I was lost in the woods

It was about 8 years ago when I needed a boost. 

We all get down from time to time. Being sad is normal. Sometimes you may get a little depressed, but it doesn’t mean you’re going to be perpetually sad. Often, I think young people are not equipped to deal with sadness. They may have been led to believe that feeling sad is sickness — It’s not.

This may sound like I’m not taking mental health seriously, but please know that I do. To clarify, I’m saying that sometimes you simply feel sad or down; that’s an emotion and it’s ok. When that feeling doesn’t go away you may need to look at the deeper cause, or reach out for help to figure out why you are stuck with those dark feelings.

When I work with young people who feel down, I encourage them to do something to change their thinking. I give them a paraphrased version of a great quote I once read that stuck with me:

When you start to think of the all the good things in your life you give your brain, heart, and soul a boost. It’s a scientific fact: Gratitude is a drug. Here’s an article that explains some of the science behind this: Gratitude Cures Depression

So back to where I was 8 years ago. I was pretty down. Running a growing business on your own can be a lot to handle. I often felt alone. I was single and living in the woods. I needed a 'pick me up'.

So, I started the ‘Thank You Project’ (TYP). I wrote 5 thank you cards every day for a year. They were hand written. I didn't post them online so that people could tell me that I was great for thanking others as that wasn’t the point of the TYP.

I wrote a list of everyone I could think of that ever did something positive in my life, whether they knew it or not. I kept a journal, researched addresses, and designed my own thank you cards on-line. I got the cards printed and got to work sending them out. I started at the beginning of January and continued until mid March. In total, I sent out more than 300 cards. I would get excited to send them. It didn't just sign my name, I also took the time to write why I was thanking them. I found myself feeling better and excited for the next day’s notes.

What happened next was cool and unexpected; I started receiving cards back! I had thanked people that I didn’t know but admired. Authors like Harvey McKay, who not only wrote me back but sent me every book he had ever written. My 6th grade teacher, Mr. Ferguson, who had passed away but I wrote his family. His daughter wrote me back. She said the entire family appreciated knowing the impact their father had on someone who would write a note of thanks almost 30 years later. 

I then noticed that things in my life just started looking better to me. I saw people differently. YLCC began a period of unprecedented growth; I know it’s a stretch, but I believe the universe was feeling my new found happiness. I had let go of the depressed feeling and actively turned my sadness around.

Being a kid is hard in 2017. Being a parent is just as hard, perhaps even harder. At summer camp I challenge every camper and parent to write at least 3-5 gratitudes every day. I also encourage them to write a note of thanks to someone they appreciate. Some do. 

I encourage you to do the same; Write a list now, or over the holiday season. Take 10 minutes and send a note to someone. Say "you’re STUpendous!" (or something like that) and throw a stamp on it — What are you waiting for?

I want to thank our team at YLCC, past and present. 15 years ago there was just me and my dear friend Trish. She volunteered her time, unpaid for more than a year so we could open the camp in Orillia. Now, this year, we have 12 full time and over 100 seasonal staff helping running 13 different programs. Together, they work with close to 250,000 youth and educators every year. The dedicated team at YLCC are absolutely wonderful and I am truly grateful.

Thanks!