Kind Karma's mission has always been to empower youth who may have stumbled on hard times and to help them back on their way towards their full potential. One of our youth employees recently wrote this on her Facebook page and we needed to share it because it is a true testament to the positive impact we have always hoped to have among these youth. This was a message of encouragement to her peers whom she met during hard times and who may be still struggling and the fact that she is now empowered enough to be able to offer these words of encouragement is remarkable and a true insight into her growing self-confidence. We hope you celebrate her transformation as much as we did!
"I recently looked back at my photos and found a picture from exactly one year ago. I was coming to the end of the hardest period in my life so far.
For about five years, I was dealing with homelessness/unstable housing, going in and out of jail and psych wards, and being involved in unhealthy relationships and habits. I fought for my life through those times, more than anyone really knows. I finally pushed to get myself to stay out of jail and hospitals, to get out of bad relationships, to secure stable housing and employment. It took me five years but in November of last year, things finally settled down.
I secured my own housing (renting a room), I have a job that I love (Kind Karma) and I hope to eventually get off ODSP. I’ve never given up pushing to reach my dreams and desires in life. I’ve accomplished more in the first six months of this year than I have previously in my entire life. I look at myself in the mirror after getting ready in the morning and I’m truly happy with what I see. I look at all my pictures on Instagram and I’m thrilled with how far I’ve come and everything I’ve achieved.
Now, after saying all that, this is my advice to anyone who is struggling, who feels lost or stuck in their life:
I don’t care if this sounds cliché or cheesy because this is coming directly from my personal experience: in order to achieve what you want, you have to look deep into yourself to find and to KNOW what you want. You have to let things inspire you. You have to stop telling yourself that you can’t and realize this is your life and your time to discover yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t”. And those you judge you? Those who label you? Those who try to stop you? Those who see you as something you know you’re not? Let me tell you something:
They don’t know where you’ve been and they don’t know where you are going. You’ve been given this one life. No one really knows how or why but that’s the reality of it.
This is YOUR STORY, YOUR LIFE and YOUR ONE CHANCE. Do with it what you choose.
I recently looked back at my photos and found a picture from exactly one year ago. I was coming to the end of the hardest period in my life so far.
For about five years, I was dealing with homelessness/unstable housing, going in and out of jail and psych wards, and being involved in unhealthy relationships and habits. I fought for my life through those times, more than anyone really knows. I finally pushed to get myself to stay out of jail and hospitals, to get out of bad relationships, to secure stable housing and employment. It took me five years but in November of last year, things finally settled down.
I secured my own housing (renting a room), I have a job that I love (Kind Karma) and I hope to eventually get off ODSP. I’ve never given up pushing to reach my dreams and desires in life. I’ve accomplished more in the first six months of this year than I have previously in my entire life. I look at myself in the mirror after getting ready in the morning and I’m truly happy with what I see. I look at all my pictures on Instagram and I’m thrilled with how far I’ve come and everything I’ve achieved.
Now, after saying all that, this is my advice to anyone who is struggling, who feels lost or stuck in their life:
I don’t care if this sounds cliché or cheesy because this is coming directly from my personal experience: in order to achieve what you want, you have to look deep into yourself to find and to KNOW what you want. You have to let things inspire you. You have to stop telling yourself that you can’t and realize this is your life and your time to discover yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t”. And those you judge you? Those who label you? Those who try to stop you? Those who see you as something you know you’re not? Let me tell you something:
They don’t know where you’ve been and they don’t know where you are going. You’ve been given this one life. No one really knows how or why but that’s the reality of it.
This is YOUR STORY, YOUR LIFE and YOUR ONE CHANCE. Do with it what you choose."