Leadership Archives - Mental Health Motivational Speaker Teen Mental Health Speaker

Jeff Yalden Returns to National Student Council Conference

July 12, 2017 by Roger Yale

On June 27, youth motivational speaker and author Jeff Yalden was one of the showcase speakers at the National Association of Student Councils’ [NASC] 2017 national conference in Derry, New Hampshire. The three-day conference [June 26-28] was hosted by Pinkerton Academy, a secondary school serving more than 3000 students, and making it easily the largest high school in New Hampshire.

NASC is a program of the National Association of Secondary School Principals [NASSP], and has been around since 1931. According to the organization’s website, the goal of NASC has been “to help all student councils become more effective organizations. NASC represents middle level and high school councils nationwide. It seeks to provide a valuable leadership partnership between students and their school. It creates the opportunity for students to become effective leaders, thus encouraging and influencing a positive school climate.” Yalden was happy to be back. He was a showcase speaker at a previous NASC national conference 15 years ago in Cupertino, California. “The conference is for student council and National Honor Society kids and advisors from all over the country,” he said. “They learn all of the things that student council does to make the school and the community a better place.” He added that it is always an honor and a privilege to speak at this conference because the advisors have in many cases been with student council for as long as 20 years. “I grew up right down the road in Hollis, New Hampshire, so it was nice to be able to go back home and speak,” he said. His talk centered around personal leadership. “It was about who you are and what leadership is,” he said. “Leadership is influence – your influence on other people. I talked about life and the fact that, as a leader, not everybody is going to like you. You have to be OK with that.”

He talked about student leaders being comfortable with learning to know who they are – but just as important, also knowing who they are not. “I also talked about leadership and mental health – celebrating your victories but being someone that is real, authentic and transparent with other people – not trying to impress people, but trying to earn their respect.” Yalden said he tried to keep it simple with the teenagers. “Get to know who you are before you try to impress and win the popularity cote from people,” he said. For student leaders, Yalden stressed that winning a popularity contest should not be the purpose or the direction, but rather a more substantive approach with authenticity and example at the core. “In the end, I wrapped up with this simple question: Are you as beautiful on the inside as the world sees you on the outside? I really invited them as student leaders to take care of the person they are when they look in the mirror in the morning. Focus more on who you are rather than on how you look – and how you look will take care of itself when you focus on who you are,” he said. To discover more about Jeff Yalden, visit www.jeffyalden.com. Grab your copy of Jeff’s new book, BOOM: One Word to Instantly Inspire Action, Deliver Rewards, and Positively Affect Your Life Every Day HERE. Check out Jeff’s BOOM Podcast HERE. Join the BOOM Nation Facebook Group HERE.

BOOM Podcast Episode 5: Jeff Yalden From the Heart

June 19, 2017 by Roger Yale

Instead of interviewing somebody for episode 5 of The BOOM Podcast, speaker and Amazon bestselling author Jeff Yalden reflected on his experience of participating in the Dirty Myrtle Mud Run in Myrtle Beach, S.C. last month – and weighing on his heart was a message he wanted to share, the essence of what the BOOM is all about. The Dirty Myrtle Mud Run is a 5K race – 3.2 miles with obstacles along the way – and Yalden wasn’t feeling it on the morning of the race when his fiancée Janet Kelly woke him up. “She said that we had signed up and that we were going to do it,” he said. “I didn’t want to fight it because I knew I needed to do it.” But that morning, Yalden was not motivated – he wasn’t feeling strong, flexible or energetic – but he remembered his primary goals for the year when it came to his fitness: Be consistent and show up. “I didn’t want to do it. I was nervous. I was scared – but you know what? We all go through that. We all go through times of self-doubt, but I made a commitment,” he said.

Yalden with Fiancee Janet Kelly and Friends at Dirty Myrtle Mud Run 2017

This was about getting his blood flowing and his body moving. He was going to be outdoors in the sun, building up a sweat and seeing his friends. And the fact that it was a beautiful day brightened his outlook tremendously. “I didn’t have any expectations of what place I would come in. I wanted this to be more about self-care than it was about the end result,” he said. He showed up – and the BOOM had everything to do with that. “The BOOM was that I got up and went. The BOOM got me off the couch – and while I was doing this, I saw other people doing the obstacles. I wasn’t jealous that they could do more than me because that’s not the BOOM mentality. The BOOM mentality is that you are proud of people and you want them to succeed every day,” he said. Showing up is the magic bullet – and is a major part of the BOOM. Yalden illustrated his point with a story about basketball. “I am 46 years old, and haven’t picked up a basketball in quite some time – but if I was at the free-throw line with Steph Curry [Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors] and I took a shot but he didn’t, who would have a better chance of that ball going in?” According to Yalden, the point is that we tend to keep the ball in our hands.

