What do you wish adults would understand about you?
Anya Volkmann to Adults:
I want adults to understand that dad jokes aren’t as funny as they think Using our Gen Z language isn’t cool That when they say words like rizz and pookie They aren’t being funny
I wish adults understood that when we stay in our rooms all day It’s not because we are staying away from them Not because we are mad I mean sometimes it is But sometimes we just need quiet
Illustration by Roxie Nichols
I wish adults understood that school is crazy It’s stressful Sometimes we want to just go home and take a nap But we have after-school activities
I wish adults understood that for some of us, sports are a world And for some, they aren’t even something we do But we get teased for how we play How we do It’s not fair
But in the end, life isn’t fair. And there are so many things I wish adults knew But there are so many things adults actually do know, too In fact, the adults in my life have taught me most of what I know today Like the golden rule How I should act Treat others Have a positive attitude Be myself And so much more So in the end, Thank you adults for everything you taught me
Anya Volkmann
Anya Volkmann is a seventh grader at Decorah Middle School. She loves riding horses, playing basketball, playing soccer, and hanging out with her friends. She loves to stay busy with her little free time.
Editor’s Note: Wanting to give the next generation an opportunity to share their voices, we have expanded the Future Focused section of Inspire(d) to include new writers! Partnering with Dana Hogan, the Extended Learning Program teacher at Decorah Middle School, we offered up a variety of prompts like, “What are your predictions for the future?” “What do you wish adults understood about you?” and also shared the Spring 2025 issue’s theme of tackling challenges and facing fears. Students submitted work, did edits, and three were chosen for this print issue of Inspire(d). Check them all out here!Here’s to Listening to the Next Generation!
Spring brings a promise of nature awakening. Migrating birds reappear, bees start buzzing their wings, and germinating seeds begin to stir.
And as the days grow warmer and longer, some humans become more energized too. The prospect of blue skies and blooming flowers brightens our moods. The heightened energy generates excitement, and we start to plan for positive change.
Yet for others, the new energy can feel jarring. Life ramps up, as does a sense of overwhelm. Change can signal fear, especially if we have a habit of expecting the worst. Even if we chastise ourselves for letting our worries or fears overcome us, we can’t seem to escape the pattern of doom-and-gloom.
If the latter sounds like you, you’re not alone. The good news? Your mindset is never set in stone. Even if you don’t believe it (yet), there are better days ahead.
The Worst (and Best) Case Scenario
You can take solace in the fact that there’s a very good reason your mind gravitates toward negativity: Your brain is not designed to make you happy. Your brain is designed to keep you alive. It is primed to scan the environment for danger… and when danger is not immediately present, it tends to create it.
Many people live with worry on constant circulation. Our brains ruminate because we want to feel in control. Worriers often believe that rehearsing for the worst (sometimes most unlikely) scenario can help us better prepare for it. However, that is often not the case.
Worry chases you down a dark alley of repetitive thinking and fear. That “worst-case-scenario” keeps you trapped there, over something that will likely never come to pass.
Here’s how you get out: Ask yourself, “And then what?” What happens if your worst-case-scenario comes to fruition? Let your brain find a solution. Maybe more than one. Continue asking yourself, “And then what?” until you feel a sense of completion.
Once you’ve finished working through your worry, the job is not done. Now, you need to ask yourself another very important question: “What’s the best that could happen?”
That worst-case-scenario shouldn’t get to live rent free in your head. Make room for a best-case-scenario and see what happens when you decide you deserve the best possible outcome.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies
Do you tend to think humans are altruistic and compassionate by nature? If so, when you look around, you’ll likely find examples of humans going the extra mile to care for one another. Think the opposite? You’ll find plenty of folks who seem to show the worst of humanity.
This phenomenon is often referred to in psychology as “confirmation bias.” Whatever you expect to happen will likely happen. Our minds are conditioned to look for experiences that confirm our beliefs about others and the world.
The good news is that a confirmation bias is not fixed. We can work to train our brains to become more optimistic using a positive psychology idea called “learned optimism,” developed by American psychologist Martin Seligman, PhD.
Start by identifying times when confirmation bias is causing you to see the worst in a situation. Once identified, you can try putting positive thinking strategies in place. Mindfulness, gratitude, and positive self-talk are all tools that can help shift your mindset toward greater optimism.
Think about the last time you felt optimistic or connected to others. What was your mindset during that time? What allowed you to see the best in the situation? Try to replicate that mindset by practicing what you did at that time. If you aren’t sure, implement one of the positive thinking strategies from the list above, or create your own.
It’s important to remember that learning to be more optimistic requires insight and repetition. At the outset, it will require effort. Over time and with practice, though, your brain can learn to automatically adopt a more positive mindset.
Embrace ‘What Is’ (Especially if it Scares You)
We only truly have control over (some) things in the present moment. Instead of “what if?” we want to land on “what is.”
Practice by noticing what is true for you right now. First, recognize what you cannot control: Other people’s actions, feelings, and decisions; the weather; the past. Let those things go. Next, acknowledge what is within your control: Your reactions, choices, mindset, and future. These are ripe with potential for growth and change.
Acknowledging “what is” can require facing hard truths. Sometimes, we fixate on the past or the future because we don’t want to face our current reality. We may avoid the present for a myriad of reasons: finances, health, relationships, career aspirations, or anything else that we are afraid to confront.
Fear is an emotion that instinctually propels us into action. Our bodies are designed to fight or flee in response to fear. When we run away, though, we are powerless to change our reality. We must face our fears. Avoiding them can cause a mental paralysis that keeps us perpetually in an uncomfortable situation.
Taking action releases the emotional charge of fear. Action might look like initiating a conversation, making an apology, admitting that something is not working, asking for help, or making a change.
You likely already know “what is” true for you. So now you need to make the next right decision. One next right decision at a time can move you from the paralysis of living in “what if” into the action of facing “what is.”
When you feel your fears, and take action anyway, you reclaim power over your life and the present moment.
The Power of the Mind
It’s important to note that while this may all seem simple in theory, it’s quite difficult in practice. We can expect roadblocks whenever we attempt to re-route brain circuits designed for detecting danger.
Instead of attempting to work against deeply ingrained mental patterns, we can learn to work with them. Worry and fear are natural emotions and they each have a place in our lives.
However, we do not want worry and fear to have total control. We need strategies to interrupt these cycles and bring us back into “what is.” This is a delicate balance that may require the help of a medical or mental health professional.
If you find yourself stuck in patterns of worry or fear, give yourself grace. Remember that you’re doing exactly what your brain is asking of you – surviving. Keep trying to make the next right decision when you can, and remember to pause and occasionally ask yourself: “What’s the best that could happen?”
Olivia Lynn Schnur is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, EMDR Certified Therapist, Reiki Master, and Certified Yoga Teacher. She writes about mental health and wellness with the goal of educating, inspiring, and uplifting others. To learn more, or to book a yoga session, visit oliviaschnur.com.
With a constant stream of lightning-fast news, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and fearful these days. The fear that grips me most is for the future that’s currently being shaped for our daughter. Sometimes that fear is debilitating, sometimes it’s motivating.
I’m trying my damnedest to lean into the latter.
That doesn’t mean my goal is to stop feeling fear entirely. Fear is a normal – even necessary – emotion, and it would be impossible to cut completely out of our lives. We need to feel our fears, our anger, our dread. Burying these feelings can allow them to fester and grow stronger. We must allow them to exist. Feel free to scream about them. Vent to loved ones. Cry in the shower. Blast angsty music and dance it out.
Take action. Rise to the challenge in any way you can. Repeat to yourself: You are strong, talented, and smart. You are unstoppable (this is, coincidentally, my affirmation every morning as I take my first sip of coffee, superhero pose in place).
Challenges give us experience and build our resilience. Research suggests that after going through a difficult time, a person can find a greater sense of self and purpose, gratitude for life and loved ones, and an increased desire to act for the greater good. How can we create positive change for the greater good of our communities? How can we inspire action amidst complacency?
Every step you take is an act of optimism. You are moving forward in the belief that a better outcome is possible. What’s the best that could happen? How can we help make it true?
Remember, though, you are not responsible for fixing everything. And being positive and optimistic doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It just means you acknowledge the possibility of better days ahead. Sometimes the best that can happen is that you agree tomorrow is a new day, with potential for positive change.
New life arises from an old way of being. Hope is courage, and action is bravery, especially in a time of transformation. Keep believing in possibilities. Together, we can make this future better for our daughters, our neighbors, our grandkids, ourselves. Let’s do this, friends.
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’”
Eleanor Roosevelt
8 Ways to Find Courage in Challenging Times
Feel your fears, and take action anyway.
1. Positive Self-Talk
– Give yourself the “best friend pep talk”
– Journal about your fears and hopes
– Make a habit of saying Affirmations or Acceptance Statements
Place your hands on your hips or out in the air like a starfish. Set your legs shoulder width apart, lift your chest, and hold your head up high. Hold this position for two minutes while taking deep breaths. Research shows that this dominant upright position increases self-confidence. Testosterone increases (allowing for assertive behavior) while cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases.
A la Rebecca from Ted Lasso, make yourself bigger to feel braver.
3. Find support, inspiration, or a mentor
– Model the bravery of someone you admire
– Read authors who inspire you to action
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. Embrace Failure
Doing something you fear could very likely result in failure. Keep at it. The more you fail, the more you’re trying, the more likely you’ll succeed (and face that fear for good).
Take care of yourself, too.
5. Maintain a Top Priority List
What are the top five – or even three – most important things in your life right now? Keep this at the top of your mind… and see if you can let some other things go.
6. Do a brain cleanse:
– Get some fresh air
– Write out what you’re grateful for
– Consult your priority list. Take one action step to support that list
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”
Nelson Mandela
7. Seek Happiness in the Day-to-Day
– Take a self-care time-out
– Find a healthy outlet (Exercise, book group, volunteering, focusing on personal health goals)
– Engage in something that makes you laugh
8. Be a Helper
Focus on how you can help in your own community, neighborhood, family. School district. Look around for folks that might need your help. Ask for help when you need it.
