"What is Your Most Valuable Life Lesson?"

I (Kaitlyn) recently attended a Wellness Fair event at a local high school. It was a great event! We had an interactive station where I had little cards printed up with various coping skills for regulation in between classes. I briefly taught the kids about some coping skills and asked if they had any questions. One student said yes, and asked me "what has been your most valuable life lesson that you've learned?"

No lie, I panicked. I did not know the student or their background, life circumstances, etc. to give an answer that was hopefully positively impactful and not harmful. Once I paused, took a deep breath, I was able to put myself in their shoes. When I was in high school, what would I have realistically wanted to know? If I could go back and tell myself something what would it be? This is what I came up with and what I told the student:

Everything is figure-out-able. No matter how impossible things seem, there are always solutions.

Now, the solutions might suck. Sometimes we get ourselves into situations where the options are something awful or something slightly less awful; both options are hard. Not everything is fixable, but everything is figure-out-able.

Always.

What would your answer have been to this student? I wanna know!

This blog is written and maintained by non-clinical staff, and therefore should be taken as psychoeducation only and not as medical advice or a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis that is not life-threatening, please call 988.