“We’re afraid to dribble for the fear that the [ball] might be taken away. We’re afraid to take the shot for the fear that we might miss whatever shot we take. But if I take the shot, I have a chance of that shot going in. The point is that you have just got to show up – and don’t be afraid to show up because that journey starts somewhere.” Yalden said he came to realize that we are all at different points in our journeys toward being the best that we can be. Be patient in the process. And if that means simplifying and streamlining along the way, don’t hesitate to do just that. In this heart-to-heart episode of The BOOM Podcast, Yalden spoke of the stages of life: In your twenties, it’s all about self – about that job, that college degree and how much money you are making. In your thirties, it’s about success. You want people to perceive you as being successful. In your forties, it’s all about significance. It becomes a little less about you and more about that significant contribution that you can provide to your community. “I think about significance,” Yalden said. “I don’t care about standing ovations anymore. I don’t care about the grand applause anymore. I care about the teachable moment – when I know I am connecting with a person.” When a person enters their fifties, it’s about building a legacy. “Where are you in your journey of life? At what point in this journey are you going to start to really look at who you are as a person?” Yalden had a recent conversation with his friend, speaker and author John Crudele, in which Crudele shared a quote that Yalden felt compelled to write down: It’s not about what you go through. It’s about what goes through you when you go through it that makes you who you are. “You see, my friends – we don’t go over things. We go through things – because in the process of going through things, those things teach us so much,” Yalden said, adding that your thinking leads to your beliefs, your beliefs lead to your behaviors, your behaviors lead to your attitude, your attitude leads to your feelings, and your feelings lead to your choices.” BOOM! In this episode of the BOOM Podcast and in his Amazon bestseller, BOOM! One Word to Instantly Inspire Action, Deliver Rewards, and Positively Affect Your Life Every Day, Yalden says the BOOM is not about being in a place where people envy you. The BOOM is about wherever you are in your journey – and your journey is different from everybody else’s journey. “I want you to bring the BOOM every day,” he said. “When you wake up in the morning and you put your feet on the floor and stroll into that bathroom – you brush your teeth, wash your face, clap your hands – and do your dance. And when you go through things, make sure you give yourself a daily reward.” And Yalden is happy about the outcome of his day at the Dirty Myrtle Mud Run. “I did it. I’m proud of myself. I didn’t want to do it, but I pushed myself to get up and do it. I didn’t break any records, but I did it – and that’s the bottom line. Get up every day. Be consistent and show up – and little by little we become better today than we were yesterday. We become better than we were today.” Click HERE to listen to Episode 5 of The BOOM Podcast. For details about the BOOM Podcast, go HERE. GRAB your copy of Jeff Yalden’s Amazon bestseller, BOOM! One Word to Instantly Inspire Action, Deliver Rewards, and Positively Affect Your Life Every Day. JOIN the BOOM Facebook Community. For everything about Jeff Yalden, click HERE.

The Jeff Yalden BOOM Podcast Episode 4: Jake Ballentine

June 14, 2017 by Roger Yale

“What’s wrong is always available, but so it what’s right – and if we focus on what’s right, we’re going to find more of it.” – Jake Ballentine

The BOOM Podcast is an opportunity for author Jeff Yalden to drill down on the principles in his book, BOOM! One Word to Instantly Inspire Action, Deliver Rewards, and Positively Affect Your Life Every Day, while featuring folks from all walks of life who have successfully brought the BOOM into their lives. In Episode 4, Jeff welcomes national award-winning motivational speaker, musician and author Jake Ballentine to the show.

Jake spoke to Jeff from Idaho, where he and his wife were spending time with her family after the devastating loss of her father, a man Ballentine treasured not only as father-in-law, but also as a strong mentor. From Los Angeles, Ballentine was a contributing author to Jack Canfield’s Living the Success Principles. He is the host of the Focus on the Good podcast and the author of Your Number One Goal. He has reached more than a quarter of a million people over the past five years with his unique motivational presentations, which include his spoken positive messages and music. Not bad for a guy who was considered learning disabled and didn’t read a book until he was 18. Ballentine says Your Number One Goal is a step-by-step guide to reach any goal of any size, but before getting into the meat-and-potatoes of the book, he started with a story.

“There was one point in my life that I was a depressed motivational speaker,” he said, adding that most people would look at him or Yalden and automatically assume that they have got everything figured out. Ballentine’s business was going well, but he said his life was a mess because he simply wasn’t taking care of himself. He was 26 and tipped the scales at 280 pounds. “I was in terrible condition and was on what I call the window diet: Everything I ate came from my car window,” he said. “I was just in this horrible place, and my mindset was in negativity – and it really all stemmed from the way that I treated my body.” He knew he couldn’t sustain a lifestyle like that, but what really kicked him into gear was when he and his wife were told that they couldn’t have children. “There was a time where I just got so depressed about this because it was something that we always wanted,” he said. It wasn’t long before Ballentine had his Eureka! moment. “I realized I hadn’t done everything I could. Even though I kept thinking I had done everything – I had seen the doctors – done the things they told me to do – but I hadn’t changed my health. I hadn’t changed my whole life.” One of the principles Yalden lays out in BOOM is that life doesn’t happen to us. Life happens for us. “26 years old and being told that, because of your physical condition, you can’t have kids – is not a good place to be,” Ballentine said This event was the catalyst for change. Ballentine said he suddenly had a why that was so strong that he could push past any excuse. He transformed his life, his health and fitness – and dropped 60 pounds. Eight weeks ago, he and his wife had their first child, Jacob Oliver Ballentine, Jr. “I have learned some things that can help anyone reach any goal of any size – about how to find that motivation – how to be able to push past any excuse – and how to make a step-by-step plan and take action to make it happen. I put it all in the book.” In this episode of The BOOM Podcast, Ballentine and Yalden run the gamut – from how to get motivated and stay motivated – and starting with the end in mind. They discuss the value of breaking goals down into manageable chunks. They talk about the value of purpose – and the power of why. “You’ve got to figure out where you want to be a year from now – five years from now – and then narrow that down to where [you] want to be in five years to what [you] need to accomplish in a year – the next six months – the next eight weeks – and down to what [you] have to do today,” said Ballentine. To Ballentine – everything must point to a person’s North Star – their vision for the future – while paying attention not to neglect the smaller steps along the path. Yalden said this was another way of saying that people need to figure out how to drop the BOOM in their lives. Ballentine said that, to him, family is everything – and finding balance is key. “I think really the biggest challenge comes down to balance – and I think when any change comes in your life – you have got to figure out the new balance and what is the new normal – how you balance things – and it comes down to figuring out the priorities,” he said. Your Number One Goal walks you through three seemingly basic but ultimately very important questions: What do I want? Why do I want it? How am I going to get there? “Those are the three keys to success. You have to know those three things. You’ve got to know what you want, or else you are not going to get there.” Ballentine also explains what he calls “smart goals,” and warns against vague or half-formed goals. For him, a smart goal need to be MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT and TIME-BASED. This episode of The BOOM podcast is chock-full of actionable content. Yalden and Ballentine discuss the necessity of mentors, the magic of asking for help and the inestimable value of continuing education and personal development.

Ballentine had this to say about constant learning: “There is not a day that goes by that I am not listening to iTunes/podcasts/Audible books. It’s constant. I consume information constantly. I’ve learned more through these earbuds than I did in the whole four years of college,” he said. The point is – there is so much knowledge out there – and it’s available to everybody – in any format you choose. Yalden said this is part of the BOOM for everybody. “You can make excuses that college is too much money or education takes too long – but education is every single day,” he said. For more about Jake Ballentine, go HERE Click HERE to grab a free copy of Your Number One Goal. To subscribe, listen to, or explore to The BOOM Podcast, visit HERE. Get your copy of BOOM! One Word to Instantly Inspire Action, Deliver Rewards, and Positively Affect Your Life Every Day. Find out everything about Jeff Yalden HERE. JOIN the BOOM Nation Facebook Community.

Third Time’s a Charm: Jeff Yalden Inspires Hudson Falls High School

April 29, 2017 by Roger Yale

On April 11, youth motivational speaker Jeff Yalden arrived at Hudson Falls High School in Hudson Falls, New York, where he kicked off the school’s career day with one of his hard-hitting assemblies. For Yalden, the third time was the charm. “Weather prevented the first two attempts,” he said, adding that he was on his way the first time – and was actually in town the second time, watching a varsity basketball game the night before – but a snowstorm caused school to be cancelled the next day. “I had to leave and pay my own expenses to come all the way back, but – that’s what you do.” He said that assistant principal Danielle Kuba was his point of contact, and had been trying to get him to come back to speak for the past few years. Jeff’s assembly was followed by a career day, coupled with a St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser for childhood cancer research. In the assembly, Yalden drilled down on topics such as self-esteem and authenticity. “When things aren’t right in my life – even today – the first place I go is to the mirror,” he told them. “The fear of failure – you need to lose that real quick. Value yourself. Figure out who you are now – not who you want to be then – because then may never work out the way you want it to be. And it’s really important to figure out who you are not.” The kids participated in mindfulness training and were exposed to various careers, including law enforcement, education and the military. They were even given pointers on financial planning for their futures. “They had a few former students who were addicted to drugs and had to go to rehab and go through the court system. They came back and spoke to the kids, and they were awesome,” Yalden said. Yalden presented a mental health and teen suicide prevention program. The last part of the day was spent raising money for St. Baldrick’s – and this involved the shaving of heads, including those of students and event coordinator Kim Shea. Yalden offered to pay the difference to make sure Shea had her head shaved, with students chanting, “Shave the Shea! Shave the Shea!” “We raised more than $1000 to conquer kids’ cancer and a great day of school spirit. I am just really inspired about the day here – it’s about the relationship between the kids and the staff – and the staff and the kids. I think all of this contributes to a very successful experience,” he said. Shea was happy to see everybody participating in something above and beyond the confines of a regular school day. “When we have activities like this in our school that aren’t necessarily purely academic – when we take the time to connect with our students in different ways than we connect with them every day – it should encourage them to want to be here, and hopefully they will see all of us – all of the people from the community, all their teachers, their teaching assistants, the support staff in our building – and they will recognize that we really care about them in 100 different ways that they might not really consider on a daily basis,” she said. Kuba cited the day as one of the best she has had since she started there as assistant principal in January. “I loved seeing our kids in a different light,” she said. “I loved seeing them having fun. I loved seeing them connecting with each other – and to see them tune in to Jeff was incredible. To see them connecting with their teachers and the other staff members was just an absolute joy.” Principal Jim Bennefield was equally impressed with the day. “It’s just nice to see our kids live up to their potential. That’s the potential we know they have every day. We don’t get to see that every day, and hopefully we will see more of that going forward,” he said.

Jeff Yalden Electrifies Six Houston Schools In One Week

April 13, 2017 by Roger Yale

Top Youth Motivational Speaker Teams Up With 91,7 FM NGEN Radio for Week-Long Program Jeff Yalden, North America’s Number One Youth Motivational Speaker, spent last week in the Greater Houston Area, mesmerizing markedly different schools, teaming up with Houston-based 91.7 FM NGEN Radio, an alt-pop and hip-hop station, which, according to its website, is focused on bringing music and a message of hope, unity and love. Monday, April 3 started with two programs at Teague Middle School in Humble, Texas, where he presented to a total of about 1000 kids. “This was a very tough audience,” he said. “I promise you, nine out of ten speakers would just get laughed out of that gymnasium, but we had a great talk.” Yalden said it took about five minutes to get the kids to realize that he was legit and that he cared – and had the tools to deliver his message. He got nearly 30 minutes in each assembly, and was brought in by NGEN Radio. “NGEN is a positive radio station, and they are really trying to promote themselves and give back to the community – doing good things for the young people – and I am really impressed with who they are,” he said. “I am working with a team of people who are giving out a lot of T-shirts, towels and backpacks for these kids.” He said it is hard to walk into a school and do something good that the kids and the teachers like equally, but this happened at Teague Middle School. “We did more selfies with the teachers and the staff members than we did with the kids. It was pretty awesome.” His day only half over, Jeff headed over to Summer Creek High School in Houston to deliver his message to ninth and tenth graders – and he pointed out that afternoon assemblies are usually not as effective as morning assemblies. “When you are a funny speaker and the students go with a laugh, it’s very hard to get them to come back, but the ninth-grade assembly went great.” The tenth graders were unruly and disrespectful at first, and if Yalden wasn’t a pro, he might have thrown in the towel. “I walked off stage – and I’ve never walked off a stage in my life – and then [NGEN Radio midday host] Ayana Mack kind of lit into them with some harsh words like, ‘straight up, man – here is this dude who is pouring his heart out to you,’ so I gave it another chance and the kids were great – but I think it was the first time ever where I was like, ‘you know what – I’m done talking, let’s get the music pumping.”

NGEN Radio Setup at Humble High School

Each school had a dance-off with the teachers, which Yalden said was a lot of fun. Day two started out with a presentation to 300 seventh and eighth grade students at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center in South Houston, a K-8 school which includes a fine arts magnet program. “Outside their school, they have a brick roadway, and these bricks were hand-cut by slaves,” he said. “It goes right from their school into downtown Houston.” One of the administrators took Yalden outside to show him the roadway, and told him that it was a point of pride to the students and the community. “I got to thinking that this walkway is kind of like the foundation that we are built on,” he said, adding that he used a similar analogy with the kids – that our lives must be built on a solid foundation.

Along with a crew from NGEN Radio, the next stop was Madison High School, once attended by football star Vince Young former Texas star quarterback and first-round pick of the Titans. “We just spoke to the senior class at Madison High School, and we went about an hour and ten minutes with them,” said Yalden. “We had a great talk, but the one thing I wish was that the seniors were more present and opened their hearts to listen.” Regardless, Yalden opened a Q and A session, and he said that some of the students asked some incredible questions, and he realized that some of these students really were listening. Day three blew him away when he arrived at Humble High School to present to 500 freshmen and 500 sophomores. “I knew from the moment that I walked into this school that we had something very special,” he said. “The entrance reads, ‘International Baccalaureate School,’ and the foyer was absolutely gorgeous. Once we walked in there, we just totally rocked it.” Yalden said the kids were so attentive and respectful that he could well have been a preacher – and some of the kids yelled, “bring it” and “preach it, brother.” After that talk, Yalden headed over to NGEN headquarters. “I got to meet about 100 people from the radio station. They had an app last year and just went live with 91.7 FM – and their goal was to hit 100 thousand listeners. Not even a year later, they surpassed their goal and hit just over 200 thousand. At a late morning NGEN worship service, Jeff spoke for 30 minutes to staffers. “I got to share my story about my relationship with God, and talked about how God has impacted my life to the degree that He had. It was just unbelievable,” he said. Jeff and NGEN Radio closed out the week at two schools: South Houston High School and Welch Middle School – and thanks to an intrepid limo driver – he made his flight home. “I think as a team, we got better as the week went on. We just had an amazing time,” he said. To discover more about the Jeff Yalden Experience, visit www.jeffyalden.com. Give your school event a pre-summer push. Book Jeff now by calling 800-948-9289.

Jeff Yalden Delivers Keynote Address at Illinois Valley Community College

April 8, 2017 by Roger Yale

Top Youth Motivational Speaker Rocks 32^nd Annual Teen Showcase On Thursday, March 30, top youth motivational speaker Jeff Yalden arrived at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby, Ill., to deliver a keynote address at the 32^nd annual Teen Showcase – an event that aims to empower youth to make the right choices and to embrace a healthy lifestyle – avoiding drugs, alcohol and tobacco, goal setting and more. Teen Showcase is presented by a collective of regional mental health, medical and educational organizations in Illinois – North Central Behavioral Health Systems, LaSalle County Health Department, Bureau-Putnam County Health Department, Community Partners Against Substance Abuse [CPASA], Illinois Valley Community Hospital, St. Margaret’s Health, and Illinois Valley Community College. “This coalition is comprised of some pretty prominent people on the board, but what is great is that they are very, very supportive of youth programs: mental health, drugs – helping youth make good decisions and believe in themselves,” he said, adding that he teamed up with CPASA for a similar event the week before in Princeton, Ill. “They brought me in again today, but this was called Teen Showcase – where I was the opening general sessions speaker to about 620 high school and middle school students – representing 11 different schools in the area,” he said. Yalden focused on teen motivation, and he said the turnout was outstanding. Later, He received emails and messages on social media from young people, letting him know that his words inspired and helped them. “I guess I was a pretty big hit – and that’s a good feeling,” he said. Yalden is not a big fan of waiting to go onstage because he is usually naturally amped-up (he doesn’t normally drink coffee or energy drinks). To get in the zone, he sent up a prayer, did some mindful breathing and listened to some Jason Aldean – and in ten minutes, he was, as he would say, good to go. He covered a lot of ground in nearly 90 minutes, and started out with a question: “Who is the hardest person to get to know? Ourselves,” he said. He spent some time driving home the fact the world owes us nothing, and that he feels that, collectively, we are getting dumber and dumber. “We don’t think anymore,” he said. “We go home and we watch stupid reality television, and over five million [8.6m on Instagram] people are following [Danielle Bregoli] “Cash Me Outside, How Bow Dah.” He said that teachers start by teaching a subject to young people, but when you touch the heart, the mind will follow. Yalden stressed the importance of staying “in purpose.” “Something might take you out of purpose for a day, a week – a couple of weeks – but then there comes that point where you are like, ‘you know what – I’ve got to get up, man.’” He also said that that when you look in the mirror and you don’t like the reflection that looks back – don’t blame it on the mirror. “You have to embrace the process in life. Embrace it as much as it sucks. Embrace it because it’s the process that shapes us,” he said. To find out why Jeff Yalden is North America’s number one youth motivational speaker and to learn more about his programs, visit www.jeffyalden.com. Book Jeff now for your school, organization or event by calling 800-948-9289.

