Shawna Lynne Akerman

Transcript

Woohoo, I'm challenging myself to remember this script with my ADHD. Oh my God, so much anxiety. Who here understands me? Woof. What do you do to feel better? Every morning I take 5 seconds and pick my brain. Here is my mantra. Set an intention for the day, choose the positive, reject the negative. I found the strength to be well. Oh, I'm so grateful I learned this early, despite the cycle of trauma and tragedy. Every time I was overwhelmed with grief due to medical and mental health issues, ADHD, infidelity, divorce, financial collapse, I was in this negative cycle, and it was so hard.

I was drowning, and nothing mattered. Choosing positive saved my life. So simple, but not easy. It started in 1995, 2 weeks after our honeymoon, I lost my mother-in-law to suicide. This is not at all what I expected from my first year of marriage. Grief changed everything. So I went to therapy and learned the power of positivity. And every time this negative cycle started, I doubled down on my positivity and did something active. And after a while, things got better. Did you know that we are prone to negativity?

The average person has 60,000 thoughts per day. 75% of them are negative. 95% of them are repetitive. How do you overcome these difficult times every day and decide to be important? Well, when I decided to be important, I realized that self-development was the key. Every time grief arose, I chose a different activity. I lobbied and raised funds. I changed communities, did everything to make the grief disappear. Let's fast forward to October 9, 1999. I am 27 years old, I am standing in the hospital with two children, 18 months and 3 months old.

So many trials and expectations. My body is vibrating. I was waiting for this diagnosis. I knew I was right. The next words: “Your children are deaf. They don't hear anything. Their cochlear system is the most abnormal cochlear system they've ever seen. Their chances of being heard are slim." A. This wave of helplessness washed over me. So much regret. Their entire lives flashed before my eyes. Why me? Why them? Why us? Woe, the gift that keeps on giving. This will be so hard.

But I focused on the positive. I know that whenever grief comes, you need to have a positive attitude. And it's so important to be able to choose an activity that keeps you busy. And when we get caught in this negative cycle and fall, we get back up and choose to matter. I went back to therapy and learned this power of positivity, and I learned that taking care of yourself matters, that it's important to say "yes," that everything you do every day matters, that you matter.

And when you come and choose to be important, something happens. My children received cochlear implants. They learned to speak and listen. Everything was fine with us. And this journey of healing inspired me to embark on a journey towards mental health. I left teaching, became a psychotherapist, and am building a mental health community. is positive. I found the man of my dreams, my children are thriving, and here is my mother smiling. And I invite you to change the cycle of negative perception.

When you take 5 seconds when negativity comes and choose positivity, choose self-development, choose to do hard things, choose to matter. When you choose to be important, and you choose to be positive, and you choose to stand your ground, it just gets easier. Tell me "yes" if you agree. Thank you. Hooray!

Transcript generated from the recording and lightly cleaned. Some names and wording may differ from the spoken speech.