AwareNow: Issue 53: 'The Forward Edition' by AwareNow™

THE FORWARD EDITION

ON THE COVER: KAMALA HARRIS ARTWORK BY: SHEPARD FAIREY

AwareNow Magazine is a monthly publication produced by AwareNow Media™, a storytelling platform dedicated to creating and sustaining positive social change with content that inspires and informs, while raising awareness for causes one story at a time.

RHYTHM TRIBE

LONELY

THERESA CHEUNG

DANIEL

MARK

TAYLOR DERUSHA (RAU)

JONATHAN KOHANSKI

YAICHA PROVENCHER, NSSC

If you can’t ﬂy then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

forward: (v.) to help advance

Welcome to ‘The Forward Edition’ of AwareNow Magazine a journey into stories of resilience, growth, and the collective strength of purpose. Our cover story features Vice President Kamala Harris, illustrated by the renowned artist Shepard Fairey. With this powerful image, Fairey, who also captured President Obama’s essence on the iconic TIME cover, lends his voice and vision to this pivotal moment in American history. It is an honor to showcase his work and Harris’s message for a progressive future.

This edition of AwareNow is about all of us. We are in this together, embracing change and committing to progress with an unwavering belief that, united, we can overcome. Moving forward is not only a direction—it’s a purpose.

Together, let’s take the next step forward. We will no longer ask for permission to change the world.

Always aware. Always free. Be aware now.

ALLIÉ McGUIRE

CEO & Co-Founder of AwareNow Media

Allié McGuire began her career as a performance poet, transitioned into digital storytelling as a wine personality, and later produced the Hollywood Film Festival. Now, as co-founder of AwareNow Media, she uses her platform to elevate voices and champion causes, connecting audiences to stories that inspire change.

JACK McGUIRE

President & Co-Founder of AwareNow Media

Jack McGuire’s career spans the Navy, hospitality, and producing the Hollywood Film Festival. Now, he co-leads AwareNow Media with Allié, focusing on powerful storytelling for worthy causes. His commitment to service fuels AwareNow’s mission to connect and inspire audiences.

The views and opinions expressed in AwareNow are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official Any content provided by our columnists or interviewees is of their opinion and not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, political group, organization, company, or individual. Stories shared are not intended to vilify anyone or anything. Their intent is to make you think.

* Please note that you may find a spelling or punctuation error here or there, as our Editor-In-Chief has MS and lost vision in her right eye. That said, she still has perfect vision in her left and rocks it as best as she can.

Photo Courtesy: Rhythm Tribe

THOMAS GUZMAN-SANCHEZ RHYTHM TRIBE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RHYTHM TRIBE

A FAMILY IN HARMONY LINEAGE, LEGACY,

AND THE POWER OF MUSIC

Rhythm Tribe is no ordinary band; they are a family rooted in tradition and innovation, weaving together Neo Soul, Latin Fusion, and Afro beats to create a sound that’s both timeless and cutting-edge. As they gear up for live shows at iconic venues like the Viper Room and Whisky A-Go-Go, their music continues to push boundaries and connect with audiences on a deep, emotional level. In this interview, the Guzman-Sanchez family opens up about their creative journey, the power of familial bonds, and their vision for the future.

ALLIÉ: Rhythm Tribe is known for the powerful connection that you all share as a family, both personally and musically. So, the ﬁrst question is: how does that bond translate into your creative process, and in what ways do you think it shapes the energy and emotion behind your performances?

MASON: Well, for one, it deﬁnitely breaks down some barriers in terms of criticism when it comes to our creative process. There’s no, like, “Well, you know, they still have to like me tomorrow.” It’s like, yeah, we got no choice in that matter. So we can get a little cutthroat, to be entirely honest. But we understand that it’s all for the sake of artistry. We may get a little harsh, but it’s all within the right vein to get the best possible outcome for a song, whether it be in the

Photo Courtesy: Rhythm Tribe

THOMAS GUZMAN-SANCHEZ RHYTHM TRIBE

“It’s not just about performing music; it’s about connecting with people.”

ALLIÉ: That's beautiful. Thomas?

THOMAS: I think the strength in family is magical. For me, to be able to do this with my son and daughter… It’s like speaking a language that has no words. We connect in a way that allows them to feel what I’m feeling and create and build off of that feeling. It’s a blessing.

ALLIÉ: Well, it certainly translates into the music that you produce. It’s just beautiful. So, let’s talk about music. Music often carries a strong connection to memory and emotion. As you prepare for concerts at iconic venues like the Viper Room and Whisky a Go-Go, what moments from past performances or family experiences do you carry with you up onto that stage?

THOMAS: What’s interesting is we just finished a concert at the Roxy in Hollywood, and it was a really magical, special night. The buildup to it was intriguing because of Mason and Brice’s background as D1 athletes. They know how to train to deliver a top-quality performance. A show requires the same focus: building your intro, your transitions… It’s not just about performing music; it’s about connecting with people. It’s about that high-quality performance. It was really special to see them apply that same work ethic as track athletes to this medium. Studio work is private, but a show is about bringing in the listener and interacting. That’s an important aspect we’re now bringing to the Viper Room. We’re also raising funds for Children of the Night, to fight against human trafficking. Shows like this become unique journeys. People want to come and party with us, but it’s an embrace from the stage.

ALLIÉ: So beautifully said. Each of you brings a unique voice to Rhythm Tribe. From the guitar artistry to the rhythmic backbone, how has working so closely with family in ﬂuenced your personal growth as artists, and what challenges have you had to overcome together?

MASON: I mentioned it before, but we do live together. That poses a bit of a challenge in terms of separating family and professionalism at times. Thankfully, we’ve been working on this project for a few years now, so we’ve developed a mindset to help us understand, like, okay, family love each other, but now we’re artists in an entirely different world. When it’s time for rehearsals or a performance, all drama gets pushed to the side. It’s really helped me grow, both as an artist and a person, to better understand how to delegate my mind in high-pressure situations.

THOMAS: And seeing them grow as musicians is incredible. To witness their growth as professionals, to be able to trust and rely on them, where before I was responsible for certain things—now, I can just trust Mason, and he’ll come up with parts. This collaboration, where Brisa reaches out, and it just happens, is key to the group’s growth and continuation.

ALLIÉ: That element of trust is essential in any relationship, both personal and professional. Let’s talk about the music. The fusion of Latin rock, neo-soul, and Afro beats in your sound creates something entirely unique. How do you see Rhythm Tribe evolving as a family and as musicians, especially as you continue to push the boundaries of genre and culture?

THOMAS: With our sound—Latin fusion, Brisa’s neo-soul inﬂuence, Mason’s intense colors—we create something distinct. The music industry often chases radio, but radio is controlled by programmers who tend to play it safe. We create music we like, and after it’s mixed and done, we ask what market or genre might accept it. With our new album Tea for Five and the EP with tracks like One Day at a Time and Holding Onto the Night, we’ve seen positive radio response. Holding Onto the Night is on Billboard's Top 100, and it's climbing. We’re not chasing radio; radio is accepting our growth. We hope radio, our fans, and listeners will follow us as we grow to it, because it’s true and honest, not contrived.

RHYTHM TRIBE

MASON GUZMAN-SANCHEZ

Photo Courtesy: Rhythm Tribe

AwareNow Podcast

A FAMILY IN HARMONY

Exclusive Interview with Rhythm Tribe https://awarenow.us/podcast/a-family-in-harmony

THOMAS: (continued) Some musicians chase their ﬁrst success, trying to replicate it, but it doesn’t work. We’re doing the opposite. In the studio, I ask, “What do you feel?” It’s a true collaboration. When it’s done, we see if people respond. Holding Onto the Night is up for a Grammy. One Day at a Time and You’ll Be There are also nominated for Grammys. How do you make that happen? You cook it ﬁrst, then see if people enjoy it.

ALLIÉ: Sounds good, tastes good.

MASON: It’s less about chasing a sound and more about embracing new sounds or nostalgic ones we come up with and enjoy. Then we just go, “Hey, y'all like this? Cool.”

THOMAS: Exactly. We take throwbacks and add Afro beats, Aguinaldo, Bomba—all these traditional rhythms—and mix them with a backbeat. It gives us this Latin neo-soul fusion vibe. One Day at a Time has a psychedelic feel. We have a new song, I Just Smoked, that takes you on a psychedelic journey. We’re not afraid to bring in anything and let it cook.

ALLIÉ: Well, you’re incredible chefs. I’ll say that. You mentioned earlier about having your audience trust where you’re growing to, not where you’re going to. There’s a big difference. It’s beautiful to allow your growth to happen naturally instead of forcing it.

THOMAS: I’m so glad you got that. It’s very key.

ALLIÉ: Yeah. Grow to it. Instead of “go for it,” I’ll say “grow to it.” I’ll give you credit for that.

MASON: Hey, trademark. [laughs]

THOMAS: People who love you care about how you grow, not just where you go. They want to see you evolve and become great. So, you’re growing to that greatness.

ALLIÉ: And growing to greatness, you certainly are. ∎

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THERESA CHEUNG

DREAM EXPERT & BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

‘

THE STUFF OF DREAMS’ EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY THERESA CHEUNG

LONELY IN A CROWD A DREAM DECODED

Theresa Cheung, dream expert and best-selling author shares, “Your dreams are the language of your soul.” In this AwareNow Magazine exclusive column, ‘The Stuff of Dreams’, every month Theresa decodes a dream submitted by one of our readers.

THE DREAM

“So, I went back to this city where I used to live, and they put me up in this new hotel. From the outside, it looked super old, like something historic, but inside, it was all redone—fresh paint, new floors, the works. But the room they gave me was… well, let’s just say it wasn’t finished. There were half-built grey walls, black dust everywhere, and some construction tools still lying around. The bed was made up nicely, but everything else looked like they’d left in the middle of fixing it up. The staff was great, though—really polite and apologetic, making sure I had whatever I needed.

The next morning, I headed down to the courtyard for breakfast, and I walked right into this fancy event. Everyone was dressed up to the nines in red—red suits, red dresses, and fancy jewelry, the whole deal. I was the only one in casual clothes, totally sticking out. And it was weird—I didn’t know anyone, but they all knew me. I didn’t recognize any faces, but for some reason, I felt like I was supposed to be there, looking for something… or maybe someone. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d forgotten something important.

I kept wandering around, feeling more and more out of place, like I was in a scene I didn’t belong in. And then suddenly—I woke up. Just like that. It left me kind of dazed and wondering what on earth that was all about.”

- Alison H.

THE DREAM DECODED

Dear Aiison,

In dreams, cities represent - as they do in waking life - a hub of busy social interaction and it therefore points towards your interactions with others and your need to be recognised in some way.

The new hotel means you are exploring ways to network and connect to new people and as the hotel is un finished you still feel uncertain socially. The bed in the dream is a stand out metaphor for your innermost need to find rest, comfort and emotional security amid life's hustle and bustle. The staff represent the people you are currently engaging with, or are seeking to forge new connections with. You are expecting them to be attentive and to support and carry you but they are not actually doing that for you as your hotel room is a mess. The only thing that isn't untidy is your bed, which is made up nicely and making your bed is always something you can do yourself. In other words you are the one who makes your bed and must lie in it so focus on finding validation, comfort and feelings of emotional security within yourself first rather than waiting for others to 'serve' you. Don't be fooled by their charming words and excuses. Look at their actions. The staff in this dream are tardy, not doing their job.

IN A CROWD

Written and Narrated by Theresa

Cheung

https://awarenow.us/podcast/lonely-in-a-crowd

The dream scenario that follows mirrors this underlying theme of social interaction, both personal and professional and things feeling dissonant. The people in fancy dress are presenting a facade to you. You are dressed in casual clothes suggesting that you have a relaxed and trusting approach and this will attract people to you but this is not you being mirrored back to you and that is why you feel out of place. The important thing you have forgotten is that for any relationship to be rewarding it must be a two way street. Your honesty and integrity needs to be matched by the people you invite into your life. If you don't start walking away from people who do not value you or treat you as you deserve to be treated, then you will, as the dream suggests, feel more and more out of place.

The ﬁnishing touch here is that you abruptly wake up and in my opinion that is also part of the dream message. You do need to wake up now and do some sudden reality checking when it comes to your relationships. Pull the curtain back and think honestly about who right now in your life shows you with their actions - not their words - that they value you. Stop making excuses for those who are charming but ﬂighty and not pulling their weight. Focus your energy on relationships that raise you up and let go of the rest. Be discriminating and if that means you need to be alone for a while focus on building a loving relationship with yourself as you tend to attract people into your life who treat you like you treat yourself.

Far better to be comfortable alone than lonely in a crowd. ∎

Have a dream you’d like decoded?

← Scan, tap or click the code to submit your dream to AwareNow. If selected, it will be published in AwareNow Magazine with Theresa’s analysis.

THERESA CHEUNG

Dream Expert & Best-Selling Author www.theresacheung.com/about-theresa

THERESA CHEUNG is a best-selling author and dream decoding expert who has been researching and writing about spirituality, astrology, dreams, and the paranormal for the past twenty-ﬁve years. With a Master's degree from King's College Cambridge University in Theology and English, and several international best-selling books, including two Sunday Times "top 10 bestsellers", Theresa has over 40 published books and cards on topics of the science of cognition to intuition. Her Dream Dictionary from A to Z (Harper Collins) regularly sits at number 1 on its category's Amazon list, and is regarded as a classic in its ﬁeld. www.IamAwareNow.com

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Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SHEPARD FAIREY

BY LAURA SHARPE

THE ART OF POSSIBLE

EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF ART, ACTIVISM, AND CULTURAL CHANGE

Shepard Fairey is not just an artist; he’s a cultural force, a visual historian, and an unyielding advocate for social justice. Best known for his iconic ‘OBEY’ campaign and the ‘Hope’ poster that became synonymous with Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, Fairey's work transcends the boundaries of traditional art. It occupies the intersection of pop culture, politics, and activism, challenging viewers to think critically about the world around them. In this exclusive interview, Shepard delves into his creative process, the role of art in preserving democracy, and how his deeply-held values shape every piece he creates. He also shares personal insights into his life, including the pivotal moments that have inﬂuenced his evolution as an artist and an advocate. As the world continues to grapple with social, political, and environmental challenges, Shepard Fairey remains a powerful voice for change, using his art as both a mirror and a catalyst for the better future we all strive for.

LAURA: Shepard, thank you. It is great to be here with you today. Thank you for having me and AwareNow Magazine in your studio. We want to share that we are joining the Obey Giant posse, in case you guys need some

Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com ‘Enchanting Sounds’

“Art can be a way to get past those biases, touch someone emotionally, and then make them think.”