Top Youth Motivational Speaker Gets Back to his Roots

April 6, 2017 by Roger Yale

Jeff Yalden Inspires Merrimack Middle School and Endicott College On Tuesday, March 28, North America’s number one youth motivational speaker inspired seventh and eighth graders at Merrimack Middle School in Merrimack, New Hampshire. “This is probably the only program where I ever had cancellations because of snow – and then finally on the third attempt, it worked,” said Jeff Yalden. Having grown up just outside Merrimack, Jeff was happy to be back in his old stomping grounds. “A lot of my friends went to this school or lived in the community. I felt like it was good to be back. I loved the administration and the teachers, and we had a really great time.” He electrified an assembly of 600 kids and later presented an in-service program for the teachers, with a focus on validating who they are and the importance of their work. He also worked with 13 at-risk kids.

[Above: Merrimack Middle School Assembly]

Yalden talked about the value of a plan, and told the kids that it wasn’t too early to have a plan for their lives. He said that life will never be fair, but stressed the importance of resiliency. He spoke of trust and the human imperative of helping others. “You know what I think good people do? When we see our peers down-and-out and when we see that our peers need help, we help them out, right?” His teacher in-service program was well-attended, and Yalden pointed out that this was not mandatory for teachers to attend. Yalden’s mantra – Take Time to Think – resonated with Merrimack Middle School Principal Adam Caragher. “I said it in the p.m. announcements today, and it’s something I want to make sure kids are doing – taking time to think,” he said. Assistant principal Shawna D’Amour was pleased with the day as well, and impressed with the number of students who wanted to meet Yalden after he spoke. And a couple of Yalden’s talking points hit home for D’Amour. “Something I really loved is when [Jeff] talked about the Law of Attraction and if you are going to be a victim or a victor, and also – if you look in the mirror, is the person inside as beautiful as the person on the outside. I think that resonated with some of the kids,” she said. As soon as he was finished in Merrimack, Yalden drove 60 miles to Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., where he presented fun program that night called Real Talk for Real Men. Although he said he was expecting to see perhaps 30 students, more than 120 showed up “Quite a few women came out too, and it was awesome,” he said. “I love college students because you can be real and you get to talk the way you want to. After his talk, Yalden was surprised that probably 50 students lined up to shake his hand. Some of them said he was the best speaker they heard in their four years on campus. To discover more about Jeff’s programs, visit www.jeffyalden.com. Jeff’s speaking calendar fills up fast. To book him now, call 800-948-9289.

Mental Health Awareness at Anoka Ramsey Community College

March 27, 2017 by Roger Yale

Jeff Yalden Electrifies Cambridge, MN By Roger Yale for Jeff Yalden, Youth Motivational Speaker On Wednesday, March 22, Jeff Yalden brought his motivational and mental health expertise to Anoka Ramsey Community College in Cambridge, MN, where he spent a full day with the psychology club and the counseling department. Anoka Ramsey was a top-ten finalist for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence through the Aspen Institute, which is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to educational and policy studies. After breakfast, Yalden spoke with college staff about a message board out in the hallway which had been seen a spike in negative feedback about emotions. “The board usually inspires kids to come check it out, and they would post questions on it, but the school was becoming concerned about their mental health and mental awareness – so they decided to take action and brought me in,” he said. The first step was mindfulness training, which began with an exercise to chart anxiety levels on a scale from one to ten, with ten being the highest. “For us to be healthy, I think we should be operating between two and four,” he said, adding that celebrating little victories and small accomplishments is a good way step back and provide a needed mental break. He spent some time teaching a basic meditation practice of focusing only on breath – the inhale and the exhale – for two minutes. “This slows down your brain – slows the process down,” he said. “We are concerned with how many likes we have on Instagram or who is following us on Snapchat. I think the best thing for you guys is to work hard at finding out who you are – and who you are not.” He went on to talk about his battles with mental health and depression and then shifted to mental health awareness and suicide prevention – how to look out for your friends and not being afraid to say something. “Somebody that isn’t mentally healthy is not thinking in the right frame of mind,” he said. Yalden stressed the importance of getting back “in purpose” after a setback or crisis. “When there is something not right in my life, I go right to the mirror. Take responsibility and be your best advocate.” But sometimes the first and best thing a person can do is to ask for help. “Sometimes the down periods last longer than usual. This is usually the result of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters being out-of-balance.” Two contributing factors to suicide can be dysthymia [a persistent mild depression] and adjustment disorder [usually following a stressful life event like a death of a loved one, moving, divorce, changing schools]. “If you have any of these for more than two weeks, go talk to somebody,” he said. One student told him, “My tomorrow will be better, and I will not feel down about it. I don’t let myself down because I love myself.” Impressed, Yalden built on that: “You are doing the little things every day to make tomorrow better than today – and you are making today better than yesterday.” But this requires consistency. “That’s an incredible discipline that you have to do every day. The problem is, you can’t just do it once in a while. You do it every single day and your whole life will change,” he said. To find out why Jeff Yalden is North America’s Number One Youth Motivational Speaker, visit www.jeffyalden.com. Book Jeff now for your next event by calling 800-948-9289.

Jeff Yalden Inspires Lindenwood University

March 25, 2017 by Jeff Yalden, Youth Motivational Speaker

By Roger Yale for Jeff Yalden, Youth Motivational Speaker After he was already booked to speak at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO, North America’s Number One Youth Motivational Speaker Jeff Yalden got an email that there had been a student suicide on campus. “The young man was a sophomore and part of the men’s lacrosse team, and as you can imagine – this rattled the community and the school,” he said, adding that the athletic director asked Yalden if he could come in a day early to speak with the athletes, because they would be out of town competing on March 21, the day he was to speak. This would have involved changing his existing flights, resulting in additional fees that would be passed on to the school. “They said they didn’t have that in their budget, and this weighed on my heart. I told them I would come in on my dime and do it for free. I’d spend an extra day and then come back on the second night,” he said. Ultimately, the school decided to go a different route, and Yalden spoke on the day he was scheduled. “We had a great turnout. About 150 people showed up to the mental health/suicide prevention talk – and we didn’t really talk about the suicide too much, but we addressed it.” Yalden did, however, talk heavily about his three-point theory about teen suicide: 1) I am alone. 2) I am a burden and a liability to other people. 3) I have the desire for suicide. He talked about major depression, which is short but severe – causing young people to feel as if it will never end and prompt a suicide attempt. He mentioned dysthymia, which is a lower-level but constant depression that can also lead to suicide if left undiagnosed. “Suicide is the culmination of a lot of things, and one thing can be the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said, and addressed the stigma attached to mental health. “None of you are laughing at me because I have glasses – and if I put my glasses on, life gets a little better. Same thing with therapy or maybe going to the doctor and taking medication. You [should] be your best advocate.” Yalden spent some time talking about cell phones and social media, and the effect these things are having on young people today, and said video will soon overtake all other types of content by 2020. Indeed, a recent Cisco study predicted that video will account for 75 percent of web traffic by 2020 [Source: Tubularinsights.com]. “That tells us that if young people are having trouble with social media today, it’s only going to get worse,” he said. Other hot topics that night were boundaries and balance. “I talked a bit about mental health, asking for help, learning how to put priorities and boundaries into their lives – learning to say know and learning to close their circle. It was a well-rounded program. To find out more about Jeff Yalden’s impactful speaking programs, visit www.jeffyalden.com. Jeff’s schedule fills up fast. To book him now for your event or school, call 800-948-9289.

