YAYY!! Feels so good to finally have this on my hands! Lysh has graduated! It took so much courage for me to sign up for this program. For those of you who don’t know me... for about 10 whole years I actually had this belief that I wasn’t smart enough to learn or to take on more schooling after I graduated back in 2007. When it comes to grades and studying school was super difficult for me. I found myself to be very easily distracted, I couldn't focus on the subjects or soak in any of the information that was being taught to me. It didn’t help that what I was learning wasn’t exciting to me but it gave me this sinking feeling that there was something wrong with me. How was it that all my other friends were excelling at the subjects that I just couldn’t seem to wrap my head around. These negative thoughts and fears only got worse when individuals and peers started calling me STUPID because my parents registered me in the alternative studies program. It’s crazy to think that for me I barely got picked on as a kid. But for some reason this one word haunted me for so long that it remained stuck deep within my cells and tissues. Come to think of it i’m still finding ways to reprogram this negative thinking that attached to me so easily. A belief that would forever haunt me subconsciously through my mind for 10 plus years. A part of me just accepted it, i’d shrug my shoulders pretending it didn’t hurt my feelings. So I remained silent and let those thoughts fester and shape my life. 
	When I realized that i’m not stupid and that I can do anything that my heart is called to do. I wanted to make sure that I stopped giving power to the individuals who made fun of me 10 yrs ago. And that’s when I applied for the CSNN program. I still remember to this day shaking on the phone when signing up for the interview. Anxiety, nervousness and fear took over my whole body. Am I actually stepping out of my comfort zone? Am I actually doing this?? And well I DID! I did it and now that I have the taste of what learning is like when you’re actually passionate about it, I can’t wait to remain a student forever! It should be about the study of life!
![Cert.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTxT2hPSK1kyUvgr6ScAzmNBCePczR15RcBKaiCoHWh5D/Cert.jpg)
	“There’s this frog thats been living in my throat for the last 20 years and I can’t seem to get him out. This constant croak prevented me further from gaining the confidence I needed in order to speak full and truly from the heart at all times. Society and past experiences has brought me to this place of wondering why is it so hard for me to express myself. Why is it so hard for me to use my voice and stand up for what I believe in. Why is it so hard for me to get up in front of a bunch of people that don’t know me? What’s the best way that one can remove this deep rooted fear? A fear I know that no longer serves me. I feel like I need to start somewhere. I need to express my souls deepest concerns through if not using my voice. Using my hands to write, paint and articulate. I kept making an excuse pretending that I’m just lazy. Life is great just the way it is? Why expand and change my ways, lets just keep things easy.  But once I dug deeper into and had a taste of what it was like to feel free. I couldn’t look back and urned to know more. Who am I really? I had so much built up fear and anxiety inside of me that a part of me didn't even know it existed, or perhaps I chose not to face it. My mind wants to hold onto these weeds so I continue to remain stuck and feel lost out at sea for eternity.”

What kind of words are you using today? Let’s teach our children to speak more kindly to one another, let’s teach them to be better listeners and to stick up for those who remain silent.