Ever sat in a room filled with teenagers? Then you have experienced the nonchalant, too cool attitude that typically accompanies them. I encountered just that when I prepared to speak at Valley Creek Middle School last week for their fundraiser launch, sharing my Olympic Journey & the values of healthy eating with them.
An inspiring experience! It was amazing watch these kids move from their humdrum state to one of empowerment as we spoke about earth-inspired eating and their ability to support their own dreams through natural choices.
Thank you! To Marja, the parent who thought of this fundraiser as an opportunity to help these kids learn about natural nutrition while raising money for their sailing trip. She heard about our “Love Your Body Lunchbox” fundraiser (the Bundles of Energy mini cookbook) and asked me to speak to this group as part of their fundraiser launch.
Inspire, motivate & encourage healthy natural choices: My job was to instil the desire to use this fundraiser to facilitate their dream…A school sailing trip.
Their dreams: I asked what they love & want…Answers ranged from “make lots of money”, to “play video games” to “go to the Olympics”. Focusing on the “money” answer, I asked what it would be used for.
- The answer; “to buy stuff”.
- So I probed further, “Excellent, what do you want to buy”. The response was; “A vacation”…”Great, where too?” I asked, “Somewhere hot, so you can relax & hang out in an extraordinary exotic place?”.
- “Yeah!” he said as his eyes lit up.
The experience: The focus on a thing rather than an experience shifted instantly, and suddenly it made sense for all of them. We related this conversation to the trip they were all there to earn money for, connecting the purpose of the fundraiser (selling the cookbooks), earth-inspired eating and their dreams.
“It’s not really about the book after all, it’s about making your dreams a reality”; making it easier for your parents to help you go on this exciting trip. So let’s set a target.” I gave them tips and reassurance…to set a goal that’s right for them. That’s when it got really cool…One by one each teenager answered and their answers were astonishing. I was not concerned about what they will actually achieve, but rather that what they vocalized in that moment required them to step out of comfort zones and make a declaration about their intentions & their dreams. Totally inspiring…
At the end the students were full of smiles as they sampled recipes from the cookbook. Stay tuned for the results from this extraordinary group!
Michelle Giangualano
Olympic Athlete & Founder, Bundles of Energy