Missouri Communities Rocked by Teen Suicide

March 20, 2017 by Jeff Yalden, Youth Motivational Speaker

Jeff Yalden Shares Messages of Hope and Comfort to Missouri Communities Rocked by Teen Suicides By Roger Yale for Jeff Yalden, Youth Motivational Speaker According to teen suicide prevention expert Jeff Yalden, the state of Missouri is going through a really tough time right now when it comes to teen suicide. Three weeks ago, Yalden delivered a comprehensive presentation about teen suicide and mental health in Hannibal, MO, and returned this week to Brookfield and Barnard, MO, two communities that are still reeling from the losses of two irreplaceable young people. BROOKFIELD On Tuesday, March 7, students from five schools in Linn County converged on Brookfield High School to hear Jeff Yalden speak to them on their level, and planting seeds of hope, enthusiasm and perseverance – and what he calls a drive for success in their journey of life. He captivated middle and high-schoolers, urging them to live in the now and what that might mean – the ups and downs, the challenges and the victories wrapped up in the everyday moments that, strung together, make up a life. The assembly was only the beginning for Yalden. He was booked by Angie Wallace, who founded the Taylor Gilpin Wallace Foundation for Suicide Prevention on behalf of her son after her son made the forever decision to take his own life. “Angie brought me in for an all-day event – high school kids, middle school kids, a luncheon with the community and a parent program – very similar to Hannibal,” he said, adding that Wallace and her son Tanner attended the program in Hannibal. The luncheon was attended by student council kids, physicians, the CEO of the local hospital, prominent community members and the executive director of the Missouri Association of Student Councils, Terri Johnson. A young man stood up and shared his story from when he was contemplating suicide. “Really, what this day was about was inviting the community to open their hearts and minds and understand mental health and teen suicide and how real it is,” he said. Following a dinner with the Wallace family, which Jeff cites as amazing, warm and generous, it was off to the parent program – which was set up at Park Baptist Church in Brookfield. The program was live on Wallace’s foundation page, garnering appreciative comments from as far afield as Texas. “We had about 200 community members come out to my parent program,” he said. “We had clear eyes and full hearts. We shed tears. We also laughed and did some reflecting. It was a beautiful day.” BARNARD That night, Yalden drove more than two hours to Barnard, MO, where just four weeks ago, a young lady named Baylee ended her own at just 16. “A lot of teachers and counselors said that Baylee was probably the most popular junior in her class and that she was an old soul,” he said, adding that Baylee’s grandfather also committed suicide, and that they were very close. “Baylee had a disease that was a little bit debilitating, but she learned how to deal with it. She had a great personality – vibrant and ornery. You couldn’t help but to love her, they say.” She took her life on February 5 – Super Bowl Sunday. He spoke at South Nodaway High School and noted that the principal, Darbi Bauman, was actually Baylee’s aunt. Guidance counselor Nick Wray coordinated the event, and Yalden met with all the classes individually before delivering a speech at the full assembly. The school serves grades 7-12 with total enrollment of 84 students. Students from nearby Jefferson High School attended the assembly as well. After a brief visit with faculty and staff, Yalden visited Baylee’s family’s house. “I sat down with mom, dad and her sister and heard the story. I read the suicide letter and saw Baylee’s bedroom,” he said. Yalden also saw Baylee’s scrapbook at school, and helped her fellow students clean out her locker – a poignant moment, but one which gave these young people a sense of closure. At the family home, Yalden was hit with a realization. “For the first time in my life, I think I’d come to realize that not all suicides are a selfish individual act, and there’s so much more to explain how I feel about this situation – but Baylee knew what she was doing. It was a combination of many things, and I think Baylee was just really, really tired.” However, Yalden said this left the community rocked to the core. “There is heartache. Everybody is hurting. They were very concerned with the kids and them moving forward. This is a very tight community,” he said. He closed out the night with a family/community program attended by more than 200 family members. “After leaving that community and hearing the hearts of everybody and the pain in those hearts, I’ll tell you – Baylee was definitely the one girl you would want to meet. To discover more about North America’s Number One Youth Motivational Speaker – visit www.jeffyalden.com. Book Jeff now by calling 800-948-9289.

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