Give… Connect… Grow….
I had the pleasure of attending the Give. Connect. Grow event sponsored by GCG Financial, and it was simply amazing to learn about Elyssa’s Mission® and their commitment to providing adequate resources to prevent teen suicide. In addition, I had the pleasure of learning about The Business of Conversation from The Culture Group. I am a firm believer that we all can Give, Connect and Grow in some way and spread hearts to save lives after attending this beautiful event.
The Culture Group:
A BIG thank you to Jeanne Malnati of the Culture Group for sharing “The Business of Conversation” and the SASHET Approach.
Jeanne shared you “pick one” and extend grace to yourself and others in honoring how you feel. Encouraging honest face to face conversations in business. Ask yourself, “What conversations do I need to have with my team?” Aim to get the tough conversations done.
Jeanne suggested often we can get caught up in what happened THEN vs. NOW…..staying present in NOW vs. what happened THEN is important. She shared a technique she calls “Check-Ins” whereby you don’t run with an assumption be it about a perceived exchange with a co-worker or manager. A “Check-In” can be taking the time to clarify and allow for a deeper understanding by extending grace to another before settling with an assumption and carrying negative sentiments forward into work relationships. She advised it is as simple as, “Can I have a check in with you?”
Establishing a common language to keep conversations healthy and truthful is necessary. Finally, Jeanne closed with, we all need to just “Update our Files”. Years can pass by and we may hold onto perceptions of people but she pleaded we owe it to others to “Update our Files” because we simply wouldn’t want someone else to keep us as we were ten years ago. We all grow and change.
It was interesting to see the SASHET as these are feelings that are often shared among teens and business professionals alike. We are all humans and we all share the same feelings regardless of age and we can all Give, Connect and Grow in one way or another. I am truly grateful to have learned about Elyssa’s Mission® and spreading hearts to save lives.
Elyssa’s mission:
Did you know during suicide is the THIRD leading cause of death among 10-24 year-olds? Just hearing this statistic and learning that friends and classmates may not even recognize the warning signs is heartbreaking. Would you be able to recognize the warning signs?
Elyssa’s Mission® strives to help teens learn the warning signs and help prevent suicide. During the 2014-15 school year, they partnered with 71 schools (combination of middle and high schools) and educated almost 19,000 students through the SOS program and identified 1,053 students as being in need of some kind of support. Specifically, 355 students were referred for counseling services in mental health agencies, and 35 students were hospitalized. Those who were hospitalized were at imminent risk for suicide: students who were actively thinking about suicide and/or had a specific plan in place to end their life.
Elyssa’s Mission® currently has 80 confirmed school partners with several more schools that will soon be added. I am grateful to have learned about Elyssa’s Mission and their mission to help teens learn not only the warning signs of suicide but to help those in danger of committing suicide. It is truly humbling to learn about Elyssa and how Elyssa’s mission came to be.
A BIG thank you to Elyssa’s Mission® for providing the statistics and to learn more about Elyssa’s Mission® please visit: http://www.elyssasmission.org/