LAURA: (continued) regarding the polarized climate right now in the United States as we prepare for the U.S. presidential elections. Our audience is interested to learn how you use your art as a way to exercise your voice. Before we move to that discussion I want to express my respect to both you and Amanda Fairey, your wife and co-founder of Obey Giant and Studio Number One. Without the two of you, there is no Obey Giant. It’s great to meet you both.

SHEPARD: Thanks. Yeah, I’m very lucky to have Amanda. She’s great with business and has helped me manage that side of things, which is necessary but a weakness for me. I don’t have much interest in business, except that I wouldn’t have the freedom to do what I love without Amanda’s vision for making that side of the company work. She’s also the person I respect the most when it comes to giving me feedback on ideas and aesthetics. She’s my muse. She’s been a subject in a lot of my art, so we’re very fortunate. I’m really grateful we get to work together, have a family together, and have an extended family with the team that works with us. Having a social voice is important to us.

For me, this isn’t something that can be separated from my work. From the time I was a little kid, I got into art because I felt like making pictures was great, but there should be something more to it. It took me a while to figure out how to make that happen—it’s still a work in progress. When I got into punk rock, reggae, and later hip-hop with voices like Public Enemy, I saw how musicians used their art to say something. That made me really want to bring a social point of view into my visual art.

I think art is a way to get past people's tribalism and their rigid barriers about who they think they are and what they believe. A lot of the polarization I see is largely superficial. People have been told the wrong story about why the American Dream has been elusive for them. They’ve been told to scapegoat someone. While I have my political leanings, I think this happens across the spectrum. Art can be a way to get past those biases, touch someone emotionally, and then make them think. When your emotions are stimulated, your brain follows.

For me, this is a very important way to start conversations that might not happen otherwise. When I was younger, a lot of my art was driven by frustration and anger—a righteous anger, not the kind of anger that’s coupled with hate, but frustration about injustice. A lot of my art attacked what I saw as social ills and the villains behind them. But I realized that you get a pat on the back from your peers who already agree with you very quickly from that kind of art, but you don’t necessarily change minds. So rather than circling the wagons with like-minded people, I eventually decided that creating a bigger tent with my art, fostering a broader conversation, was important. I started to use universal references in my work—pop culture, flowers, the ocean, clouds, beautiful portraiture—all of these things are ways to get over the walls people put up. Then I fuse my ideas about how we can be better to each other into that content. You could call it the Trojan Horse approach—how do you get in the door, and then get someone to think?

It’s worked for me enough times that I believe in that approach. Of course, there are always people who will attack me for raising issues they disagree with, or for taking them out of their comfort zone, but enough people are prompted to think. Even if they’re uncomfortable initially, it might trigger a chain reaction, even if it’s slow.

Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com

‘Cultivate Justice’

“I challenge the status quo by presenting counter-narratives… I think art often reveals the truth.”

LAURA: It might be fair to say, given your global following, that you’ve succeeded in doing just that. Your artwork is aesthetically beautiful, rich in layers and complexity. There’s so much vibration going on beneath the surface. Your work is inclusive and embracing. Speaking of those nuances and your love of music that you’ve translated into your art, this brings me to a question about color. Color and shades can be evocative and serve as calls to action, creating a frequency. Red means stop, green means go. But the colors and signature tones in your work—do they serve as a call to action?

SHEPARD: Color is a fascinating zone for me. When I started developing my signature style, I was inspired by art I found powerful and provocative, like propaganda art. I was using red, black, and white, partly because of my ﬁnancial constraints. I ﬁgured out how to rig the machines at Kinko’s Copies to give free copies by completing a circuit in the card counter with a paperclip. That machine had a red toner cartridge and a black toner cartridge. So I thought, "I’ll just stick to these colors because they’re cohesive, they stand out on the street." But I knew that red was both agitating and energizing. It’s used in advertising a lot because of that. It also has an aggressive, masculine quality.

Later, I became more sensitive to how people responded to work they considered aggressive. Some responded positively, others negatively. I thought, "How can I keep the energizing component but not the repellent side of what people perceive as aggression?" That’s when I started weaving in gold to make it a little friendlier. Later, I added shades of blue, which balanced the masculine and feminine, ﬁre and water. I know that sounds a little hippie-ish, but I think that when these colors are in a pleasing combination, it feels right—like things are balanced. People are drawn to red ﬂowers, blue skies, and green trees. Interestingly, I can render things like foliage in shades of blue, and people don’t say it looks wrong. It still feels harmonious with nature.

This is all part of my approach to reaching people on different frequencies. The color palette I’m using now has only been in place for about six or seven years. I’m happy with it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t evolve. I’ve used a consistent color palette because we’re bombarded with media images and white noise. Having a repetitive system, with variation, allows people to connect the dots and say, "Oh, this might be the same artist who did that other piece with the same color combination." There’s a reason brands use consistent elements in campaigns. I’ve learned a lot from working in advertising, but rather than using it to sell products, I’m trying to lure people into deeper conversations. It’s a different agenda, but some of the same strategies.

LAURA: I’ve been pouring over many of your art books, reading them front to back, like I did with album covers as a kid. Enjoying getting to know each work of art and the message behind it. You mentioned earlier how your work speaks to important social and political issues. In today’s polarized political climate, how do you use your art to challenge the status quo?

SHEPARD: I challenge the status quo by presenting counter-narratives to what may be the dominant narrative, or the very widely-seen disinformation in broader culture. What I love about art is that it’s hard to argue with if it connects with you in a truthful way. A lot of things people say in videos or write can be delivered with anger, and that style sometimes obscures the truth. I think art often reveals the truth. When I look at simple concepts about how humans should treat each other and treat the planet, these ideas can be represented in art in a way that’s hard to deny. It feels very truthful.

Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com

“Saying, ‘I don’t want to participate because it’s ﬂawed’ is a cop-out.

Saying, ‘I want to participate to make it better’ is the courageous, civicallyminded thing to do.”

SHEPARD: (continued) That’s what I aim for with my work because I believe it can connect with people across the political spectrum. This idea that we’re all connected, that we have the same desires for freedom, validation, and community—it resonates. Of course, we all want a large degree of freedom, but I think the concept of freedom has been hijacked to mean, "Do whatever you want, no matter if it hurts others." That’s not my version of freedom. For me, freedom is about self-determination, but also the well-being of others and the planet. Art can tap into that belief when people let their guard down and aren’t being told to think selﬁshly.

I think art can get past that manipulative narrative if it’s done right. Sometimes it’s beauty, sometimes it’s humor, often a combination. People ask me, "How do you know it’s going to connect?" I don’t know how broadly it will connect, but I have faith that if I’m being open and vulnerable, my humanity will let me create something universal. Of course, I get attacked online. It’s clear that people are uncomfortable and would rather attack the messenger than re ﬂect on themselves. But I’m really aiming to connect with that universal part of everyone’s humanity.

LAURA: Can you share a time, past or present, when you felt your art made a real impact on democratic values? Is there a particular piece that comes to mind?

SHEPARD: There are a few things I’ve done that I’m proud of because they resonated with people and helped them feel more courageous about their political beliefs and about democracy itself. I come from a culture—skateboarding, punk rock, street art—that is very anti-system. It’s a culture of underdogs, marginalized people who feel like the world is against them. That attitude can serve people when they’re just trying to survive under constant threat. But to move beyond that zone of threat, you need to reach out, connect with people, and engage in improving the broader system. Otherwise, you’re just a victim of the system instead of shaping it for the better.

The Obama Hope poster is a great example. It caught on like wild ﬁre, grassroots-style, and was embraced by the campaign. It helped a lot of people articulate what they felt about Obama—his speeches, his character. It was a beautiful thing. I was attacked by some people who said I’d sold out to mainstream politics, but we have the political system we have. Saying, "I don’t want to participate because it’s ﬂawed" is a cop-out. Saying, "I want to participate to make it better" is the courageous, civically-minded thing to do. That was a beautiful moment, and it made me think about how I could address important moments in the future.

In early 2017, I worked with Ampliﬁer and my friend Aaron Huey on the We the People prints for the ﬁrst Women’s March. Those prints were about saying that the groups Trump was disparaging were equally human and equally American. That should be a given, but Trump was trying to pit people against each other, disparaging women, Black people, Latinos, Muslims in a way that was unheard of in mainstream American politics. Those prints really resonated with people, and you could see them at Women’s Marches across the globe. That’s very profound—not because it brought attention to me, but because I created a tool that was useful to people.

Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com

“Having the glass ceiling shattered by someone more than qualiﬁed, who has displayed all the characteristics to be a good president, is important.”

LAURA: I think you articulated the context of "excited" very well. I continue to be excited when I see those images— the future of the young Black girl, the Native American as guardian of the Earth, the women in your work. These representations of inclusivity make up the diversity of humanity, not just in this country but around the world. You created the opportunity to have this seen here in the U.S., and it’s incredible.

SHEPARD: I created the image of Kamala Harris with the word "Forward" beneath it, which is a free download on my website for anyone to use to support her. I’ve had friends make print editions, and they’ve been disseminated and put up as well. It’s a non-commercial endeavor to get the work out there and remind people that Kamala Harris is someone who, despite the prejudices against her for being a woman and for being half-Black, half-Southeast Asian, rose through service to the people—as a prosecutor, senator, and vice president. She has an amazing record of accomplishment, and she’s looking to the future. She’s trying to take us forward.

I’m not in perfect agreement with Kamala Harris on every issue, just like I wasn’t with Obama, but the contrast between her and Trump is stark. An image that conveys her vision, leadership, warmth, and humanity can go a long way as a tool to get people to look deeper into who she is. That’s what I want—to support the best candidate. The fact that we haven’t yet had a female president in the U.S. is embarrassing to me. Women are great leaders and collaborators. Of course, it’s case by case, but the reason we’re stuck in this pattern of white male presidents, with one exception, is because of poor generalizations about who ﬁts the description of a leader.

Having the glass ceiling shattered by someone more than quali ﬁed, who has displayed all the characteristics to be a good president, is important. I’m going to do everything I can to support her candidacy. Along with the Forward image of Kamala Harris, I’ve created pieces about protecting democracy, voting rights, truthful journalism—all things essential to a functioning democracy. People say, "I don’t like that all the candidates are corporate," but how do we get campaign ﬁnance reform? It has to happen through the democracy itself. Everything that protects democracy allows us to improve it from within and minimize the forces trying to corrupt it—like corporate money or partisan judges.

Democracy is how these things evolve for the better. To those who say, "I’m not excited about this candidate or that candidate," I say, "If you don’t protect the system, you won’t have the opportunity to ever vote for a candidate you’re more excited about, or to meaningfully shape the system for the better." Don’t let the system disappear because of someone like Trump.

LAURA: I love how you remind all of us to keep our eyes and minds open. Right here, right now, we know in this country, we are blessed. We are given the gift of being able to exercise our voice by voting, if we take the action to register. I love that you honor people’s right to choose. You give different representations of opportunities to vote or look at both sides of a cause. I love the Kamala Forward poster—it's amazing. I love the Obama Hope poster—iconic and historical. But I love your Vote image, with the combination of red, white, and blue, and the peace sign forming a "V." It’s a call to action, right? Through this visual art, you’re reminding people to vote—to exercise their voice.

Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com

‘Wetlands Powers’

“When you find something that becomes a community reference point… that’s beautiful. It brings people together.”

SHEPARD: Well, there are very few things that are truly equal and democratic. People might say everyone has access to the American Dream, but there are a lot of variables that make it harder for some and easier for others. Voting, though, is something that is one person, one vote. The weight of each vote is the same for every person. Now, I could get into the weeds about gerrymandering and all that, but the strength of the system is that if you vote—and not enough people do—you, as a working-class or middle-class person, have the same weight in your vote as Elon Musk and the other billionaires. That’s really powerful. It’s disappointing to me that so many people squander their vote.

I also think that encouraging people to vote puts the onus on them to learn about what they’re voting for. Noam Chomsky said something powerful: If Americans took the time to understand the issues the way they understand the complexity of their sports teams, everything would look totally different. I understand that maybe football is more exciting than child tax credits, but it’s really important for people to be civically engaged, to understand what they’re voting for. It’s not just about how it impacts them—everyone wants the best for their own life and family—but I also care about what’s good for others, especially those who are vulnerable. They can be really hurt by people voting the wrong way. Asking people to vote and to put in a little effort to understand what they’re voting for can make a huge difference.

LAURA: Through your art, you engage with so many communities around the world. Last year, we had the opportunity to collaborate as citizens, artists, and communities. I’m asking this next question as "Citizen X" because, as you mentioned, understanding what you’re voting for and knowing your position within an organization is important. You created a mural of Muhammad Ali, who started out as a common man in a local community and grew to become a global icon of inspiration and possibility—the art of possible. You included marginalized communities in helping create the words that became part of Ali’s signature language, combined with your signature art, for the community in Louisville, Kentucky. That community participated and continues to glow with pride over that project. Why do you think public art and grassroots efforts like this are so impactful and important?

SHEPARD: There’s a lot in that question, but it mostly comes down to a sense of empowerment and powerful symbolism. When you find something that becomes a community reference point—something that speaks to people in a personal way, while also speaking to the entire community—that’s beautiful. It brings people together. We’re all looking for connections.

Talking to community groups in Louisville about the language for Ali’s mural was great because it was collaborative, and it naturally brought together a lot of the things I admire about Ali with the feelings of the community. We were all figuring out how we were inspired by Ali in the same ways. That’s cool. I grew up in South Carolina, I live in L.A. now, I’m white, and Muhammad Ali is Black. A lot of the community where the mural is located is Black, yet we’re all finding inspiration in the same things.

Then there’s the scale of public art, which changes the landscape in a profound way. It’s a celebration of a person whose ideas and achievements are inspiring. It’s not just another commercial billboard. When the cityscape is dominated by advertising and government signage, and then you suddenly see a mural, it’s exhilarating. You see how areas with murals become cultural hives—people say that art is responsible for gentrification because bars, music venues, and cafes open up in those areas. But what that really reflects is how art becomes a beacon for the community.

Photo Courtesy: ObeyGiant.com

‘Defend Dignity’

AwareNow Podcast THE ART OF POSSIBLE

Exclusive Interview with Shepard Fairey https://awarenow.us/podcast/the-art-of-possible

SHEPARD: (continued) As much as we can have the benefit of that without the downside, that’s what I’m pushing for. When people feel pride and connection, it unlocks something that pushes them forward in ways that can be really helpful in their lives. I know how it worked for me, so I just know it firsthand. Long before I made things on that scale, I was inspired—not just by visual art, but by things that connected with a broad audience, things that were democratic. Whether it’s film, music, or art, democratic engagement matters. Unfortunately, most visual art doesn’t function like film or music in that way—it’s largely elitist. So I look at the public benefit that could come from visual art, and I try to push for that as much as possible.

LAURA: You’re doing it.

SHEPARD: Thanks.

LAURA: Thank you, Shepard. Thank you for sharing your art, your vision, and your inspiration, and for reminding us that we’re all in this together.

SHEPARD: Thanks. I’m grateful to you and to AwareNow for focusing on these issues and the people working on them. What I’ve found is that maybe it’s not the most glamorous thing, and in a media landscape that’s very saturated, it might not be seen as the best business plan. But I think it’s meaningful to people, it’s valuable to people, and it needs to be there. Anyone who reminds people that caring and trying matters, and shows evidence of people doing that work, is doing something important. I’m very happy to see that. ∎

View Shepard’s work online: www.obeygiant.com Follow on Instagram: @obeygiant

LAURA SHARPE

Artists For Trauma Founder & Chief Executive Ofﬁcer, Trauma Survivor & Artist www.awarenessties.us/laura-sharpe

LAURA SHARPE contributes to AwareNow with her exclusive column, ‘Fellow Travelers’. Trauma, tragedy and miracle are all part of the life process. They do not discriminate nor are they fairly distributed. Simultaneously they occur across all diverse cultures, countries, colors, ethnicities, genders, religious beliefs, and dimensions of time and thought on planet Earth. In this process of life, birth and re-birth; decay and destruction are integral to creating new life. As fellow travelers, we are mindful, compassionate, and intentional through our attitude and actions to one another. We share our authentic personal story of survival or service to offer relatability, respect and hope to others who are navigating intense physical, mental and emotional life impact. Uncomfortably or joyfully, we share the range of human emotions related to our personal trauma or miracle. In the end or the new beginning, we learn we are all fellow travelers.

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MIKE DIAMOND INTERVENTIONIST, AUTHOR & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MIKE DIAMOND

THE REAL WORK

ADDICTION, AWARENESS, AND THE MESSY PATH TO MASTERY

Mike Diamond is a renowned interventionist, author, and motivational speaker. His journey is one that led him from a tough upbringing to becoming a true source of hope and transformation for those battling addiction. Known for his unyielding commitment to sobriety and personal growth, Mike opens up about the personal losses, deep self-work, and unwavering resilience that shape his life’s calling. What follows are excerpts from a conversation about the realities of addiction, the power of self-awareness, and the courage it takes to face life’s messiness.

MIKE: Life is strange, you know? I can handle a lot, but these last few years have been particularly intense—so much loss, one after another. I had four close friends die of brain cancer within a span of just four weeks. It’s surreal. I’ve become this “safe place” for people, someone they can come to, and then, suddenly, the people I’m close to are gone. Losing people like that, it changes you, and it’s a reminder of how fragile life is. It pushes me to keep doing the work I do because, in a way, I’m doing it for them, too.

I’m

MIKE DIAMOND INTERVENTIONIST, AUTHOR & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

“And this kind of pain? It doesn’t just leave. You have to ﬁnd ways to release it, or it stays stuck.”

MIKE: It’s deﬁnitely heavy, but my work on Intervention brings a different level of intensity, too. I’m in these dark places, pulling kids out of crack houses, helping people who are literally smoking 30 fentanyl pills a day. People don’t realize the level of suffering that exists out there. And this kind of pain? It doesn’t just leave. You have to ﬁnd ways to release it, or it stays stuck. It’s like the title of that book, The Body Keeps the Score. Have you ever read it?

ALLIÉ: I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard of it.

MIKE: It’s an eye-opener. I could understand it deeply because I’ve done a lot of work on myself. I’m not talking about talk therapy—I’m talking about physical release. I discovered yin yoga, and it’s different from regular yoga. It’s slower, with really deep stretching that gets into your tissues. I remember one day, I was in this intense stretch, and all these dark memories surfaced—trauma from my childhood that I’d hidden away for so long. They say “the issues are in your tissues,” and it’s true. Trauma, pain—it all gets physically stuck in the body.

When I ﬁrst started, I’d only do a few minutes, but eventually, I worked up to two hours daily. The deep stretches started releasing all that blocked energy and stored trauma. For the ﬁrst time, I didn’t feel like I was carrying everyone else’s grief around. It wasn’t stuck in my body anymore, and that was a huge turning point for me.

ALLIÉ: That’s such a powerful way to start a conversation, Mike.

MIKE: [laughs] Yeah, well, I’m a complex guy. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but here I am.

ALLIÉ: I’m just absorbing everything you’re saying.

MIKE: You know, people ask me how I’m doing, and it’s never just ‘ﬁne’. I’ve got layers of things going on. I’m always dealing with something, always digging deeper, peeling back layers. I’ve got this intuition, almost psychic at times. It’s why I think I’m so good at interventions. I’m calm in chaos, which makes a big difference. I grew up in chaos, honestly —my childhood was intense. Guns, mobsters, everything you’d expect from a wild upbringing. I learned early how to regulate myself in the middle of all that, and that’s been a gift.

ALLIÉ: You’ve been through so much and turned those experiences into wisdom.

MIKE: Yeah, I never went to school for any of this. I learned on my own. When I joined Intervention, I didn’t have a degree or formal training—just real-life experience. But I knew I could handle impossible cases because I’d seen it all. I’ve done interventions with four kids at once, and they stayed sober. I have this deep faith in the process, in doing what I’m called to do. It’s almost like I was meant for this.

ALLIÉ: How do you ﬁnd peace in such heavy work?

MIKE DIAMOND INTERVENTIONIST, AUTHOR & MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

“Everyone wants the ﬁnal product, the ‘masterpiece’, but no one wants to go through the process.”

MIKE: To me, it’s not heavy. It’s a calling. People need love and connection, and trauma is overwhelming. People selfmedicate to escape it, and I’m there to give them the connection they’re missing. But people don’t want to look inside themselves. That’s the hard part.

ALLIÉ: Right. We don’t want to face what’s inside because it’s messy.

MIKE: Exactly. People want to avoid the mess. But here’s the truth: you can’t create a masterpiece without making a mess ﬁrst. Everyone wants the ﬁnal product, the “masterpiece,” but no one wants to go through the process. The process is where the real growth happens. Life’s messy, and I’ve learned that real transformation happens when you face that mess head-on. You can’t skip over it.

ALLIÉ: It’s like we need to embrace the mess to get to the masterpiece.

MIKE: Absolutely. Everyone is searching for their potential, but it’s different for each person. If you don’t commit to the process, you’ll never ﬁnd it. Take sobriety—when I decided to quit drugs, I made a commitment: no substances, no matter how I felt. It’s simple but requires constant work. Most people want results without commitment. That’s why it’s hard for so many to stick to things.

ALLIÉ: Making commitments to ourselves can be the hardest part. The way you committed—no conditions, no contingencies—is powerful.

MIKE: Exactly. I left Australia with no plan B. I knew I’d make it in America, and I stayed committed. It wasn’t just words—I lived it. If you keep showing up, you’ll eventually get to the front of the line. It’s inevitable.

ALLIÉ: And you’ve been showing up ever since.

MIKE: [laughs] For years… I’m up at 3 a.m., stretching, centering myself, preparing for whatever comes my way. People think it’s luck, but it’s preparation meeting opportunity. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Every morning, I’m doing the work, preparing myself for whatever the day brings. That’s all I can do.

ALLIÉ: It’s refreshing to hear that success doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s hard work, but it’s straightforward.

MIKE: Right. Life is hard, but it’s not complicated. If we could learn to regulate our emotions, to be okay with feeling uncomfortable, we’d be better off. People are sold the illusion that they’re supposed to feel great all the time. It’s nonsense.

ALLIÉ: It really is. We’re conditioned to believe that feeling bad means something’s wrong.

“I want people to understand that they don’t need to seek approval to live their truth.”

MIKE: Exactly. But feeling bad is part of life. It’s okay to feel bad sometimes. We think there’s a magic ﬁx—a pill, a book, a program. But it’s about doing the work, being consistent, and delaying grati ﬁcation. You’re not always going to feel great, but you keep going. That’s the difference. We’ve been led to believe that if we don’t feel amazing, something’s off. It’s okay to be uncomfortable; that’s where real growth happens.

ALLIÉ: You’re helping people see themselves in a way they might never have considered. And that’s a gift.

MIKE:That’s all I want to do. My parents will probably never read my books or recognize what I’ve done, but I’ve made peace with that. I can love people the way I wish I’d been loved. It doesn’t matter if people don’t see what I see—my calling isn’t a conference call. I’m just here to help people live with awareness, to connect with themselves.

ALLIÉ: Thank you for sharing this. People need to hear this honesty.

MIKE: People need permission to be real, to make mistakes. Everyone’s so afraid of judgment. I don’t care about judgment. My life’s work is real; it’s about being raw and authentic. I want people to understand that they don’t need to seek approval to live their truth. When you’re genuine, the right people will ﬁnd you. ∎

Photo Courtesy: Kam Redlawsk

PERSONAL STORY BY KAM REDLAWSK

BOXED IN BREAKING BOUNDARIES FROM WITHIN

Remove yourself from the boxes you’ve limited yourself to because what’s comfortable is safer than what’s possible.

I’ve done some extreme living so people often think I’m fearless, but the irony is pretty much everything I’ve done in life I’ve been terriﬁed of. The way I’ve been able to override myself is by keeping focused on the goal and what is more important to me than feelings of discomfort, and what is most important to me is living life curiously & openly, and what I do to be of help to someone else.

As a child I had this unreasonable fear of being buried alive in a cof ﬁn. I was about 8 years old when I snuck into the hallway to view a movie my parents were watching when I saw a scene of a person being locked in a cof ﬁn alive. I wasn’t a fearful child, but this particular image never left me because all I could think about was how it would feel to not be able to move or speak.

Fast-forward 37 years later and this immobility I feared has become a reality. How weird, right? How Kafkaesque.

Because of progressive physical limitations I have lived life to relieve this claustrophobic feeling. I’ve sought ways to mobilize my passion, spirit, creativity & free my mind from the barriers we’ve been conditioned to believe are there but not. My mind is where all my mobility now resides; a never-ending 24/7 loop of creative visions & ideas that disrupt and populate my mind, so much it can be maddening. As my body has progressed, my mind has become more fervently imaginative which I’m so grateful for, but it also can be a source of incredible frustration when you’re in a body that moves so slow or not at all. I do what I can to creatively realize a speck of what is happening in my mind, but there is so much there to share.

Creative expression & curiosity has been my saving grace throughout these years of constant loss. My body is contained, but I’ve refused containing my life. ∎

The past is a place for reference, not residence.

KEN FALKE FOUNDER OF BOULDER CREST FOUNDATION

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KEN FALKE

CHOOSE GROWTH

FINDING A WAY FORWARD WITH PTG (POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH)

Ken Falke, founder of Boulder Crest Foundation, has been on a remarkable journey, from leading high-risk military missions as a bomb disposal specialist to pioneering Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) through his wellness centers for combat veterans and ﬁrst responders. After decades of service, Ken’s mission has evolved from saving lives in the ﬁeld to transforming lives through PTG, helping individuals turn trauma into a source of strength and purpose. Through his leadership, Boulder Crest Foundation and the Choose Growth initiative have become beacons of hope, showing that there is not only a way to heal but to thrive after trauma.

ALLIÉ: Ken, you've dedicated a significant part of your life to helping combat veterans, first responders, and their families through Boulder Crest Foundation. I guess my first question is, what led you to embrace this concept of posttrauma-related growth, PTG, and how does it differ from the traditional approaches to treating trauma-related conditions like PTSD?

KEN FALKE FOUNDER OF BOULDER CREST FOUNDATION

KEN: (continued) world as well. After he was in the Army, he became a cop here in D.C. After 21 years of service, I got out of the Navy and started a consulting business that had a fairly successful run. During the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I was a bomb disposal guy in the Navy. During the wars in Afghanistan, we had a lot of bomb disposal personnel killed in action and severely wounded in action. My wife and I started a charity really just to take care of the severely wounded bomb disposal personnel. There are bomb disposal people in each service—Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. We were serving this joint service community.

During about 2010, 11, 12 timeframe, the war in Afghanistan got really bad as far as amputees went. We had a lot of guys losing limbs. We had four triple amputees, meaning that they lost three limbs back-to-back, one from every service. When I didn't think it could get any worse, we had a fifth guy come in, Taylor Morris, who had lost all four limbs, or what they call a quadruple amputee. It was taking a toll on me personally, and I just thought, we've got to do more. We’ve got to figure out what else we can do. Our primary mission in our first foundation was to pay for these families to stay at the hospital. You can imagine a young guy who's from San Diego, stationed in San Diego, and his wife and kids and dogs and cats live there. He goes to Afghanistan, gets medevaced to Washington, D.C., his family's from Iowa, her family's from Florida. It's a big disruption to the family. We would pay for the families to stay in hotels, get rental cars, get meals, those types of things.

What I started to realize was that most of the parents that were there were my age. Most of these guys who were getting injured were 23, 24 years old, the same age as my daughters at the time. My wife and I started inviting their parents out to our house here in the Blue Ridge Mountains for lunches and barbecues and ultimately overnight stays if they had too much to drink, and all those types of things. One thing led to another; we had this big estate—it was a 200-acre estate—and we decided we would donate 37 acres of the property and build this beautiful retreat center. And that's what started Boulder Crest.

The ﬁrst year we ran Boulder Crest, it was focused primarily, again, on this mission of a family respite, families getting together and getting away from the hospital, kind of to a home-away-from-home environment rather than a hospital room. But one thing led to another, and I think what we realized quickly, maybe in that ﬁrst year, is that it wasn't so much the physical injuries that were holding people back. I mean, it was amazing to see, for example, a quadruple amputee who, in months, was up on prosthetic legs and walking, and it was just amazing to watch the physical recoveries. But what was challenging was the mental recovery. And after talking to many psychologists and psychiatrists around the country, I kept hearing things over and over again that the PTSD treatments we were doing for veterans weren't working. And the suicide rate was through the roof; at the time, it was about 22 veterans a day who were taking their own lives.

And one thing led to another, and I went on this journey to really ﬁnd something that might work. I met this doctor named Tedeschi, who in 1995 had coined the term posttraumatic growth. And it really resonated with me for a lot of reasons. One was Tedeschi's primary research was families who had lost children to cancer. And I lost my mom when I was seven years old. She died of cancer at 29. So I grew up in a family where, you know, the grandparents were, "You should never bury your children," you know, all those kinds of stories that you hear about bereaved cancer losses and family losses at young ages. But that story doesn't resonate with everybody who hasn't been a part of it.

So I had asked Tedeschi, "Have you ever studied anything in the military?" And he said, "Well, actually, I studied prisoners of war from the Vietnam War." And then he had my attention because I, as a combat veteran and as a guy who's been through prisoner-of-war training, couldn't think of anything worse on the battle ﬁeld than getting captured and tortured. And, you know, during the Vietnam War, I mean, these men were in prison camps for up to eight years, some of them. So that story really resonated with me. And I thought, well, if that community achieved posttraumatic growth in their lives, then everybody should be able to.

Now, what posttraumatic growth suggests is that most of us after trauma will learn from these experiences. And over a period of time, you'll get better, you'll get stronger, and all those things will happen. But that period of time is too long. So I asked Tedeschi, "Do you think we could teach people how to achieve posttraumatic growth early in their lives?" And he said, "You know, nobody's ever asked me that, but I'm all ears." And we started building a curriculum around trying to teach the science of posttraumatic growth. And our results are, they say, seven to 10 times better than traditional mental health care. So we're super excited about where it's going.

“I always tell people that suicide is really a disease of hopelessness.”

ALLIÉ: That's amazing. And my hope now that I've come—because I hadn't heard of PTG until hearing your story—is that PTG becomes as commonly recognized as PTSD, receiving that level of support and curiosity about what's really possible with it.

KEN: I'm glad you said the word "hope" because I think that's the real problem in the mental health world. I mean, obviously, there are lots and lots of challenges, but when I think of men and women who go to war, put a uniform on every day to serve our communities, and the suicide rate exceeds the rate of death that happens in these very dangerous professions. I always tell people that suicide is really a disease of hopelessness. And if we can create hope in people's lives, then you can really do some amazing things. So I'm glad you used that word, and we believe the same.

It’s funny because I spoke in Texas at a Texas Psychological Association conference, and psychologists filled the room—about 400 or 500 people. I asked them how many people had heard of PTSD, and every hand went up. I said, "How many people have heard of posttraumatic growth?" Maybe seven hands in a room full of psychologists. So it's been a challenge. Last year, we were super successful, as a matter of fact, thanks to a congressman from your state, Jack Bergman, to get Posttraumatic Growth Day put right in the middle of PTSD Awareness Month on June 13th every year. So we're excited. We're trying to get the word out, but as a small nonpro fit, you have some challenges with marketing budgets and all those things, but we're definitely making progress.

ALLIÉ: Well, it just speaks to the power of words, right? If you can reference something in a different way, that can change everything—to the point of what your shirt reads right there, you know, that "shift happens." That is possible for this shift to happen. We just have to create more awareness to your point. Let’s now shift to talk about resources. While resources for veterans, ﬁrst responders, and their families do exist at both the government level and the private sector level. There's a gap. So, my next question for you is, can you share how the Boulder Crest Foundation works to ﬁll that gap?

KEN: Well, you know, I tell everybody that I speak to every time we talk about why nonprofits exist, and it really is to fill the gap of the private and the public sectors and where, you know, people that can't make money off it, where there's not enough money, there's a big problem in a community, these nonpro fits stand up to help the communities. And it's no different than what's happened with Boulder Crest.

A friend of mine said one time that the goal of every nonpro ﬁt should be to put itself out of business, but in certain cases, you know, mental health, homelessness, abused children, cancer—I mean, there are a lot of things that just don't have an end in sight. There are many things that we can solve, but it's hard. And this charitable giving that comes in to support allows for a lot of great things, not only to support people but it allows for a level of innovation that doesn't necessarily exist in those other sectors either.

We tried hard to get the VA initially on board with the posttraumatic growth. Now, we've made a lot of progress in the last four years, and I'm very confident that our partnership with the VA now is going somewhere, and I think it's really going to help us expand. But it was a challenge, and I think if we had been a partner with the VA and tried to innovate the way we did early on, I don't think we would have gotten to where we are today. So, you know, I think that gap is filled by small nonprofits and bigger nonprofits, but we’re trying to just fill that little gap of posttraumatic growth. And I tell everybody, you know, as far as Boulder Crest goes, we're kind of an inch wide and a mile deep, meaning that we're very focused on the science of posttraumatic growth. We're not trying to solve every problem in the world. We just believe that there's a better way to treat PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

ALLIÉ: So, with the success of Boulder Crest and this Choose Growth movement, what are some of the most powerful transformations that you've witnessed in individuals? I guess, could you share a specific story?

KEN: I will. I'll share a story that I've shared a lot because I think it brings the point home. We've had over 100,000 people to date go through our programs, which has been, give or take, about 11 years. It's a lot of people. And I’m talking from senior military officers to chiefs of police to young patrolmen and patrolwomen at every level of rank and structure that we've served.

We’ve got a team in Israel this week, with people over there trying to help. We did a program with Ukraine a couple of years ago. There’s a lot of really interesting stuff happening. And when you hear the power of a story, as a matter of fact, I’m going to read you something that came in this morning from one of my teammates in Israel. So he said, "All's well here today. We had a great day and we did the Life Walk." That's one of our parts of our curriculum, this project called the Life Walk. It’s basically a walk where you go to different phases of your life and have conversations with who you want to be at that phase in your life or who you want to talk to in order to have a hard conversation. The walk was super powerful, and they needed a way to get outside of the current reality and find hope and vision for a life beyond today.

So those are the kinds of stories that we hear a lot. But one of the things we have at Boulder Crest and all of our facilities is a labyrinth. And a labyrinth is a form of mobile meditation. You walk around in circles, in and out of this thing, and you get to the center of the labyrinth, and something happens in the center of the labyrinth, and then you walk back out. Well, on the second walk—we do two walks in our Warrior Path program, which is kind of like our flagship program at Boulder Crest—on the second walk, the idea is that you’re creating this new story because the science of posttraumatic growth suggests that if you believe that today is the first day of the rest of your life, then you have this chance to change your perspective.

So we ask them on the second meditation to really think about what their new story is, what’s going to happen to them after they leave Boulder Crest and that experience, and to walk that meditation. Well, anyway, after the end of that walk, our staff normally lines the sidewalk, and as people come out, there are hugs and handshakes and all the things that happen, tears. And we had a guy that ran Boulder Crest, Virginia for years before he retired. He was a big Special Forces kind of guy, and he was always the first one to embrace these handshakes and these hugs at the end. And one of the guys came out of the labyrinth walk and shook his hand, and they were both two big guys, two big muscular guys. And Dusty, who worked for us, could feel something in his hand. And as the handshake ended, he looked in his hand and it was a .45-caliber bullet. And the guy said to Dusty, "If this program didn’t work for me, this was the next step in my life." And that's happened many more times, probably 11 or 12 times over the last 11 years, but it’s super powerful. I think people who are at that stage—a lot of people who come to us have tried the system, have been on drugs, have turned to alcohol, and all the things people do when they’re in these traumatic times and post-trauma times. And sometimes Boulder Crest, unfortunately, is the last place they come. And we’ve changed a lot of lives, and we’re super, super proud of that.

ALLIÉ: As well you should be. Let’s talk about your journey—from the Navy to founding multiple organizations and initiatives, including Boulder Crest. It speaks to your resilience and leadership. How have your personal experiences in the military shaped your philosophy around growth after trauma?

KEN: That’s a great question. I tell people all the time, the U.S. Navy made me the man I am. My dad had a lot to do with it as well. I had a great family that I was brought up in. But at 18 years old, a lot of 18-year-olds were not on a good path in life. I left high school to play professional hockey. It didn’t work out for me, and I started doing the silly things you do when you’re feeling sorry for yourself—mostly drinking a lot and fighting. And I think one day, I was just sitting in my apartment in Arlington, Texas, and I started thinking of all the positive people in my life.

When I was a kid, I grew up in a very military neighborhood right outside of Washington, D.C., and all my friends’ parents were going back and forth to Vietnam. And those were the times. And all my bosses at the time, my scoutmaster, my teacher, my guidance counselor in school—my guidance counselor in school was a World War II veteran. So I had all these positive influences. I kept thinking, well, if the military made them the good men they were, what could it do for me? And literally, I got in my car that afternoon, drove down to the recruiting station, and joined the Navy.

KEN FALKE FOUNDER OF BOULDER CREST FOUNDATION

CHOOSE GROWTH

Exclusive Interview with Ken Falke https://awarenow.us/podcast/choose-growth

The Navy really made me a man, and I think it gave me a lot of values. In the Navy, our core values are honor, courage, and commitment. Understanding what that means and trying to live that life, I think, is super important. It set me up not only to be an entrepreneur but to be a better person in life and realize that other people need help. That’s kind of how I got here. I had my own journey. I got busted up real bad in 1989 in a parachute jump and thought my career was over but ended up rebounding from that. So I’ve seen my own posttraumatic growth in my life as well. There are one or two other trauma-related events that have happened in my life, including losing my best friend. And those kinds of things, I think, just make you a better person and a stronger person. And that’s what’s happened to me.

ALLIÉ: I love how you mentioned those core values and taking them with you all of your life, not just for that chapter of you, but for the whole story of you. One more question is this, for those who have endured trauma and who know there's no going around it, over it, or under it, what advice do you have for how to begin to grow through it?

KEN: You know, it’s a hard journey, and trauma affects everybody differently. The advice that I give every day is to just stop and to really try to understand that you’re not broken—that something has happened to you that is impactful, and that you’ve got to surround yourself with change and quality people to get through the next part of the journey. Because if you don’t change your circumstances in these areas, then you will never go beyond where you are today. I tell everybody, “The past is a place for reference, not residence.” So how we navigate that and how we learn about this idea that there is light at the end of the tunnel—we may have to create it, right?

A friend of mine once said to me, “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.” And I said, “How do you know it’s not the headlight of a train?” Because that’s where we are. And it could be, if we don’t change our circumstances. And what we call at Boulder Crest “changing the angle of attack”—you’ve got to find a better way to move forward. We have a wellness model that’s based on mind, body, spirituality, and financial wellness. And those four areas of wellness—if you’re healthy in those and you’re working towards being healthy in those—it’s amazing what you can get through. And no matter who we are in life, how much money you have, or whatever the story might be, all of our lives are a series of ups and downs. And there are two ways you need to have good boundaries to get through those ups and downs.

The first one is the ability to self-regulate because people who can’t self-regulate and can’t take this time to understand why this traumatic experience happened—people who can’t do that, people who can’t self-regulate, often tend to selfmedicate, and that’s a journey to, you know, to hell. The other thing is to get good people around you. You know, we always talk about three-to-five. We know for sure that humans are the average of the three-to-five people they spend the most time with. So if you’re spending time with three-to-five bad people, there’s a good chance you’re not going to be a good person. We see this a lot in all sorts of communities around the country. I think getting the right people in your network isn’t always easy, but it’s possible. And if you just start with one, that person can help you create that hope and that path to growth. ∎

TAP/SCAN

DANIEL LARIOS ARTIST & CHD ADVOCATE

Photo Courtesy: Daniel Larios

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL LARI0S

ART IN EVERY BEAT TURNING HARDSHIP

INTO HOPE & HEALING

Daniel Larios, also known as the Cardiartist, has transformed a life marked by heart surgeries and uncertainty into a canvas of resilience and hope. Diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at just four years old, Daniel's journey through pain and healing led him to create art that unites millions of heart patients worldwide. In this exclusive interview, Daniel shares how his artistic talent became the lifeline that carried him through his darkest moments and gave rise to a symbol of survival and strength.

ALLIÉ: Let’s talk about your journey, Daniel. Your journey with congenital heart disease has left scars, both inside and out. My ﬁrst question is: how has art helped you navigate the emotional and physical pain of your surgeries? And how do those experiences manifest in the work you create?

DANIEL: Well, it has deﬁnitely been a journey. Art has been a constant through all the uncertainty, and I know that when words failed me, especially as a child, art was there to help me express myself. Whether it was through fear,

DANIEL LARIOS ARTIST & CHD ADVOCATE

Photo Courtesy: Daniel Larios

“I want people to feel less alone and see strength in this badge of honor, a symbol of survival and hope.”

DANIEL: (continued) represent. So in my work, I try to focus on that, which is why I often concentrate on themes like resilience, survival, and strength. The physical scars are reminders, but the art I create transforms those reminders into something empowering—not just for me, but for every other heart patient who sees it.

ALLIÉ: The work you do is incredible. Speaking of a speciﬁc part of your art, you mentioned that the logo you created was born during one of the most fragile moments of your life. Can you take us back to that moment and share what drove you to channel your uncertainty and fear into art, especially knowing you had a 50-50 chance of survival?

DANIEL: Yes, and I want to focus on what you just said—taking us back to that. Consistently in my art, I revisit those painful times. Although sometimes someone might say, "Hey, let’s create something for a speci fic gallery," my creativity comes from previous experiences. I want to channel that because I know there are people going through similar situations now. It’s a painful process for me. Some things I’ve already dealt with internally, but there are others I haven’t yet. I’m still finding myself and facing those “demons” to this day. The moment you're speaking of was a defining time in my life. I was undergoing surgery, physically weak and emotionally drained. Somewhere in that darkness, I found clarity. Those 50-50 odds gave me a new perspective. I realized that if I didn’t make it, I wanted to leave something behind—something meaningful that would unite other heart patients like myself. Creating the logo was a way to give back to the community that’s supported me since I was four. It was an act of survival, a way to tell myself and others in fragile moments that we can find empowerment that lasts.

ALLIÉ: That’s amazing. I love how you acknowledge that healing isn’t linear. There are ups, downs, steps forward, and steps back. You've used art to channel and navigate that journey. Millions of heart patients worldwide face similar struggles with surgery and recovery. What do you hope people feel or understand when they see the logo you created? How does it symbolize the collective resilience of your community?

DANIEL: I want people to see themselves. When they see the logo, that’s one reason I constantly wear the hat in interviews or live presentations—because I want people to feel that I’m representing them. When I created Cardiart as a brand, it wasn’t supposed to be about me but to represent millions of heart patients. I want people to feel understood, to see that the logo represents our shared experiences. When they wear it or see it, they can remember times of fear, exhaustion, and then the joy after darkness. The heart badge, with bandages and a smile, represents an EKG spike, symbolizing the duality of our journey—the pain and resilience within the heart. I want people to feel less alone and understand that there’s strength in this badge of honor, a symbol of survival and hope.

ALLIÉ: What a powerful symbol! Art has been your healing force since age four. How has your relationship with art evolved over the years, and how does it continue to heal you as both an artist and a survivor?

AwareNow Podcast ART IN EVERY

BEAT

Exclusive interview with Daniel Larios https://awarenow.us/podcast/art-in-every-beat

DANIEL: Art has always been there for me. As a child, it was my escape—a distraction from myself, my pain, and the events around me. Now, as an adult, it has transformed into a way to empower others. I continue to grow as an artist, and artistry is something you never stop learning. Every day, I learn more about art and about myself, ﬁnding new ways to heal through art. That’s why I encourage everyone, even if they don’t consider themselves artists, to try art. It’s a way to show progress—progress in life, in what you’re going through. It’s a voice without words, a way to give back. That’s how my relationship with art has evolved since I was four.

ALLIÉ: I love that! You used art to escape, and now you use it to express and empower. Your relationship with art is evolving, just as you do. One more question for you: creating logos and brand identities for businesses requires a certain level of detachment, but this logo is deeply personal. How does creating Cardiartist differ from creating a commissioned piece for someone else?

DANIEL: It’s unlike any other project I’ve worked on. When I created brand identities for businesses, I focused on bringing their vision to life. But with this logo, it was deeply personal. Every line, every stroke has meaning. It’s not just a logo; it’s a story of survival, of community, of hope. It was less about designing and more about storytelling. Creating Cardiartist was selﬂess, a way to give back to the community. It’s not about me. I’m taking my pain, my experiences, and creating a symbol that can bring love, hope, resilience, and even funding to charities. That means the world to me. I hope this lives on forever as a legacy, and the process has been both emotional and rewarding. ∎

Follow Daniel on Instagram: @cardiartist

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MARY DAVID

ACTRESS, SPOKEN WORD ARTIST, ACTIVIST & LAWYER

Photo Credit: Justine Formane

‘REFLECTIONS’

BY MARY DAVID

A CONVERSATION WITH MYSELF LEARNING TO MOVE AND BE MOVED

Six months ago, I accidentally wandered into a ballet class, and despite doing everything wrong, I knew I never wanted to leave.

As someone who had never stepped into a dance studio until adulthood—and even then, only for partner dancing— ballet and other solo styles always felt beyond my capabilities. I assumed I was too old to try a style that most girls explore when they’re between 2 and 10 years old.

I have never been so physically challenged and connected to my feelings and mind at the same time (and this is coming from someone who can do 20 pull-ups like it’s no big deal). In Latin dance styles, I was always so connected to my partner and the music that I somehow never really thought about myself. But in ballet, I ﬁnd a wholeness I’ve been missing my entire life.

My birthday gift to myself was a photoshoot to document what this experience has meant to me. I went into the shoot without my usual warm-up or stretching beforehand, which frustrates me because I know I could have done better if I had. But I am trying to remind myself that this is an art I have the rest of my life to perfect—and that we cannot attain our best if we don’t allow ourselves the bandwidth to fail.

Ballet is a conversation with myself that I never want to end. ∎

MARY DAVID

Actress, Spoken Word Artist, Activist & Lawyer www.awarenessties.us/marydavid

Mary is a storyteller and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual trauma. Drawing from experiences of overcomers of trauma and her own journey from victim to survivor, Mary creates powerful narratives and highlights pivotal realities through television and ﬁlm, legal advocacy, and beyond. As a United Nations Advisor on Women and Children’s Issues, Mary defended the rights of domestic violence victims and disenfranchised populations before the United Nations General Assembly. She also handled nearly 2,000 criminal cases as a prosecutor in Baltimore City, including numerous cases of assault and sex crimes. When not creating art, Mary promotes the advancement of women and ending gender-based violence as Communications Director of UN Women’s Los Angeles chapter.

Photo Credit: Justine Formane

DANIEL TERHUNE FATHER & FOSTER CARE ADVOCATE

Photo Credit: Renee Deckrow

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL TERHUNE

FOSTERING CHANGE

INSIDE THE HEART OF FOSTER PARENTING

Daniel Terhune is a husband, father, and passionate advocate for foster care. In this conversation, Daniel opens up about his personal journey and the challenges of fostering, sharing why community support is so crucial for families in the system. Through his story, you’ll gain a better understanding of what it means to be a foster parent and the real impact it can have on lives—both for the children and the families involved.

ALLIÉ: As a husband and father of two, you are not only dedicated to serving and supporting your own family, but you also support other families as well. Tell us your story. What led you to the work you do for foster parents and their families?

DANIEL: About 12 years ago, on our second date, my wife and I were talking about our future family and about foster care. One of the main things that drove me and has challenged me most of my life is the life of my grandpa, Vaughn, who we named our firstborn son after. I remember him raising their three kids and a foster youth, who I basically came to know as an extra uncle. In the 70s, he started a youth program in inner-city Flint. He actually had an office as a pastor in the courthouse downtown. He started a youth program and a small coffee shop, spending most of his days walking the streets just talking to kids. He would listen for loud music coming from houses, walk in, and sit on the couch to talk to people. I remember writing a report about him when I was maybe 10 years old, and while he was telling me stories about his experiences, he pulled out a manila envelope from the rafters in his office filled with drug paraphernalia and weapons that he forgot to return to the police after confiscating them. He just so frequently collected things like that.

That’s kind of where I started. When we were ready to start our family but weren’t able to get pregnant, we took that as a sign to start fostering. Getting involved with the system, DHS, and private agencies, we realized how much support foster parents, kids, bio-parents, and foster care workers still need.

ALLIÉ: I can speak as a parent myself—parenting is hard. I imagine foster parenting in some respects is even harder. In your experience, what are the most significant challenges of foster parenting?

DANIEL: I think it's changed a lot in the last few decades. You’re right—parenting is really hard. And trying to parent kids you don’t know and have never met is really difficult. They’re away from their parents, sometimes for the first time. They don’t know you, and they’re often victims of violence or neglect. We’re here as trained, statecertified childcare providers to lovingly support these kids like they’re our own, as best we can. The mission is to support these kids through this traumatic experience and reunite them with their families. That’s always the goal. Families do best together, no matter what struggles they face, but they need support. If you think you’re going to do it alone, much like I’ve tried some days with just my wife, it’s not a good idea. One of the biggest challenges is just getting support. Every community needs to support the families around them, whether biological, foster, or blended families. I’d say one of the challenges today is that people don’t check up on each other as much as they once did, or as much as I believe they once did.

local foster family and support them with things like meals or gift cards. Even small gestures make a big difference. If we spread the burden out more, it stops being a burden. We need to care for kids as a community together. ∎

Photo Credit: Renee Deckrow

MARK ROSMAN FILM WRITER, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MARK ROSMAN

KEEP COMING BACK

A FATHER'S STORY OF A DAUGHTER'S ADDICTION

In ‘Keep Coming Back’, Mark Rosman turns his lens inward, sharing the heart-wrenching journey of his family’s battle with addiction. Inspired by his own experience as a father confronting denial and ultimately ﬁnding hope through acceptance, the ﬁlm shifts the focus from the person struggling with substance abuse to those who love them. In this candid interview, Mark reveals how personal transformation within the family became the key to unlocking his daughter's recovery, offering a message of resilience, healing, and hope.

ALLIÉ: So, let’s begin this conversation with your ﬁlm. Keep Coming Back is such a deeply personal story about a family battling addiction. It’s your story. What was the moment that made you realize you, Mark, needed to share your family’s journey through ﬁlm? And how did it feel to revisit those emotional moments during the creative process?

MARK: Yeah, great question. I've been a ﬁlmmaker for 30 years, mainly writing and directing movies about families— generally very happy ones or comedies, like A Cinderella Story (actually for Warner Brothers), the Lizzie McGuire TV

“As a writer, we often revisit certain events in our lives. But nothing has shaken me to the core like this.”

MARK: (continued) spiraling into drugs, and after a lot of work that she did, she ﬁnally reached long-term sobriety. When sobriety took hold for her, I knew instantly—I mean, it was such an emotional ride—that I wanted to create a ﬁlm about this struggle.

My ﬁrst instincts, frankly, were to make a ﬁlm focused on her character—not her exactly, but based on a young woman struggling with addiction. I came up with some okay stories around that concept. Generally, writers gravitate toward such stories because they’re juicy and dramatic. But I wanted to create something that added to the story of recovery, and I wasn’t happy with those initial ideas.

Then it dawned on me as I looked in the mirror: I’m the character. I went through the transformation every writer wants in a character—an arc from denial and ignorance about addiction to ﬁnally understanding my role in her struggle and accepting her. It was a big shift, very meaningful in my life, not just in my relationship with my daughter. My wife, too, went through her own evolution and change, distinct from mine. Once I realized that, I thought, This is the movie. This is something I hadn’t seen before and could be incredibly helpful to the community.

As I started writing, I talked to some of the addiction specialists we worked with during our daughter’s journey. Two of them are now connected to the film: Sam Dresser and Garth LaMaster, both incredible people who helped us and our daughter immensely. I showed them the script, and they were like, “Finally, a film about the family and their involvement.” I knew I was on the right track, and I spent a year and a half to two years writing draft after draft until I was truly happy with it. Now, we’re moving towards getting the film launched, which is very exciting. And now, I think you had a second part to that question.

ALLIÉ: How did it feel to revisit those emotional moments? Because it’s one thing to go through those moments, but it’s another to revisit them during the creative process. What was that like?

MARK: As a writer, we often revisit certain events in our lives. But nothing has shaken me to the core like this. It involved reliving every stage of the journey. For the movie, it’s condensed because it needs a structure, taking place over a quick period. By the end, it’s hopeful, though it doesn’t imply everything is cured.

Revisiting those moments was challenging—some hard to look at, some even funny. This movie has humor in it, which is rare for ﬁlms on addiction. It’s dramatic and powerful, but also has humor, which I’m proud of including. Throughout the process, I met many people. When you open the door and share your vulnerable experiences, especially addiction-related ones, others open up too. It’s been a combination of rediscovery and seeing these events with newfound appreciation. There’s gratitude for the journey and its transformative impact on me.

ALLIÉ: That’s beautiful, Mark. As someone who has directed successful comedies and family ﬁlms, how did stepping into the emotional territory of addiction and recovery stretch you as a storyteller and as a person?

MARK: Another good question. It was a big leap. My career focused on what you might call “mass entertainment”— fun, sometimes silly movies. They weren’t about me or my struggles. So this was a huge shift. There was insecurity— wondering if I could authentically write a story that’s real, dramatic, and emotional. It was scary to be vulnerable, to reveal parts of my life. But I’ve been humbled by the positive responses to the script. I recently gave a keynote at a conference in Phoenix, sponsored by PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones), and the audience’s reaction reminded me that this isn’t just another movie. This ﬁlm has the potential to heal people, which brings a sense of purpose and fulﬁllment I haven’t felt before.

AwareNow Podcast KEEP COMING BACK

Exclusive Interview with Mark Rosman https://awarenow.us/podcast/keep-coming-back

ALLIÉ: Addiction often isolates families in their pain. What do you hope viewers in similar situations take away from Keep Coming Back, not only about their loved one’s recovery but about their own healing journey?

MARK: The number one takeaway I hope parents, or anyone caring for someone struggling with substance use disorder, get is to seek help. Find a community. For us, a parent support group and Al-Anon were invaluable. Support groups provided us with connection and helped us see we weren’t alone. Al-Anon was also transformative. Initially, I almost ran out of my ﬁrst Al-Anon meeting, scared. But they encourage you to keep coming back, and eventually, it’s not scary—it’s full of support and love. Support allows you to move beyond fear and misinformation. It’s essential.

ALLIÉ: Let’s now talk about denial. You mentioned it played a signiﬁcant role in the early stages of your daughter’s addiction. What advice would you give to parents who might be in denial about their child’s substance abuse?

MARK: We were in denial on multiple levels. When someone suggested we see a specialist, Garth LaMaster, we didn’t expect much. After meeting her, he explained that our daughter was struggling much more than we realized. At ﬁrst, we denied it—telling ourselves she was exaggerating. But eventually, we had to confront the issue. My advice? Keep your ears and eyes open. Be mindful of denial. Attend an Al-Anon meeting—just listen. You’ll hear familiar stories, which helps dispel the isolation and denial that can cloud judgment.

ALLIÉ: Let’s conclude with this: your daughter is now thriving after many years of sobriety. How does seeing her success today inﬂuence the message you want to convey to families still in the midst of their battle with addiction?

MARK: We are blessed. She got married recently, is happy, and thriving. As parents, we sometimes have to let go of expectations. The biggest lesson I learned is that if she’s happy, that’s what matters. I don’t have to jump in, save, or enable her—she has the tools now. Her success ﬁlls me with gratitude and reinforces the message of hope to other parents. There’s always hope, and even if struggles continue, Al-Anon teaches you to ﬁnd serenity in your own life.

ALLIÉ: You mentioned hope, and that’s crucial—knowing that a hopeful outcome is possible. Your ﬁlm will teach people that, giving them the hope to hold on and keep trying.

MARK: Thank you. I love AwareNow. Just so listeners know, we are looking for support. Independent ﬁlms like this don’t get studio funding and rely on donations. We’ve raised close to half of our two-million-dollar budget. If anyone’s interested, we have a crowdfunding campaign going, and we’d love your support. ∎

Scan or click the code to support ‘Keep Coming Back’. Visit ‘Keep Coming Back’ online: keepcomingbackﬁlm.com Follow on Instagram: @keepcomingbackﬁlm

RAU

MY EARLIEST MEMORY

A STORY OF ABUSE UNTOLD UNTIL NOW

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS STORY REFERENCES PHYSICAL, VERBAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SEXUAL CHILD ABUSE.

I think what I went through as a child is why I was able to adjust to being disabled, due to being legally blind, relatively quickly. Because having a disability isn’t in my or anyone’s control. It’s not something that was done to me maliciously by someone I love and trust. So it's easier to handle. I am proud that I share my story of vision loss and educate people about the blind/visually impaired community. That’s why I want to do the same with my story of child abuse. This was difﬁcult for me to write, but I think that it's important to do so, and hopefully, it encourages others to share their own experiences. Before I begin, I want to give a trigger warning for elements of physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual child abuse.

My earliest memory is seeing my mother crumpled on the kitchen floor, her face bloody and bruised. My stepfather then threw a glass bowl at her. It crashed on the floor and exploded; showering her with glass. I screamed and burst into sobs. My stepfather ran to me, picked me up, and attempted to comfort me. I was four, or five years old.

It may be hard to understand, but even though my stepfather hurt my mother in front of me over and over, I still loved him. It was normal to me. Even when I was ﬁve and he began to sexually molest me, I still loved him. After he molested me, he would put me to bed and sing to me to get me to stop crying. I knew he loved me, and I could tell he felt guilty, but it didn't make it hurt any less. My wrists ached with bruises from him forcibly guiding my small hands to touch him when I refused to do what he said. It wasn't until I was older that I realized how truly wrong that was. I did tell my mom about it, and at ﬁrst, she believed me. She even called the police, which started the process of having to be examined by a doctor ordered by the court and having to be interviewed. The medical exam was invasive and so painful. I remember having to be held down. But shortly after, my mother began to question me and tell me how if I sent Daddy to prison, we wouldn't be able to pay the bills, and we'd be homeless. It only got worse, and she got angrier at me the more I stuck to my story. She slapped me in the face when I insisted he hurt me.

When it was time for me to take the stand in the courtroom, I remembered everything my mom said, and I felt sel ﬁsh for doing this to her and Dad. So I lied. I told the court that it didn't happen. That's all I said. I yelled it over and over as my lawyer tried to get me to tell the truth. Afterward, my mother hugged me and said how proud she was. And when my stepfather was allowed to return home after a year of being ordered to stay away, she made me apologize to him.

When my little brother Dylan was born, the abuse got worse. I was put in charge of being his caretaker as Dad worked, and she was unconscious for hours or was gone for days. I loved my little brother more than anything in the world, and we became best friends. I remember teaching him his ABCs, giving him baths, and trying to ﬁnd something for him to eat in our nearly empty cupboards and fridge that wasn't too rotten. When I went to school and he could walk, he would walk to the school, that was just down the road, to ﬁnd me.

“My story, unlike so many others, ended happily… We got to be kids for once.”

I'd be called to the ofﬁce so many times and I'd see him sitting in the ofﬁce with a blanket covering his unclothed body, aside from the dirty diaper, with a snack and a drink. He had nobody else to care for him when I was away, so I stopped going to school as often. This only made the visits from Child Protective Services more frequent. We knew the drill when they knocked on the door. We would turn off the lights and the TV, and pretend like no one was home until they left. My stepfather had been living in California for work for almost a year when I was seven or eight years old, and we were getting ready to move there with him. I was heartbroken because this meant the only people were my aunt and uncle would be so far away. I'd miss the times we'd sleep over at their place and get to play with our cousins. She'd always send us home with bags of food. I always cried and begged not to go, and she'd hug me tight, with tears in her eyes, and promised she'd come to get me again soon. Moving to California, meant that I couldn't go over there anymore.

My mom bathed me, which was rare, did my hair how my stepfather liked, and put me in his favorite dress of mine to prepare me when our plane landed in California. She always dolled me up for him. My stepfather moved my mom, Dylan, my cat Quincey, and me all into a motel room. Being in a small room together meant that we saw their drug use a lot more. We lived there for about a year before Child Protective Services removed us from their care when they saw the conditions we were living in. Dylan and I were taken in by a wonderful foster mother We stayed with her for about a year and a half before we went to live with our aunt and uncle back in Michigan. They had been ﬁghting to adopt us and ﬁnally had won and were taking us home. The same aunt and uncle who we loved visiting growing up. Our foster mother cried and said that we were her last foster kids because she couldn't handle losing any more babies. But she was happy for us and knew it was what was best. We remain in contact to this day.

My story, unlike so many others, ended happily. Dylan and I got a mom and dad, we never went hungry again, our six cousins became our brothers and sisters, and we never had to endure abuse again. We got to be kids for once. Because of them, we ﬁnally had a normal childhood.

I've forgiven my mom and my stepfather ﬁnally. Drug addiction is hard, and they struggled with that. It took me longer to forgive my stepfather, but I'm grateful for him, because it gave me my little brother Dylan. We're still close to this day, and sport matching tattoos. ∎

TAYLOR

RAU

Blind Disability Advocate

www.awarenessties.us/taylor-rau

I am a 29-year-old legally blind woman, and my greatest passion in life is being a disability advocate for the community. It can be hard to speak up for yourself, but I'm very good at speaking up for others. Becoming disabled has opened my eyes a lot to just how inaccessible the world is, and I am determined to do everything I can to raise awareness of this issue to hopefully make a difference.

JONATHAN KOHANSKI

OPEN WATER SWIMMER, PHOTOGRAPHER & MS WARRIOR

Photo Credit: Jonathan Kohanski

PERSONAL STORY BY JONATHAN KOHANSKI

THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE IN

PURSUIT OF THE UNKNOWN

“You will never be able to escape from your heart. So, it’s better to listen to what it has to say.” -Paulo Coelho

If you can hear and feel that inner voice and compass, start there. That compass knows and points you to where you should be going, it knows where you should be going and is aligned with your path. It will not be easy, our purpose is growth and growth is not easy...if it is easy, it’s not your path. It will be scary, maybe even downright terrifying, it will crack you open and leave you naked and vulnerable, it will challenge you to grow, to be more, and to feel deeper, to think more about others and less about yourself. You may catastrophize what could go wrong and maybe sometimes it goes as wrong as it possibly could. Regardless, it will bring you someplace new and it will fundamentally change and challenge you again and again, this is growth.

I look back on my triathlon days with a profound sense of accomplishment. It did not end as I had intended, but it is the journey that changes us, not the singular end goal. I reminisce on my triathlon days because of what I was capable of and the drive that fueled it. Those early morning swims, bikes, and runs were some of the most serene and peaceful. Walking out to the shore of a lake in the dusky morning light, its surface smooth as glass, undisturbed by boats or people, even the wind had yet to awaken. I broke that surface and in just a few moments was gliding through the water, the only sound was the steady rhythm of my breathing and the light splash of my hands entering the water with the start of each stroke. The sun had not even broken the horizon yet. Those mornings were magical, an entire lake to myself, nobody around, I was up and swimming before most people were even out of bed. If I could rewind and do it all over again, even knowing it ended with a spectacular crash on the bike, I would. It was never going to be a long-term, it was not meant to be, but it was something I needed, it was a journey of growth. Just as the skills and lessons I learned from triathlon have made what I do today possible, the skills and lessons I am learning today will make tomorrows adventure possible.

Listen to that inner voice, go on an adventure, be a beginner, learn new skills, meet new people. Listen to your heart and leave it open to what life has to offer and be ready for it. Do the thing that scares you. ∎

JONATHAN KOHANSKI

Open Water Swimmer, Photographer & MS Warrior www.awarenessties.us/jonathan-kohanski

Hi, I'm Jonathan, I'm a wanderer of sorts, looking to further enrich lives and share experiences that show we are all capable of truly amazing feats that push my own boundaries and can many times turn heads. I'm a sucker for raw and real stories and attempt to share my own, with all the good and bad through that same lens. I'm always open to ﬁnding my next adventure that will help me to continue writing the stories that can help others overcome their own demons. I'm a lover of the water and spend a lot of my free time in it, whether it be swimming, body-boarding, or taking photographs while in it. I was diagnosed with MS at the age of 25 and it has changed the course of my life, not just in a physical sense, but also in my perspective of life, what is valuable to me and worthy of my time. We all have our struggles and triumphs, I'm here to share mine and maybe, help others through theirs.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Kohanski

Put yourself in

DR. TODD BROWN FOUNDER OF THE INSPIRE PROJECT & CO-FOUNDER OF OPERATION OUTBREAK

WHERE ARE WE? THE ESCALATING THREAT TO TRANS LIVES

Gregory H. Stanton, President of Genocide Watch, provides a robust framework for understanding the systematic process that can lead to the elimination of marginalized groups. This framework has been applied to different historical genocides, and today, there are increasing concerns that a similar pattern is emerging in the treatment of transgender individuals worldwide. Intervention is possible at each stage of this process; community members, allies, and the international community can help disrupt the stages and prevent genocide. But for disruption to occur, society needs ﬁrst to understand the ten steps and act instead of sitting idly by as the clock continues to tick for the trans population.

As you journey through the ten steps, I will task you with three things: First, ask yourself if you have heard, read, or seen them in action. Second, when you have ﬁnished reading, consider what step we are at as Americans. Lastly, put yourself in the shoes of someone on the receiving end of what is happening.

1. Classiﬁcation

Classification establishes an "us" versus "them" division, often marking a group as inherently separate or inferior. For transgender individuals, this stage is manifest in societal and institutional distinctions between cisgender (nontransgender) and transgender identities. Trans people are often regarded as "other" and are labeled in ways that isolate them. This is visible in language that defines transgender people as "abnormal" or "unnatural." In some cultures, this initial classification begins with religion or cultural beliefs, classifying trans identities as morally wrong or deviant, setting the stage for further discrimination.

2. Symbolization

Symbolization is the act of marking a group with symbols that highlight their differences. Although transgender people may not wear physical markers, symbolic exclusion exists in other forms. This includes policies that prevent access to gender-afﬁrming clothing, bathrooms, or healthcare and forced misgendering by authorities or within institutions. Labeling trans identities with derogatory terms or imposing legal classi ﬁcations, such as assigning them as "mentally ill," creates symbolic stigmatization. These symbols become tools for broader social ostracism and fuel the perception of transgender individuals as outsiders.

3. Discrimination

In the discrimination stage, laws and policies emerge that actively deny the rights of the targeted group. Trans people worldwide face this stage through restrictions on healthcare, denial of legal gender recognition, and discriminatory practices in housing, employment, and education. Many countries enforce or introduce policies that ban access to gender-afﬁrming medical care or restrict trans athletes from participating in sports. This stage is critical, as the lack of legal protection exacerbates vulnerability, making it challenging for trans people to maintain employment, housing, and even safety.

4. Dehumanization

Dehumanization removes the target group's humanity in the eyes of society. Transgender people often face this through the denial of basic human dignity and public treatment as though they are something less than human. Media and inﬂuential public ﬁgures may refer to transgender individuals using derogatory language, such as describing them as "predators" or "threats." This rhetoric fosters public distrust and fear and is reinforced through social narratives that depict transgender identities as something to be "corrected" or eradicated, stripping trans people of their human essence and paving the way for mistreatment.

5. Organization

Organization involves systematically planning the means to marginalize further, oppress, or even eliminate the targeted group. Hate groups and specific political or social organizations actively campaign to restrict trans rights, often spreading misinformation. These groups may use funding and in fluence to pressure policymakers to enact discriminatory laws aiming to make life difficult for transgender individuals. In some cases, they mobilize mass protests or lobbying efforts to maintain anti-trans sentiments and escalate hostility toward the community, creating a structural pathway for further stages.

6. Polarization

In the polarization stage, propaganda intensifies, isolating the targeted group and deepening societal divisions. For transgender people, this stage is marked by coordinated campaigns and propaganda that vilify their existence. Political leaders, influencers, or media outlets might disseminate content that demonizes trans people as harmful to society, framing their identities as dangerous, inappropriate, or predatory. This messaging cultivates an environment in which extreme measures are deemed justifiable, as it convinces the public that transgender individuals are a societal "problem" that requires intervention.

7. Preparation

During the preparation stage, concrete steps are taken to systematize oppression or elimination. In the case of trans people, preparation might look like laws that increase policing, strict healthcare bans, or legal frameworks that criminalize aspects of transgender life. Anti-trans laws begin to be framed as necessary "protection" of society, often in coded terms like "protecting children" or "defending traditional values." By institutionalizing transphobia in this manner, governing bodies prepare to marginalize and criminalize transgender individuals actively, further escalating the community’s vulnerability.

8. Persecution

Persecution occurs when direct actions are taken to oppress the targeted group, often through violence, con ﬁnement, or other severe measures. Transgender people face persecution through physical violence, police brutality, and discriminatory treatment in various aspects of life. Death lists or targeted attacks may not yet be widespread but isolated violent attacks or hate crimes against trans individuals, especially Black and Indigenous trans women, have become more frequent. Housing discrimination, healthcare exclusion, and other survival needs are systematically denied, pushing transgender people to the edges of society and increasing their risk of harm or death.

“Recognizing humanity in each person, regardless of gender identity, is the foundation of building a safe, inclusive, and just society for everyone.”

9. Extermination

Extermination is the systematic elimination of the targeted group. While not all genocidal processes reach this stage, transgender individuals still face life-threatening risks through a combination of hate crimes, police violence, and denial of essential resources. High rates of suicide among trans individuals, driven by extreme societal exclusion and dehumanization, are also symptomatic of this stage. Murder rates among transgender people, especially trans women of color, are alarmingly high, indicating the deadly results of entrenched systemic violence. In this case, extermination may not be carried out by one entity but by a system that makes trans survival almost impossible.

10. Denial

After any act of violence or death, denial emerges as individuals or institutions refute the oppression or violence that transgender individuals face. Governments or ofﬁcials may deny the existence of discrimination against trans people despite overwhelming evidence. They may claim that laws against trans rights are in place to "protect society" rather than to harm. In media and legal spaces, advocates of anti-trans policies may deny the consequences of their actions, shifting blame and refusing accountability. This stage sustains cycles of violence and prevents the trans community from receiving justice or acknowledgment of their suffering.

These stages of genocide serve as a potent reminder of the ways marginalization escalates if unchecked. Each stage offers a point of intervention, a moment when communities, allies, and the international world can take action to prevent further escalation. The plight of transgender individuals is a stark example of how this process can unfold in modern times. Addressing these early stages is crucial; by recognizing these patterns, societies can work toward protecting trans rights and ensuring that all people have the freedom to live without fear of persecution or violence. Recognizing humanity in each person, regardless of gender identity, is the foundation of building a safe, inclusive, and just society for everyone. ∎

DR. TODD BROWN

Awareness Ties Columnist

www.awarenessties.us/todd-brown

Brown is a winner of multiple education awards, including the U.S. Congressional Teacher of the Year Award, U.S. Henry Ford Innovator Award, Education Foundation Innovator of the Year, and Air Force Association STEM Teacher of the Year. Dr. Brown is the creator and founder of the Inspire Project and cocreator of Operation Outbreak, which was named the Reimagine Education Award for Best Hybrid Program in the world. He is also an Education Ambassador for the United Nations and an Educational Ambassador of the Center for Disease Control (CDC). www.IamAwareNow.com

PAUL S. ROGERS TRANSFORMATION EXPERT, AWARENESS HELLRAISER & PUBLIC SPEAKER

‘RELEASE

THE GENIE’ EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY PAUL S. ROGERS

THE JOURNEY OF RECOVERY LOOKING FORWARD WITH HOPE

Release The Genie Fact: The Genie is the real father of Billie Jean.

Recovery is not a straight path but a winding journey filled with challenges, victories and growth. Everyone is in some sort of recovery, whether from illness, injury, addiction, loss, a broken heart or trauma.

What I have discovered is that each recovery path we take is subtly different from the one before.

An amusing example of this is in my younger days, my parents would be able to tell how my romantic life was going from the car I owned. A different car meant a recent break up. Note to reader… I have had a lot of different cars.

What makes recovery a uniquely powerful journey is its underlying essence of hope and renewal. The journey is usually difficult, but it is also filled with moments of self-discovery, healing, and the promise of a brighter future. As we move through it, recovery becomes less about returning to who we were and more about becoming who we are meant to be.

On a trip to the UK a couple of years ago, I visited some of my old haunts with my family. I stood on the beach in the exact position I used when I was teaching kite surfing all those years ago. I felt a deep appreciation for that version of me braving the elements. I realized that I wouldn’t want to go back and do that now. The same applied when I passed the Solicitors office I worked in for those long days.

Recovery is not just about returning to a previous state of health or happiness; it’s about transformation. The journey of recovery offers us a chance to reshape our lives and to redefine what happiness, success and well-being means to us.

The first step in any recovery journey is acknowledging where you are and embracing the process ahead. This is one of the hardest parts because it involves acceptance. Accepting that something has changed, that life has shifted in some way, and that a new path lies before you. There’s often a temptation to focus on the destination, to wish for a quick return to “normal.” But recovery is not about rushing to an endpoint; it’s about understanding that each day, each step forward, contributes to healing. It is all about the journey and not the destination.

Resilience is a critical component of recovery. When facing adversity, it can be tempting to give up, to feel as though the weight of the struggle is too much to bear. But resilience is not about never falling down; it’s about rising again after each fall, no matter how hard it may be.

In recovery, you learn that strength doesn’t always mean pushing through without rest. Sometimes, it means knowing when to pause, when to ask for help, and when to take a breath. Over time, the setbacks and obstacles that once felt insurmountable begin to feel more like stepping stones which shape your future.

One of the most powerful forces in recovery is hope. It’s easy to feel discouraged by the weight of setbacks or the slow pace of progress, but hope is what keeps us moving forward. Hope is the belief that things can and will get better, that no matter how difficult today may feel, tomorrow holds the potential for healing and renewal.

AwareNow Podcast

THE JOURNEY OF RECOVERY

Written and Narrated by Paul S. Rogers https://awarenow.us/podcast/the-journey-of-recovery

No one recovers in isolation. The journey of recovery is supported by the people around us—the friends, family, professionals, and communities who lift us up when we need it most. They remind us that we are not alone, that others have walked this path before us and emerged stronger on the other side. For my part, the knowledge I now have to help another person makes my recovery journey feel like it means something.

Reaching out for support is a sign of strength, not weakness. It takes courage to lean on others, to share your vulnerability, and to ask for help when you need it. But it is through these connections that we often find the greatest source of healing. Knowing that others are with us, cheering you us, and believing in our ability to recover can make all the difference.

As we move forward on the recovery journey, it’s important to redefine what success looks like. In a society that often values quick fixes and immediate results, we can feel pressured to measure our progress by external milestones. But true success in recovery isn’t about how quickly we heal or how well we meet others’ expectations. It’s about your own development and happiness.

Gratitude plays an essential role in recovery. It may seem counterintuitive to focus on gratitude when you’re struggling, but gratitude can be a powerful tool for shifting perspective. By focusing on what you still have, on the strength you’ve gained, and on the support around you, gratitude helps you recognize the progress you’ve made.

Even in the darkest times, there are always things to be thankful for—whether it’s the support of a loved one, the progress of a small goal, or simply the strength to face another day.

Remember, tomorrow needs you. And your best days are yet to come. ∎

PAUL S. ROGERS

Transformation Expert, Awareness Hellraiser & Public Speaker www.awarenessties.us/paul-rogers

PAUL S. ROGERS is a keynote public speaking coach, transformation expert, awareness hellraiser, life coach, Trauma TBI, CPTSD mentor, train crash and cancer survivor, public speaking coach, Podcast host “Release the Genie” & best-selling author. His journey has taken him from corporate leader to kitesurfer to teacher on a ﬁrst nations reserve to today. Paul’s goal is to inspire others to ﬁnd their true purpose and passion.

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JENNIFER WALLACE AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST & AUTHOR

‘PEQ PERFORMANCE’ EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY SONJA MONTIEL

NEVER ENOUGH

WHY ACHIEVEMENT CULTURE HAS TURNED TOXIC & WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT

For five years, I interviewed high achieving adolescents from all over the country — from public schools, private schools, and boarding schools in cities, rural communities, and suburbs from the east coast, west coast, down south, and up north all the way to Alaska for my book

Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It.

It was remarkable to me how similarly these interviews went. What I heard from students was that whatever they had accomplished never felt good enough or not good enough for very long. They have come to believe that their GPA is their Greatest Personal Asset. One sophomore in a high-achieving suburb of Chicago explained why she was so fixated on maintaining a perfect 4.0 average: “You begin to feel like you’re only as good as your next A.”

Facing record-low acceptance rates at top colleges and rising tuition rates, a difficult job market, and acute economic uncertainty, childhood is no longer seen as a precious time to be protected from the harsh realities of adulthood. It is a time to be maximized in order to build credentials that will best position them for success in the future. That resume-building now starts in elementary school. Colleges have long-awarded its top scholars the honor of Phi Beta Kappa, high schools that have the National Honor Society, and in 2008, The National Elementary Honor Society made its debut to honor the best and the brightest elementary school scholars. And then there’s sports: college all-stars, high school all-stars, and now the well-known basketball website Middle School Elite offering a yearly round-up 4th grade all-stars. Children’s lives have become so busy pursuing achievement-oriented goals that it’s nearly impossible to schedule playdates, a reality that prompted my then 5-year-old son William, a decade ago, to recommend that I start scheduling “breakfast playdate” before school because that’s the only time his friends were available. Things have only gotten worse.

Critics of modern parenting say that we bring this stress and anxiety on ourselves, that we’re pushing kids too hard, living vicariously through them, too focused on a narrow definition of success. But what I have found interviewing hundreds of families and surveyed over 6,000 families nationwide, is that today’s intensive parenting style isn’t a personal choice that individual families are making alone in their living rooms. Modern parents are trying as best they can to adapt to some pretty extraordinary economic changes. With increasing wealth inequalities, stagnant social mobility, the competitive threats of globalization, parents fear that without their intense guidance and push, their children may end up “on the wrong side of the divide.” It is an instinctual response to the rising insecurity in our environment.

While it has always been assumed that each generation would be better off financially than the last, today twothirds of Americans believe their children will not be able to maintain their current standard of living. A 2019 Brookings Institute report points out that millennial adults are actually the first generation in American history who are expected to have less wealth than their parents. Only about half of today’s 30-year-olds earn more than their parents did at their age, compared to the 1950s when 90% of young adults were out-earning what their parents made at the same age.

“Despite our loving efforts, we are unintentionally denying our kids a key release valve to their gilded pressure cooker: close, nurturing, caring relationships that deliver ‘mattering’, the safety of knowing that we are valued for who we are, deep at our core.”

It wasn’t always this way. After WWII, from the 1945-1970s, economic expansion, government policies like federally subsidized mortgages, and the power of labor unions combined to grow the white middle class. Housing, healthcare, and college consumed only a modest portion of the family’s income. The American Dream of “perpetual progress” -- the idea that each generation would be better off than the last -- was practically guaranteed. There was slack in the system. So, parents could afford to have a more relaxed parenting style instead of today’s more intensive parenting.

Without structural support, parents, namely mothers, must weave individualized safety nets for each child. Researchers Melissa Milkie and Catharine Warner have termed this “status safeguarding,” the drive to ensure that our offspring (the carriers of our genes) won’t suffer from a decline in status. In our hunter-gatherer past, it was the high-status individuals who had access to important advantages—the first choice of mates, the first choice of shelter, the first choice of food—and were more likely to reproduce and pass their genes on. In modern times, like a puppeteer pulling invisible strings, our inherent drive for status plays a hidden role in how we live our lives and how we raise our children. Even just the slightest raise in our status—watching our son score the winning goal or getting a table at a good restaurant—rewards us biologically with a pleasant cocktail mix of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. “Parents don’t think about it explicitly, but raising or maintaining a child’s status is a basic form of reproductive success,” says Loretta Breuning, Professor Emerita of Management at California State University.

When we talk about pressure, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and loneliness in kids, what we are really talking about is an unmet need to feel valued unconditionally, away from the trophies, the acceptance letters, the likes, and the accolades. When we say that “pressure” is detrimental to children’s (and parents’) well-being, what we mean by “pressure” is a set of circumstances that cause our children to wrongfully perceive their value as contingent on achievement.

Despite our loving efforts, we are unintentionally denying our kids a key release valve to their gilded pressure cooker: close, nurturing, caring relationships that deliver ‘mattering’, the safety of knowing that we are valued for who we are, deep at our core. Counter-intuitively, in a world where one's status is often equated with a person’s resume, parents have the opportunity to play a unique role: to safeguard an image - in the child's mind - of their primary importance as a human being, apart from their achievement, British philosopher Alain de Botton told me.

Written by Jennifer Wallace and Narrated by Sonja

Montiel https://awarenow.us/podcast/never-enough

What I found in my reporting, and what academic research supports, is that mattering is key to positive mental health and to thriving in adolescents and beyond. Mattering offers a rich, intuitive framework for understanding the pressure assailing our kids -- and how to protect them from it. It offers a radical new lens for how we as adults -parents, teachers, coaches and mentors -- see our kids and communicate to them about their worth, potential and value to society. Our world of metrics and impossibly high standards directly undermines our children's sense of mattering. Research by Canadian psychologist Gordon Flett suggests that as many as one-third of adolescents in the US and Canada do not believe they matter. It's not that parents don't love and value their kids deeply. It's that too many kids perceive their value and worth to be contingent on their achievements -- their GPAs, the number of social media likes, or their college's brand -- not for who they are at their core.

This isn’t to say that good grades are not important, or that we shouldn’t expect our kids to achieve in the classroom or on the field. It’s just that our scarcity mindset has us thinking too small. Parental pressure can be a gift in the lives of our kids—so long as we’re protecting the right things. What ensures our kids’ success are the traits they can take with them into any future: a strong sense of self, the ability to bounce back from setbacks, and to make and maintain deep, healthy social connections. To do this, requires us to lead with mattering. ∎

(This essay is adapted from Jennifer’s book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – And What We Can Do About It.)

Jennifer Breheny Wallace is an award-winning journalist and author of the instant New York Times bestselling book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It. Her second book Mattering in the Modern World: A Solution to the Crises of our Time is forthcoming from Penguin Random House. (JenniferBWallace.com)

SONJA MONTIEL

Co-Founder of PEQ Performance Consulting www.awarenessties.us/sonja-montiel

SONJA MONTIEL (MA Education) is a cofounder of PEQ Performance Consulting LLC and cohost of “The DH Effect” podcast. She and her partner, Hilary Bilbrey, guide individuals, families, and teams to consistently reach successful outcomes through positive and emotional intelligence strategies. During Sonja’s 23 years working with thousands of teens and young adults worldwide, she began to witness many societies creating an unhealthy hyper-achieving culture that misguides our young people in their pursuit of living a life of fulﬁllment. Sonja is changing that narrative highlighting educators around the world who dare to think differently about education. (www.peq-performance.com) www.IamAwareNow.com

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EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY FARIA ALAM, TASFIA RAHMAN PIYAL, NAFIZ BARSHA, NAFISA ATTIRA RIMJHIM & MAIMUNA

EIGHT TO INFINITY

“We are all storytellers. We all live in a network of stories. There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.” - Jimmy Neil Smith

Once upon a time, 3 friends decided to try their luck at story-telling with some pocket money, production knowledge and a short ﬁlm “Atmahatya” came into existence. It was meant to be only a short ﬁlm about suicide prevention. But now? Team Bertho enters its 8th year with 32 core members, various awards in its bag, and its presence strong in 81+ countries through their power of story-telling. An epitome of how all the world needs to do is normalize failure, Team Bertho listens to stories of everyone and anyone and presents hope to its audience. But does hope stem from failures? As the Team director, Murshid Alam Bhuiyan says, “Failure teaches you a lot more than success and that’s what stays with us through life.”

Through postcards, this team has a unique magic, offering a tangible connection that goes beyond borders. Some of us express our heartfelt words to the worldly entities. Each of the postcards gives a ray of light to the introverts who can't share their feelings for the desired person. A postcard from Dorothea to Oliver made us realize that memories stay forever. Sharing from struggles to achievement, Team Bertho amazes us. In the same way, songs, ﬁlms, and words from different languages resonate deeply with people. They evoke shared feelings transcending cultural boundaries. By uniting hearts, these forms of expression remind us that while our languages may differ, our emotions are beautifully the same.

Moreover, Team Bertho's audio podcast "Berthodoler Caravan" shares the personal tales and wisdom of people from all around the world as they relate through life. It teaches us how courage, when faced with adversity, may vanquish our fear by taking a step forward and two steps back. It also acknowledges that our life never stops. We either battle in solitude or ﬁnd solace with others. Team Bertho strongly believes that our mental health is the most crucial aspect of our lives. This team, therefore, comforts us for not always being okay because life has its ups and downs and helps us realize that what is meant for will surely arrive along with endurance.

Team Bertho's 'Choritrayan' signiﬁcantly fosters solidarity, resilience, and shared dreams. It works by weaving individual tales into a communal journey, utilizing stunning photographs to graphically convey emotions, problems, and achievements, resulting in a more immersive and impactful experience. Furthermore, Team Bertho’s short ﬁlm 'Aatmahatya' brings people together by depicting universal emotional challenges. It connects individuals by shared empathy, emphasizing communal resilience, healing, and understanding throughout communities.

"Human Heroes"—projects by Team Bertho serve as a bridge, connecting people from all walks of life through the emotional resonance of personal narratives. Through these shared stories, the project fosters a sense of unity and empathy, reminding people that no matter where they are from, their struggles, triumphs, and experiences can offer valuable lessons to others. For instance, Pam Sarulchana from Thailand, one of the project’s featured individuals, emphasizes the importance of living life at one’s own pace and ﬁnding success in the happiness one brings to others. Her philosophy highlights that, “I deﬁne my success as doing something that makes at least one person happier while having enough me-time to pursue what makes me happier.”

‘BERTHO’

ERIN MACAULEY INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY FOR #SAMEHERE GLOBAL

Photo Credit: Zarina Khalilova

FEATURE STORY BY ERIN MACAULEY

IN SO MANY WAYS

THE MANY FORMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

After recently watching ‘It Ends With Us’ and finding myself unable to finish due to how triggering it was, I realized there was much I still needed to confront and heal from. I have endured physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive relationships. Recovery from these experiences isn’t quick or easy.

In my experience, emotionally abusive relationships are often more difficult to navigate than physical ones. Emotional abuse is insidious; it leaves you feeling as though you’re the one losing touch with reality. Recently, I was seeing someone who became abusive. At one point, he locked me in a bedroom, barricading the door so I couldn’t leave. I was terrified, fearing he would hit me. Thankfully, it didn’t escalate to that, but the fear was overwhelming.

Verbal abuse can be equally damaging. It infiltrates your mind, creating lasting self-doubt. I was gaslighted, repeatedly belittled under the guise of "just playing around." When my friend confronted him about how hurtful his words were, he dismissed it. Once, after a prolonged period of shouting, he barricaded the bedroom door, refusing to let me out. I stayed calm, asking him repeatedly to open the door. Eventually, he did, and I escaped to my friend’s balcony.

Domestic violence shows itself in many forms. Here are just a few ways it manifested in my experience:

• Humiliating me and putting me down in front of friends.

• Dismissing my accomplishments. He once called my work for this magazine 'just stupid little stories’.

• Using alcohol as an excuse to say hurtful things to me.

• Pressuring me sexually in ways I wasn’t comfortable with.

• Physically preventing me from leaving after verbally abusing me by barricading a bedroom door.

After speaking with my psychiatrist, he confirmed these were classic signs of domestic violence and expressed serious concern for my safety. He advised that if this person attempts to contact me again, I should report it to the police. While I’ve blocked him on everything, I’m prepared to take action if necessary.

Although I know people who have endured much worse, this experience deeply frightened me, reigniting trust issues I thought I had overcome. It will take time for me to trust anyone again, but I know I’ll get there one day. There’s one question I wish I could pose to him: If this were your daughter, what would you say to her? How would you feel if she endured this?

I am determined to ensure that this never happens again. I will surround myself with people who make me feel safe. I’m grateful to have supportive friends who have given me incredible advice and assured me they’ll always be there. If you’re experiencing anything like what I described, leave. It’s difficult, especially when you care about the person, but standing up for yourself is crucial. What begins with small, seemingly innocent actions can end in serious harm—I am so grateful mine didn’t. ∎

ERIN MACAULEY

International Director of Advocacy for #SameHere Global www.awarenessties.us/erin-macauley

ERIN MACAULEY is passionate about all things mental health and is a compassionate voice for those who are struggling with mental illness. Driven to help those most in need, through her vulnerable and open blogging about her own personal struggles, she lifts up others up and gives them hope.

DEBORAH WEED FOUNDER OF THE SELF-WORTH INITIATIVE

‘THE

SELF-WORTH INITIATIVE’ EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY DEBORAH WEED

FOOTPRINTS IN WET CONCRETE

There are moments when life feels like it's dragging you down, like you're walking through wet concrete, every movement labored, every step an epic effort. It feels impossible to move forward when the weight of grief and worry is pressing down on your shoulders, the world a blur of pain and uncertainty. I know this, because I'm there—right where you may be or have been.

It started with loss. Not just any loss, but the kind that rips a part of you out, leaving a hollow space you didn’t even know existed until it was empty. My dad—my best friend—was gone. I didn’t just lose a parent; I lost the person I could turn to for anything, the one who knew me better than anyone else in the world. His laugh, his wisdom, the way he just got me. It vanished in a breath, leaving silence so loud it ﬁlled my ears.

People tell you grief will pass, that you’ll ﬁnd your way back to some kind of normal. But they don’t tell you about the concrete. They don’t tell you that every day feels like you’re dragging yourself through something thick, something immovable. No one tells you how much energy it takes just to keep moving forward, when all you want to do is stand still, stuck in the past where things were whole and safe.

And then, before I could even catch my breath, came the next hit. My husband—strong, steady— was facing his own battle. First, the melanoma. Twice. I thought we’d faced it down, that we’d beaten it. But no. This time it was worse. Squamous cell, they said. Chemo and radiation, they said. And they said it in such a way that made it sound routine, like we were supposed to nod and get on with it. But how do you move on from that? How do you stay steady when the person you love more than anything is the one facing the unknown?

And then, of course, there’s me. Because life doesn’t wait for you to catch up. My own body had decided it needed attention too, a reminder that none of us gets through life unscathed. It’s as if the universe had decided to test me, to see how much one person could carry. How much weight I could bear on my back, how many steps I could take with my feet bound in concrete.

Some days, it feels impossible. There are moments when it’s tempting to just stop, to sink into the stillness and let the weight of it all pull me down. And maybe, for a moment, that’s okay. Maybe it’s okay to stop, to grieve, to let the heaviness of life’s struggles take over. But not forever. Because the thing about concrete is that, as heavy and suffocating as it feels, it hardens beneath you. It becomes a foundation, something you can stand on. Something you can rise from.

I think about my dad in those moments. He never told me life would be easy. He never sugar- coated it. But he always told me I could get through it. I hear his voice in my head, not with advice, but with reassurance: You’re stronger than you know.

And he’s right.

IN WET CONCRETE

Written and Narrated by Deborah Weed https://awarenow.us/podcast/footprints-in-wet-concrete

Every step feels monumental, like a battle I have to win just to get from one minute to the next. But every step, no matter how small, is a step forward. And when I think of my husband, fighting through his own battle, I realize that moving forward isn’t just about me. It’s about us. It’s about love, about carrying each other through the worst days, about finding hope in the cracks of despair.

The grief, the fear, the unknown—it all feels like too much. And yet, here I am. Still standing. Still breathing. Still moving forward, even when it feels impossible.

Because here’s the thing: moving forward doesn’t always look the way we think it will. It doesn’t have to be this bold, heroic charge toward the future. Sometimes it’s just getting through the day. Sometimes it’s taking a single breath when everything in you is screaming to give up. And sometimes, it’s looking at the people you love and realizing that, despite everything, you still have love in your life. You still have something worth fighting for.

So, I take another step. And maybe it’s small, maybe it’s shaky, but it’s mine. And with each step, I remind myself: I’ve made it through so far. One more step. Just one more. The concrete might be heavy, but it won’t hold me down forever.

Because the thing about life is, no matter how hard it gets, there is always a way forward. Always. Even if it’s just one step at a time. ∎

DEBORAH WEED

Founder of the Self-Worth Initiative www.awarenessties.us/deborah-weed

Deborah Weed is a whirlwind of creativity and motivation, passionately championing self-worth through her Self-worth Initiative. Her mission? To help families and their kiddos live authentically, energetically, and joyously! Deborah's journey began with a personal crisis: after dazzling in high-pro ﬁle roles like working on a $26 million pavilion for KIA Motors and being Citibank's Director of Development, she faced a misdiagnosis that left her bedridden for three years. Her discovery of a 1943 copper penny worth a million dollars turned her perspective around— if a "worthless" penny could be so valuable, so could she! Inspired, Deborah wrote and produced The Luckiest Penny, an interactive musical that teaches kids about self-worth. As a motivational speaker, Deborah brings fun and inspiration to everyone, proving that self-worth is a joyful, transformative adventure.

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‘BEYOND STIGMA’ EXCLUSIVE COLUMN BY NATIONAL SHATTERING SILENCE COALITION

LOSING EVERYTHING

A FAMILY MAN LOSES HIS MIND & EVERYTHING ELSE

The leadership of Maine and the mental health care system they oversee failed our entire family profoundly - and so many families like ours - leaving scars, heartache, and trauma that will forever haunt us all.

The story begins and ends with the father of my children, Justin, who was given the right to be unstable, but who was never given the opportunity to be healthy with appropriate treatment. This might sound backward to those who believe that the mental health system is functional, like I did. But Justin’s story has taught me that Maine’s mental health system is failing to help too many people with serious mental illness/serious brain disorders. It is also hurting their loved ones.

Justin’s story is filled with desperation for help. Justin was allowed to be dangerous to himself and others until it ended in murder. He killed his own brother, Gabe, due to untreated psychosis. The system then - and only then - “allowed” him to get better, while simultaneously punishing him for having a no-fault brain disorder. It feels like we are living in purgatory.

If I could describe Justin in only two words it would be “family man”. He was so proud to be a father. He was the dad who built a two-story fort with his son in the living room, using blankets, a TV and mini fridge. He was the one who woke up at all hours of the night, soothing his sick children back to sleep. He made superhero capes and double fudge brownies, listened to his children, and just wanted to give them a happy and healthy life. His untreated serious mental illness robbed him of that. His children have to grieve for the loss of the dad they once knew. And they grieve for the loss of their uncle Gabe.

Justin started experiencing symptoms of a serious mental illness in the spring of 2018, when he was twenty-nine years old. By October of that year, he had become unsafe and dangerous. He had multiple run-ins with law enforcement due to driving while psychotic or acting erratically at home. Eventually, a child protective case was opened and he had a guardian ad litem, a lawyer, a counselor, and a case manager. He had eight hospitalizations leading up to the murder. Each time he was released with no sustainable treatment that he would accept - because he didn’t believe he was sick. The most severe episode evolved into a high-speed chase with police, driving into oncoming traffic. He ran into the woods and hid until he was finally located the next day and brought to the hospital.

I had his counselor and guardian ad litem call the hospital to let them know what was going on. I urged the hospital staff to not release him because he was so dangerous. I told the inpatient social worker he was going to kill somebody. The response still haunts me. She said, “Well, I hope not.” The doctor discharged him the next day.

I kept holding onto hope that he was going to get help, that someone was finally going to listen to me because it seemed there were enough individuals who were aware of his condition. Especially leading up to the murder of his brother and best friend, we knew something was amiss.

Justin cycled through the revolving doors of hospitalizations, discharges, and law enforcement for four years. An outpatient primary care doctor was expected to monitor his medications. We later realized that Justin saw this physician only once in two years. His other appointments were with nurse practitioners or covering physicians. Where was the continuity of care? How do we continue to fail repeatedly? Why does no one have an answer?

988

SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE

HELP IS AVAILABLE. SPEAK WITH SOMEONE TODAY.

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are afecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

GABRIELLA MONTIEL SINGER, SONGWRITER &

FEATURE STORY BY GABRIELLA MONTIEL

A SAFE SPACE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS

FOSTERING CREATIVE FREEDOM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

When I was eleven years old, I would perform at local cafes and coffee shops. Once, I asked my parents to travel over an hour (on a school night) so that I could perform at a tiny cafe. I was nervous, as this was only my third or fourth individual performance. When it was my turn to sing, I walked up to the stage and looked out into the small audience. All of these adults had their eyes on me, some a bit tipsy, more bored, most excited to see the next performer. Right before I started singing, I remembered my last thought - I am terriﬁed. After my performance, I sat back down in the audience and remained quiet. They were a fun audience and there were other amazing artists who went up after I did, but I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. I was the only person under twenty- ﬁve, and although I wouldn’t mind that type of environment today, when I was eleven, it was intimidating.

It was around this time that a location nearby my home, The Cat and Raven Collective, came to my attention. The place was a display for many different mediums of art, all arranged and layed out in a way that was both comforting and inviting. The owner, Meredith, was looking for a community event to host at her location, as the space also acted as a source for events like art markets and creative seminars. She asked if I would be interested in an open mic night there, and if I wanted to perform for a small group of people.

Singing in the space was beautiful. I loved the way the sound traveled and how the audience were essentially a part of the stage rather than a separate group sitting below a stage. After I had performed that day, Meredith and I talked about keeping the space for an open mic night in the future. Remembering that intimidating experience at the tiny cafe, and thinking about how many people my age would never perform because they didn’t have spaces to practice their performing arts, the idea of Conejo Valley Youth Mic Night was born. I would never know how far this event would come until a year later.

Essentially, the monthly event allows for middle school to high school performers to share any version of their art that they wish. This could be in the form of a cover or original song, a poem, a passage from a story, or a monologue. The ﬁrst mic night, I had around eight people come. They were all my middle school friends and I remember being shocked listening to their talents. I didn’t know one of my friends was an amazing singer, and that another could play the saxophone. To this day, with close to 3 years running and representing performers from over 7 cities and 10 schools, I am still shocked by the amount of talent and hard work in our region. For most, Conejo Valley Youth Mic Night has been their only outlet to share their talent.

It is truly beautiful to see how far this event has come from that ﬁrst month in 2021. When The Cat and Raven Collective wasn’t able to host the event, business owners started contacting me to donate their space. We moved to another local place called Watch Me Creations, where our event continued to grow. When we got too big for this venue, we were offered a small black box theater, Jeanette Airen Studios. Owner, Jeanette, has continued to be generous with her space that can seat 80 people in the audience, offering a stage with lighting, state-of-the-art sound system, and a tech crew. At this time, we had received a sponsorship from TOArts, a non proﬁt organization with the vision to “broaden access and exposure to the arts for this and future generations.” They have sponsored our event for over a year, which allows us to pay for the space, feed the performers, and most importantly, pay our performers for their art. In addition, these events are not just for the performers, but the audience as well, which includes family and friends of performers as well as community members and business owners who are either curious about local young artists or general supporters for the arts. It’s an amazing experience to welcome everyone at the start of the show and feel the inspiration and support in the theater!

As young artists, it can be frustrating to pursue your passions when the world tells you it is not enough to sustain the life you want.

One of the performers I talk about often when it comes to the impact of Conejo Valley Youth Mic Night is Bailee. I met Bailee back when the event was still at The Cat and Raven Collective. She was a seventh grader. She has remained a bright light to our events, an individual force that seemed to command a stage. I could tell she had a natural way of interacting with an audience, able to captivate people in the moment. Watching her perform was always one of the highlights of the event, and I began to place her in the line up where I anticipated that her energy would be needed to ﬁll the room. Bailee has performed under a dozen times as of today, and I have watched her grow into an amazing performer, conﬁdent in where she stands with a pure intention to share the gift of art in our space.

As young artists, it can be frustrating to pursue your passions when the world tells you it is not enough to sustain the life you want. Who says, and who determines the life we want? For me, as I continue to host and coordinate Conejo Valley Youth Mic Night, I want every artist to know that their art matters, no matter the form it comes in, and that all of that hard work, all of that talent, all of that passion, can become something to fuel the life they want. This is the reason I am so grateful to all the people, businesses and organizations who saw what I saw, and believe in the same mission. My hope in sharing this experience is to expand these events to your area. Perhaps you are the young artist looking for a space, create that space. Maybe you are an art organization wanting to support young artists, sponsor an event. Or, you are advocating for young artists to continue practicing their art, attend a youth event. No matter the effort, I ask that you widen your awareness and ask, “How can I help create safe spaces for young artists to begin their successful art journey?” ∎

More about Conejo Valley Youth Mic Night:

https://www.instagram.com/conejo_micnight

https://toarts.org

https://www.jeanetteairenstudio.com

GABRIELLA MONTIEL

Singer, Songwriter & Ofﬁcial AwareNow Ambassador for Music & Arts www.awarenessties.us/gaby-montiel

Gaby Montiel has been nationally recognized as a soulful singer songwriter. As a recording artist, Gaby performs throughout southern California and has been requested to write and record songs for social advocacy organizations like AwarenessTies and Fear of Return. In April 2023, she performed as the youngest female music artist for the national Chick Singer Night Showcase at the Ventura County chapter. She recently performed for 300 art and music high school students in the Oxnard School District for the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, leading a songwriting workshop for 89 music students. She was also selected as the youngest singer songwriter for the West Coast Songwriter Association's Winter Showcase in 2024 as well as the only youth to be selected amongst 20 globally for Successfully Magazine.

Mural by: ObeyGiant.com

Photographed by: Eddie Donaldson