Build youth resilience with a ladder

Last weekend I was at the Good Festival in Lausanne. I spoke on the Friday about how to create a Resilience Toolkit as a changemaker.

On the Saturday and Sunday, I had the pleasure and privilege to sit on the judging panel, listening to and feeding back on the ideas from the people pitching.

It was an incredible, humbling experience to hear so many ideas, in all stages of development, for doing good. People were using the things that they love to do, combined with their experiences and skills, to take action…not knowing if they would succeed and taking the risk on trying.

If you do one thing this week to build the resilience of the children and young people around you, make sure that you create a level-playing where everyone’s ideas for doing good count.

It’s so simple, that you may think it’s not worth doing. You will go into ‘Dragon’s Den’ mode and start applying judgements and making it a competition.

STOPPPP! Don’t do that.

Instead, open the space, make a ladder, invite the ideas and dreams of every kid as steps up it for doing good.

Before the businesses, before the solutions comes the risk-taking on the ideas.

As adults we need to remember not to inadvertently crush creativity because we’ve lost touch with our imagination and are bound by our rules.

Make a ladder!

…and also watch Anote’s Ark with them. This beautiful, moving film about the Kiribati Islands brings home why we all need to take action as changemakers.
 
#resilience #flowinaction #pureenergyofcreating #grit #wellbeing #innovators #weareallconnected