Learn From People Who Lived it

LFPWLI: Breaking the Cycle: Solving the Rising Mental Health Crisis with High School kids

LFPWLI: Breaking the Cycle: Solving the Rising Mental Health Crisis Among Young People with Zahraa Alfatlawi, Founder of ZenDen
In this episode, you'll hear: 
Why Zahraa was inspired to start the ZenDen and what the group looks like today
The most common stressors kids experience
How Zahraa thinks the education system can do a better job teaching kids
In this episode, Mathew and Zahraa discuss generational cycles, the things that are stressing kids out the most, how she thinks the education system can do a better job teaching kids, and what she is doing to help solve the problems she sees around her. Zahraa is a high-performing student herself who connects with the pressure put on young people by their parents, school, and themselves, which increases stress and can lead to burnout. She is a big believer in strong community structures that help improve both mental and physical health because they are so closely related, and she knows that a student-to-student connection is inherently different from an adult-to-student connection. She also felt like there was no real outlet for her to express her anxieties, find connections, or get resources, which is why she founded ZenDen. She runs meetings for her group every Wednesday, where she strives to create a relaxed environment for students to focus on their commonalities. By discussing the highs and lows of the week, she is fostering a community that helps kids feel more connected and less alone in their struggles.
Zahraa Alfatlawi is a senior at Central High School in the Phenix Union School District. She founded ZenDen as a sophomore when her class returned to school after the pandemic, and she felt like she had to do something about the rising mental health crisis she was seeing in her peers. As a first-generation Arab-American and the youngest of five children in a family that fled Iraq in 2005, Zahraa has witnessed firsthand the mental health struggles her family experienced when they were in survival mode. They had to focus on issues like where they would be living and how they would get food on the table, leaving little time or resources to take care of their mental and wellness needs. Zahraa can feel the energy of the mental health and wellness crisis among young people. She is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and psychology to continue her work of breaking down barriers and stigmas that prevent people from talking about important things.
“The first step to change is addressing the problem.”
 
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
TeenLifeline.org
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson
 

LFPWLI: The Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s + Jungian Art Practices with Brenda Man-Fletcher

LFPWLI: The Long Goodbye of Alzheimer's + Jungian Art Practices with Brenda Man-Fletcher 
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Brenda discuss the psychology and the art process of Carl Jung, what it was like to be a caregiver to her mother, and how their last moments together changed their family. Brenda talks about being a caregiver alongside her father for her mother through several years of Alzheimer's Dementia. In 2008, her mother suffered a stroke and then passed away. She explains how the Jungian tools and techniques of exploring the psyche and dialoguing with the images and material prepared her for her mother's passing and to this day continue to help her to metabolize her grief. It was the process of painting and the further process of making art jewelry that sustained her and gave her something to focus on. Brenda opens up about her relationship with her mother when she was a child, how that relationship changed as she became her mother's caregiver, and how she helped her parents have a final sacred goodbye.
Brenda Man-Fletcher had been an artist when she was younger, but eventually, life got in the way with her moving out of state, getting married, and having her son. She started following the work of Carl Jung back in 2002, but during the pandemic, she finally had time to learn more about it through reading and online courses. One course focused on Jungian psychology and artistic practice, which got her back into art and led her to start an art business called Manscribe Media.
In this episode, you'll hear: 
The first things Brenda noticed about her mother that made her realize something was off before the diagnosis
How to handle caregiving for a difficult parent and the changes their relationship went through
The psychology and the art process of Carl Jung
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Connect with the guest:
Dr. Frank Bevacqua
 
Resources:
David Leicken, MD
Carl Jung’s Theories
Carl Jung and the Artistic Impulse
 
Connect with the Guest:
Manscribe Media Website
Brenda Man-Fletcher LinkedIn
Brenda Man-Fletcher Facebook
Brenda Man-Fletcher Instagram
Manscribe Mediaworks Facebook
 
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson
 

LFPWLI: Truly Transforming after Prison + The power of Education with Cordero Holmes

The following episode was recorded in the Durango Detention Center in front of 16 juveniles with the hope that our words impact them and their lives moving forward. 
 
Cordero tells Mathew his story is not just the story of a boy from the hood, and it’s not just a prison story. But rather, it's a story about the transformative power of education, battling impostor syndrome, being courageous, and the importance of community.
He talks about the nuances between gangs and communities and the ways they are interlocked as well. Cordero opens up about the feelings of fear he felt about going to prison, what he thought it meant to be a man, the pressures he felt to live up to that standard, and how being in prison allowed him to see the human in all.
He emphasizes the impact of the information gap, how he battles imposter syndrome, and closes on what he would tell his younger self now if he had the chance.
Cordero Holmes represents possibility and growth through exposure, self-reflection, and the belief that one can cause change.
Cordero is now a junior majoring in public service and public policy and was recently awarded the 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. "Living the Dream Award" by the city of Phoenix. He says the life he is living now is bigger than he ever dreamed possible. He is on a mission to meet the responsibility he feels to improve his community and has ambitions of running for office.
"Don't lose faith and don't give up. Even when you feel like there is no hope, it is never hopeless.”
In this episode, you'll hear: 
What Coredo's childhood was like and how he ended up in prison
The emotions Cordero felt while gang-banging, in prison, and once he got out
What caused Cordero to change his perspective and how he changed his life
 
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
 Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson
 

LFPWLI: Creating Your Own Meaning in Life with Jeff Wenzler

LFPWLI: Creating Your Own Meaning in Life with Jeff Wenzler
What you'll hear: 
The story of Jeff being stabbed in Jamaica
The impact of losing his brother at a young age
The tools Jeff has found to help him through to the other side
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Jeff discuss loss, being a poor receiver but an excellent giver, and the benefits of seeking treatment. Jeff opens up about his brother dying in his arms and the huge meaning a little piece of sweatshirt can have. He tells us about his experience with silent retreats and AA meetings, and how he learned the importance of using a sponsor.
 
Jeff Wenzler is a motivational speaker, author, mentor, founder, executive producer, and humanitarian. For over a decade he has taught countless people and served communities both in the US and internationally. Jeff is on a mission to help others and develop a new perspective of the world.
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Connect with the guest:
JeffWenzler.com
Jeff Wenzler on Youtube
Jeff Wenzler on Facebook
Jeff Wenzler on Instagram
Jeff Wenzler on LinkedIn
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
 Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson