My smartest advice avoiding peer pressure is to first recognize you can’t avoid peer pressure.

I think a common mistake we all can make over and over in life is to think we can avoid things. Many things such as pressures, emotions, feelings, fears, etc. The reality is, if you can find effective, healthy coping mechanisms for any situation in your life, a trust within yourself can be built- that over time can be relied on and that manifests into a habit. That type of habit will be the thing to keep you focused on facing situations without feeling as though they need to be avoided.

When it comes to peer pressure, specifically, you can be sure that there will always be someone that is going to do, say, or be something that does not represent the person you want to be. The sooner you decide for yourself that you know exactly what your values are, what you will achieve in life, right from wrong, healthy from unhealthy behaviors, and make a commitment to those things, the sooner you can begin to “cope” with peer pressure.

Now, do not get me wrong, you may not know what you want to be when you grow up, you might not know if what seems important today could be meaningless to you tomorrow, you might even question from time to time right from wrong. Sometimes these things slip into a grey area. However, the most important thing is to start with simple things that form healthy physical, mental, emotional and spiritual habits.

When you were a young child you were taught to brush your teeth twice a day for healthy teeth and good hygiene. If somewhere down the line something you were faced with had you sacrificing something as simple as brushing your teeth twice a day then a red flag could go up warning you that one of the healthy commitments/habits you’ve made to yourself is being debated. This is the point where no matter who or what is challenging your commitment could have little or no chance “pressuring” you to do or say anything that would sacrifice that habit. That is one example of something so simple but so applicable. The thing with peer pressure, and actually most pressure, is you can count on it coming back more than once. The hardest part is to continue to stand by your “commitments/habits” to yourself each time.

Using the same example, if someone you trusted asked you to stop brushing your teeth all together you might tell them they are crazy and absolutely NOT! Now let’s say that same person asks you over the next month to stop brushing your teeth just for a week, you still could probably easily say NO! The problem comes in when after two months of that person asking repeatedly, they then ask if maybe you could just consider not brushing just one time, this evening before bed. This is exactly the time when healthy habits and the understanding of why they are healthy for you would kick in. The easiest way to combat that pressure at that point is to explain not only for yourself but to this person exactly why brushing your teeth twice daily is important and specifically important to you. Without being clear about a few key things that are important to you, it will be so hard to withstand the constant pressure that is out there.

Keeping a healthy body, mind and spirit gets you many successes in life, that’s a proven fact. No one specific person can tell you exactly what perfect way to get there but I know I’ve learned one thing for sure: anything that can cause ANY potential harm to either your mind, body and/or spirit will begin to vacuum out that potential for success and, in the process, it can take the unique make-up of who you are OUT of you.

In one sentence, my biggest advice for avoiding peer pressure is to know what a healthy mind, body and spirit look and feel like. Never, under any circumstances, for anyone or anything, sacrifice the opportunity to feel that and know that every minute of every day. Success is within you and that healthy place!

Peace, Blessings and Magic

Jodi

Coming from a big family of 5 sisters and 2 brothers every sibling becomes something of best friends as the years go on. One of my biggest supporters and best friend since I can remember has always been my older sister Clare. She has been the sister that has always given it to me straight. Being six years older than I am she has always been able to give me the reality of life and the different roads one could take “adventures” on. During my years and years of addiction Clare stood by my side, trying as hard as she could to steer my in the right direction. When it finally came time when I was ready to ask for help, Clare was the first person I talked to about it.

Now I spend just about every day talking about things that used to happen. Things that happened while I was using or making bad decisions. I think that today I will tell you about my life now. The challenges that I face and the things that I am ultimately passionate about.

The funny thing about challenges and things that I am passionate about is that they both go hand in hand. I love challenging myself. I work well under pressure and I love the feeling of accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal. I am utterly passionate about conquering challenges. This latest challenge that I am contemplating conquering came about recently in a casual conversation between myself and my sister Clare. She told me that she was going to do the Iron Man and that I should do it with her…

Now, I don’t work out. I have been athletic in the past but I have definitely not worked out in the past three or four years. The Iron Man is the race of all races. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. Why on earth would I want to do something like that?!?!?!?!?!

Because I know that I can. Creating challenges in my life is something that I live for. The feeling of fulfilling a goal or taking on a challenge is like nothing else in the entire world. This is a challenge that I know I can take on. It may seem impossible now but with the right amount of effort anybody can do anything.

This is so different for a person like me. The challenges that I faced in the past were once that I created for myself, from bad situations and bad decisions that I was making in my everyday life. Now, living a sober and honest life I am able to create challenges for myself that are positive, things that will better me physically, mentally and spiritually. Living a life that is mundane and boring is not something I am capable of doing. Instead of filling my life with negative barriers or boring monotonous activities I am now able to challenge myself with things that will bring me to a new level in my life.

* Keep livin’ the dream, be excellent to each other *

Patrick

I don't know if you guys know this, but we speakers were given a piece of paper with a bunch of questions on it in case we can't think of anything to write about...I'm feeling a little tired today, so I'm gonna answer one of these questions: What is your favorite creative outlet and how does it help you cope with life?

I have a few favorite creative outlets -- watercolor, writing, and dance. Yes, one of them is definitely dancing. I love to dance. I am 25, and all through with community college, but every semester I enroll in at least one jazz, tap, ballet, or hip-hop class simply for the expressional outlet (and for the exercise!) at SCC. Dance is one of those activities that helps me connect with my body rather than work against it.

Having grown up with an eating disorder, I spent a lot of time "body checking" (that is, staring in the mirror, critiquing things impossible to change) and criticizing myself. Years ago, I spent a lot of time trying to "undo" things about my body, trying to "fix" it. Dancing is a sport that helps me embrace my body, love it as it is, work with it, and accept it. When I am standing in a large open space -- be it a grocery store, a living room, an open studio with a wooden floor -- and music begins to play, the only thing my body wants to do is sway and reach and turn and plie' and bend and leap with the counts. It's grand...it's really grand.

All of the sudden, my limbs aren't inadequate or fat or stubby, they are tools for expression and strength and love and success! All of the sudden, my torso isn't inadequate or imperfect or too round or too frumpy, it is just as it needs to be to move to the music at hand, twisting and supporting a choreographic masterpiece!

So, dancing, I suppose, is my favorite creative outlet. Because it is mine, it is unique, and no one can take it away

Rachel