In collaboration with the Independence Sources of Strength Chapter, The Prowl has compiled unique and touching story submissions from students and staff alike that explain how each of the strengths on the Sources of Strength wheel have impacted them.
Family Support: “[At] the beginning of the lockdown, I was feeling really down and didn’t know what to do. I decided that I wanted to start running so that I could channel my energy into something good. I brought it up to my mom, and she decided that she wanted to do it too. She then asked my brother to start doing it as well and he agreed. We have been running on the weekdays ever since.”
Submission by: Anonymous
Positive Friends: “I have a lot of good days, days where I clean or I do work, days where I am productive; but sometimes, there are the days that I am sad, the days where I don’t want to get out of bed, the days where I just want to lay in my bed and stare at my phone screen all day. On those days, I just want to be alone, but I am lucky to have friends that are there when I need them on those bad days. Friends that will make me laugh even when I feel like crying. Friends that will lend a shoulder to cry on when I do cry; and when needed, I will do the same.”
Submission by: Anonymous
Mentors: “When I was younger, I was really depressed. I had anger issues and didn’t seem to know why — it just happened. I started playing football and all [of] that stopped. My coaches were supportive and I felt [like] I could get my aggression out [by] playing the sport. [That] is what instantly made me love the game of football and the people who coach it.”
Submission by: Anonymous
Healthy Activities: “I have pretty bad anxiety so sometimes [that] affects my mood, work ethic, etc. What I do to calm [myself] down is meditate. Once I’m done with that I start journaling. I try to write at least five things I’m proud of myself for, five things I would like to accomplish by the end of the day, and five things I want to finish by the end of the week. It’s a good way to keep me from stressing about certain tasks that I have to do and helps me get my mind off of everything that’s going on. For those 15-20 minutes I forget everything that I’m stressing [about] and give myself time to analyze everything and truly realize whether or not it’s worth stressing out. Most of the [time] we make things out to be worse than they are.”
Submission by: Anonymous
Generosity: “I get a lot of joy in giving back to others. I also find [that] it is [a] way to bond with my kids and members of my community, and really understand what needs my community have. For example, a summer ago, my daughters and I wanted to do something special for an organization that we had never reached out to before. So, we found a time when volunteers for Habitat for Humanity were on a build[ing] site and made and brought them lunch. We served it to them, got to talk with them, and even got a tour of the house and a glimpse into the family who was going to move in and their situation. It is a great memory and one that I cherish. My kids and I have made meals together for Mobile Hope, put care packages together for babies in communities around the world and collected items like mosquito nets and school supplies. It all makes for a way to feel connected to the greater world and spend quality time together.”
Submission by: Ms. Jodie Allen
Spirituality: “There are times in life where I feel all the stresses about the present and future. There’s a feeling in me that I have to do something big in life and sometimes it’s too hard to balance this feeling with the current reality that I am in. But whenever I have [a] feeling of doubt or I feel like I’m living life, I always go to God and pray for his guidance. It’s important to me to rely on a higher power, especially him, because I know I can’t do everything I am doing today by myself. God keeps me together at all time[s] and when I do turn to him, something amazing always happens, like getting 100% on an AP Chem quiz or an ‘A’ on a[n] AP Stats assignment, which just fuels me for the life ahead.”
Submission by: Senior Hudson Aikins
Physical Health: “About a year ago I started doing yoga and I went into it mainly focusing on the physical benefits it would have on my body. All throughout 2020, I did yoga, but it was the most consistent through January to June. After I lost the motivation, I felt like I had failed myself. I stopped doing yoga for fear of not being consistent with it because that was the only way I thought it would benefit my body. But, right now I’m doing a 30-day yoga journey and I’m 26 days strong. This has motivated me to try doing yoga every day of 2021, and I’ve learned that if I miss a day, it’s going to be alright. Not only have I seen a lot of physical benefits, but I’ve also noticed a lot of mental benefits. Obviously, I still have days where I struggle a lot mentally and it’s not like yoga immediately solves those issues, but it’s helped me learn how to breathe and feel like I’m not being crushed under stressful situations. This 30-day challenge has also changed the way I look at things, whether it’s the sky or a tree branch. It sounds very corny but it’s made it a lot easier for me to remain in the present which has had tremendous mental benefits for me. Overall, this physical, mental and spiritual journey has been one of the best I could’ve started and I’m excited to continue with this activity throughout the rest of my life.”
Submission by: Anonymous
Mental Health: “I’ve always had anxiety since I was little. I always felt like something was wrong with me because I had panic attacks going to school. I always felt like people judged me for it and I had a hard time making friends too. I always sat with the counselor every morning [be]cause if I didn’t, I would freak out if my routine changed. I’ve had many people including my parents tell me that I should go see a therapist but I never really wanted to. In 8th grade, I went once to a therapist. I felt so awkward and I didn’t like sitting in a room with a random lady telling her about my thoughts and feelings. After that, I never had a panic attack again for the rest of 8th grade. Throughout that time, my mom taught me ways how to handle my anxiety. She taught me how to meditate and distract myself when I am having a hard moment. She also taught me how to journal my feelings and giving myself positive mantras to help too. My friends were always supportive and comforted me during those hard moments and I was so thankful for that. Now I haven’t [had] a panic attack for [four] months and I’ve finally gotten a grip on my mental health!”
Submission by: Anonymous