes even requested MORE of the "up-and-moving" stuff, like jumping jacks, and the "agree or disagree spectrum" activity
5. They really loved your openness and honesty. They felt like you were a REAL person, who was there to help them make their lives more amazing, rather than a "guest presenter" who was there to "tell them what to do and what not to do." they said you were a breath of fresh air!
6. Every class said they liked that the presentation was done with only their class. I know that you felt new to this type of presentation, but you really have a natural gift for it. The kids ADAMANTLY stated that they would NOT have wanted that presentation to be done in a larger group setting, or even just with two Planning 10 classes in the room. They liked being with 29 other kids they already knew, and they liked that the small size let you interact with them like it was a conversation, rather than a presentation.
So...seriously, dude....you're THE BOMB. Please keep sharing your gifts with our teens. They NEED it, and they need to hear it from someone who's NOT THEIR TEACHER (you!)."
WOW! I can't believe it! To get this back made me feel so good! So my message of the day today is do that new thing that scares you. Even if you don't think it will go well or you're not sure how it will turn out, because if you get messages like this back or any kind of positive message back it is SO worth it! Remember, you can't get to 2nd base if you're stuck scared on 1st!
With Gratitude,
Calan
Gratitude Journal of the day...
I'm Grateful for...
1) My new friend Paige! She's AWESOME!
2) The simple joys in life
3) Working with amazing people who want to see me succeed
4) All the great opportunities coming my way!
5) Having faith that the Universe has my back :)
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