TAMWORTH ICE AWARENESS

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL

Sydney Motivational Speaker, Luke S. Kennedy, presented to year 9 students in and around the Tamworth area. His talk was to tackle the growing Ice epidemic. His inspirational speech for students was the "highlight of the event".

Traveling Australia as a motivational speakers for schools, my main topics I target are Drug & Alcohol, Anti-Bullying (Self-Bullying), and Resilience. After speaking at a recent event in Narabri (via video link), I was contacted by Kevin Anderson MP. He is the member of parliament for Tamworth. He was putting on an event, ICE - Raising Awareness. The event was put on due to a massive spike in the drug, ice, and ice related incidents in and around Tamworth.  I was asked to be guest speaker because of my past drug abuse and how I've turned my life around. 

I never took ice (thank God), however I believe it's not the drug we have to target, it's WHY these drugs are sought after is what have to get to. For me, my past drug abuse was brought on because of a few reasons - mainly because I was trying to lessen my scary/dark thoughts. The drugs took my depression, anxiety, and paranoia away for about an hour, but ended up making them ten times worse! My thoughts were always ticking away with negativity and doubt. I also worried all the time what other people thought about me. The drugs and alcohol lessened these worries... for a short time, but again, made them 10 times worse. My trip to Tamworth was to talk to year 9 student from 8 different schools all around the Tamworth area.

My mission for the trip;

1. Explain the harsh reality of drug abuse. I do this through storytelling and scary examples of what I witnessed.

2. Open the students eyes up to the 'false self', the ego, the different labels we place on each other, and ourselves. I do this because I want to get to the root cause of a lot of unhappiness. Being unhappy results in us seeking for happiness in outside sources like drugs and alcohol. By not being our true self, our genuine happiness is reduced dramatically due to living a false life. I connect the students back to their true self.

3. Help them realise that worrying what other people think is holding us back. It also makes us do things, not do thing, and take things (like drugs and alcohol). The realisation that we are missing out on so much in life because of worrying what other people think, is the first step towards reducing these worries. I do these 3 things by storytelling and a cool process where I take the audience on a little journey of how I was born pure, but then started picking up different labels as life went on and resulted in me getting further and further from who I was (who we all are) deep down. I then show what my life is like since releasing those labels and now being myself - success & happiness. 

Kevin Anderson later said to the Norther Daily Leader in an article titled Tamworth Drug Forum a Success." The highlight of the event for many students was the talk by guest speaker Luke Kennedy whose story of a troubled past involving street gangs, drugs, alcohol and tragedy provided a shocking insight into the importance of self-worth and good choices. “It was clear from the feeling in the room that Luke’s story really resonated with everybody in the room,” 

In another article titled First Ice Workshop Doesn't Pull any Punches Mr. Anderson commented; “For me education about ice and drugs at this age is a no brainer. We need them to know where and how to get help and support and want that message to spread.”

Overall the event was a massive success. How do I know this? I received countless messages from students.

"Hey! I was a Tamworth high student at your speech the other day, I would like to say that your story was a very heart warming yet knowledgeable time for all of us. Me myself I have experimented with drugs. Hearing your story made me realise to not care what others think of me. You are one very strong and inspiring man. Thank you so much."

"Hey Luke, on behalf of Tamworth High I'd really like to thank you for telling us about your life. It's really made me think a lot about life. Not only were you strong to tell your story in front of lots of people but you've changed a lot of people's minds about taking drugs. I hope you enjoyed Tamworth."

"Hi Mr Kennedy, I just came from your last talk and thought it was very inspirational. As an overweight kid I find it hard to fit in with people and struggle with what people think so to her your talk was a sigh of relief. I'm excited to read Stabbed Ego.   Thank you very much."

"Hey Luke, I just want to say thanks for teaching us at the ice forum today that anything is possible in life, no matter how bad your life is or how depressed you are that you can change your ways and be happy. Like for example, I'm supposed to be training to go to England because I was chosen to go over but I haven't been training because I'm lazy and been eating crap.  But after your talk today I realised I have to change. I want to thank you for changing the way I feel about life."

 -You can see that there is talk about drugs, but the main thing is about being themselves. To find true happiness. This will reduce the chances of these kids taking drugs.Author of the international best seller, Stabbed Ego, and motivational Speaker, Luke S. Kennedy, presented at Australia's first Ice - Raising Awareness Forum