MENTAL HEALTH SPEAKERS FOR SCHOOLS

MENTAL HEALTH SPEAKERS

We've had overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff, students and parents. I'm so glad we had the opportunity and we know it's had such a positive impact on all of us." - Principal, Boambee Primary

If you've read my previous blogs or portfolio posts, you'd know as a motivational speakers for schools and mental health speakers events, I usually have to travel pretty far, either by plane, car, or both. This time, being guest speakers for kids at Boambee Public school, it was only a short 3 and a half hour drive. I know 3 and a half hours seems big, and in the past, I'd think the same. However, I've been having some monumental tours with tens of hours of driving for each, so this trip was easy done.

How the talk for Boambee Public school looked;

1pm Guest speakers for schools where I'd speak to Yrs 3-6

6pm Mental Health speakers where I would speak with the parents and teachers of Boambee Public school.

Leaving home with my USB, presentation pointer, bag of food and water, and of course, copies of my book, Stabbed Ego (GRAB YOURS HERE!), I was good to go!

I traveled on to Ballina, so I could train legs at the gym. 

After training legs, I jumped in my car, and with my new ETA at 12:20, I was right on schedule. Cruising along listening to different podcast, the trip seems to just go along nicely.

I stopped at a servo near the school to have a snack, use the toilet, freshen up after my gym session, and change my clothes. I was all set and ready to be guest speakers for kids at the primary school.

Arriving at the school, I spoke with the beautiful lady in reception and was then introduced to the acting deputy principal (principal I was organising my visit with was at a conference in Sydney).

We walked into the hall, set up, and in came all the students. The hall was packed with the little ones sitting on the floor, and their eager faces sussing me out. When speaking at primary schools, a lot of the students wave to me, smile, and ask who I am. Love the fresh and inquisitive energy :-)

It's always nice when speaking to see students and teachers nodding their heads as I'm delivering my points. I have full trust in my story and content, however, it doesn't matter how quality it is, if the audience isn't listening or open minded, it's not going to get in there. Seeing the students thinking deeply, and nodding is always a beautiful moment for me.

During the talk, students in primary school often put their hands up to ask questions. Often I get them to express, other times, if we are running a right schedule, I have to postpone until the end. I had to postpone a few to the end, and finally as I delivered my last line, the students and teachers all enthusiastically applauded. That moment right there is absolute bliss for me.

Question time!

And wow, there was some real deep ones. One by an amazing little soul, who asked "how do you get through your tough times now...?"

She smiled from ear to ear as I told her and could see her thinking deeply as well. Did I mention how much I love speaking???

After about 20 mins of question time (which cut into their lunch time), it was all said and done. One of the teachers then got on stage and asked for 3 people to say what they're going to instantly change in their lives after hearing my talk.

1. I'm going to watch the language I say about myself.

2. I'm going to think about the mask I'm wearing and the labels of the person who I feel pressured to be.

3. I'm going to stop trying to impress my friends and be myself.

Wow!!!

And this is from students ranging from yrs 3-6!

After hearing that, I think I'm going to now implement that same question after each of my talks. Loved it!

A few of the teachers then approached me and said how much they, and the students, enjoyed the talk.

Walking out of the hall, it was lunchtime for the kids, so I was swamped by heaps of them asking questions, making statements, fist bumping, or high fiving.

Now, I had about 4 hours to spare until my parent talk, so whenever I have a gap between talks, it always involves a vegan food hunt and a snooze.

Jumping on my good friend Google, I found a popular spot with good reviews, Happy Frog).

Walking into the Happy frog, I noticed a guy that in the past, I had connected with on Facebook. He's had his own big journey away from drug addiction and is now on a really cool spiritual path.

I've never met him in person, and even though he was chatting with someone, I took the opportunity to say hi. I knew he was trying to work out who I was, so I just smiled, left him to it, and grabbed my lunch.

I looked outside and could still see matey chatting away and occasionally looking over at me in the corner of his eyes.

I finished my lunch and noticed matey walking inside..

"Luke?" He hesitantly asked.

He finally realised (sort of).

"I knew you didn't realise who I was."

"I just didn't expect to see you out these ways. I looked for you on Facebook to confirm it was you, but couldn't find you."

I recently deactivated my social media accounts (read my blog post why).

He asked if he could sit with me, which I happily accepted. We then had a beautiful deep chat, and I was soooo pumped that he joined me. Cool guy!

I invited him to come along to the parent mental health speakers event, which he happily accepted. He wants to get on stage speaking and helping peeps as well, so I thought this would be an opportunity to give him some insight into the process.

I then went to a local beach, and had a half hour snooze. I enjoy a snooze in my cosy car before a talk. I wake up fresh, mind rested, and ready to impact an audience. I often laugh to myself how my life has turned out. I mean, in the past I was so awkward speaking to a single person. Even when starting out as a personal trainer, the night before meeting a new person to train, I couldn't sleep. I was so inside my head and socially awkward. I would then hope the next morning that the person would cancel.  If they didn't, I would brace myself, and hope for the best. There was a lot of times where my angst would create some awkward moments, though, like anything in life, pretty soon I was getting comfortable and trusted my ability.

It was exactly the same as my journey to become a motivational speaker. It started out with me terrified  (read the blog about how it all started HERE), but now, I'm traveling all over the country as one of Australia's Most Sought after motivational speakers for schools, corporations, and reducing stress and anxiety workshops facilitator. Life xx

We all have these fulfilling goals, passions, or hobbies inside of us. We just gotta step outside of that head, live the moment, embrace change and mistakes, and keep pushing.

Arriving at the talk, a couple of the parents were keen to meet me already and inform me of what their kids got out of the talk, so with a buzzing energy, I was looking forward to delivering. Soon, like earlier in the day, the hall was packed!  This time with adults. This time with them sitting on chairs (can't expect us older peeps to sit on the floor hahah). With the parent mental health speaker events, the numbers in attendance can range, but to the credit of the people of Boambee, I can honestly say that it was right up there (If not at the top) in regards to numbers attending.

The energy in the room was really special, and I could tell they were receptive and got a lot out of it. At the end of the talk, there was a big applause, and then some questions and feedback. It was like an open discussion, and there were parents that asked deep questions, some that told me they liked my talk but didn't agree with some of it, and then one of the teachers said that after my talk, there was an immediate shift in her students attitude in the afternoon.

The open discussion brought up some stuff that the parents suggested I should implement into my talk, such as the effects of gaming, and it's something I'm now looking into more.

Like I said at the start of this post, that different perspectives of the same thing really interests me, and it's no different when hearing insight into my talk. Even those that don't agree with certain angles of my talk, they also broaden my mind even further.

Visiting a smallish town, I didn't think I should take too many books. Well not expecting the numbers that attended, I sold out of copies!

I also continued some discussions with parents, and then it was time to head home.

Driving home, I reflected on the day, and most of the way home, kept a gratitude filled smile on my face.

Arriving home at about midnight, I jumped in the shower, then straight to bed for a deep rested sleep xx

Luke S. Kennedy is a Australia's Most Sought after motivational speakers for schools, corporations, and reducing stress and anxiety workshops facilitator. His best selling book, Stabbed Ego, is also enlightening the minds of people across the world.

www.lukeskennedy.com