Earlier this year I had the honor to be featured in Bekah Jorgensen’s blog Motherhood Moment. Her blog is another great source we recommend to our families for all things parenting related. A huge parenting concern our families have conveyed to us is the post-COVID trauma our teens and young adults are experiencing. We reassure everyone that you are not alone, and our team is here to guide you and your loved one through the uncertainty of life after COVID.
Our mission here at Positive Presence Global is crucial to the development and well being of teens and young adults worldwide. The teenage and young adult years can be difficult enough for one to experience. On top of finding out who you are, what your purpose is, who you truly value, etc…, this upcoming generation then endured an unprecedented time in history, and the anxiety of the unknown became crippling.
I am so grateful for the chance to share Positive Presence’s story with Bekah. Our conversation reiterated the importance of our mission and how it can follow suit in any area of your loved one’s life they are struggling in.
Bekah: Why did you create a Positive Presence?
Michelle: As someone who struggled with darkness as a young adult and who was also simultaneously ashamed of it – I wanted nothing more to protect my daughter from experiencing the same journey. When she was born early 2015 I realized how sharing my story with her could ultimately help her avoid the same fate. But as a newborn, I thought how could I impact her now. In that moment I dedicated my life to impacting the generation she was going to forever be looking up to – the teenagers and young adults of today’s world. The vision of Positive Presence has always been to eradicate this idea that suicide is the only escape from darkness. If we can accomplish that in this generation, my daughter’s generation could truly embody the self-love we all wish for our children.
Bekah: Why is it important to have a positive outlook?
Michelle: Positivity and light go hand in hand. In today’s society, for so many, it feels like darkness prevails. We live in a world filled with fog – a culture lost to hate and stress fueled by exhaustion and overwhelm. When we can practice positive thinking, we as individuals become a beacon of light, a conduit of hope that cuts through the unrelenting smog that overwhelms our humanity. Light creates more light and thus a brighter future becomes inevitable for all. You see, we don’t just become light for ourselves when we practice positivity, we instill light in others. That light, that one positive thought creates an impact that’ll last for generations!
Bekah: How can people remain positive while still processing extremely challenging or
stressful situations
Michelle: By recognizing the contrast! If life always gave us the best situations over and over and over again, we’d eventually become numb to ‘best’. Soon ‘best’ would become ‘great’ and then ‘great’ would become ‘okay’ and then ‘okay’ would become ‘meh’. When we can look at life’s ‘worst’ challenges as the contrast to life’s ‘best’ situations, we begin to have… drum-roll please… GRATITUDE! Gratitude is the pièce de résistance to life. It’s the reason we can experience the worst trauma imaginable and then within moments find a reason to smile. Sometimes that reason comes from a hug from a loved one, the feeling of our own beating heart in our chest or the sun kissing our skin. Gratitude is KING in finding peace in any situation.
To learn more about how Positive Presence can support your family, schedule a call with one of our Connection Specialists HERE.
You can read more about my conversation with Motherhood Moment HERE.
Check out Bekah Jorgensen’s blog Motherhood Moment.
