January 2024 Vol 4 No 3
The
Vortex Special Edition
From a Caring Friend
A Letter from Don’t Hide From Your
Feelings With Your I Am Proud of ME!
Your Caring Friend
Thoughts
CRISIS LIFELINE: Call or text 988, or chat @ 988lifeline.org
You may not have chosen the life you have, but you can choose
the life you want
Dear Friends,
I wanted to write something meaningful to each of you individually, but there wasn’t quite enough time to
make a good letter for every single one of you. However, time is a good place to start.
Many people say that time is a valuable resource and that it shouldn’t be wasted. I can agree to that, but don’t
be in a hurry to spend it all either. There’s a big beautiful world to see out there and experiences to be had.
Don’t be afraid of being patient and waiting to see where each of your paths might take you. Savor your time.
If at some point your plans go awry or you feel that you aren’t quite where or who you are supposed to be,
that there is no time or that you’ve wasted it, do not be afraid. The world has it’s own schedule and timetable
made out for everyone, but that doesn’t need to apply to you. There is always time to do or become something
great. Michael Jordan wasn‘t picked in his first basketball tryout. Stan Lee didn‘t find success in creating his
Marvel Superheroes until he was 41, Samuel Jackson didn‘t hit it big until he was 46 years old and had
already performed small roles in 30 films.
Next, I want you guys to know that you don’t need to be too hard on yourselves. We should all strive to be
better, but accept and be at peace with your faults. Don’t feel like a failure when you fall short, or like your
faults make you of less worth. Work with your flaws and don’t be ashamed when they trip you up. A famous
example is Robert Downey Jr. He dealt with a lot of drug abuse and stints in prison early in his career, yet he
survived his lowest points and years later in life grew to became a beloved icon.
Most importantly, always remember, that no matter what you do, no matter how thick of mud and filth you
are caked in as a person, you do not lose your value. You are like Gold. Bars of gold, even when strewn with
dirt, even if plunged in the New York sewer, do not lose their value. Precious gold can always be refined if you
hang on to them and give them time. Gold never loses its value, no matter what it’s been through
and neither do you. You are always worthy.
I’ve no great advice for careers or working life, because I think you guys are some pretty great kids that will
do just fine, but if I had to pick a few things, it would be these:
Aim for what you love. You’ll probably start out with jobs that suck, but be patient and aim for what you
love.
Be patient. I’ve said it a couple times, but be reaaaally patient. Sometimes getting to where you want to be
will take years of work, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get there.
Be friends with those you work with. Even if you don’t like them that much, it makes the workplace a
much nicer place to be if you can at least be friendly with them.
I hope at least a few of things might mean something to you. I know we haven’t met, but I’ve been where you
are and I’m glad if I can help shine a light toward your futures.
With Enthusiastic Regards,
Your Caring Friend
2
Prose- Poetry:
Chase Tomorrow
By A. Baisley
Like the picturesque endings of so many The same kinds of burning sky met her
stories, the sunset burned cherry, violets, gaze, but instead of a sweet and gentle
and gold dust. The hero was a crumbling “The End,” it was a raging “Once Upon a
silhouette on a hill, facing that bright Time.” Wild adventure waiting to be
denouement. Her weapons and armor dueled until tame.
turned to dust and her missions done and
gone. Dreams were just dreams. “Chase that tomorrow! Chase it until
your bones have healed and can no longer
“That’s not the end.” sunder! Until it becomes your dream.
Show us your glorious tomorrow.”
“In the face of the ruined and broken, as
long as there is a tomorrow, there is no
end.”
Warm hands rested on her shoulders,
reciprocating some long lost warmth she’d
passed along from times forgotten, even
from places thought wasted. This beloved
host turned her to the opposite sky.
3
Don’t Hide from What you feel,
you can heal.
your Feelings
with your What you suppress,
demands to be expressed
thoughts
5
Using the Emotion Wheel
Have you ever felt like you’re being bulldozed, Naming your feelings gives you back control and helps
flattened, and knocked down by a really intense you to figure out what your feelings are trying to tell you.
feeling? For example, if I go to school and someone cuts me off,
Several studies have shown that if you can steps in front of me and makes me late to class, it makes
name it, find the right word to describe and me MAD. But it’s more than that.
express it, then it lowers the intensity. I look at the wheel and under Anger and follow that slice
It also reminds you that YOU are not the of pie to a better word-- Annoyed? Agitated? Aggravated?
feeling, YOU are the person feeling the feeling. Those are all better words because I’m not going to be mad
at that person forever, I’m just annoyed in the moment.
You can use this to help you too!
Make your feelings 1. Find the Root Emotion you’re feeling (Anger, Fear,
work for you-- don’t let Sadness, Joy, Surprise, Love)
2. Look at the words in that pie slice, is there a better
your feelings work on word to describe your experience?
3. Now that you have the word, you can express it, and
you let it go.
Expres
s your
feeling
and
CRISIS LIFELINE: Call or text 988, or chat @ 988lifeline.org
Express yourself Healthy
Telling someone how you feel can be difficult, but
there are proven ways that you can
communicate in a way that makes you feel heard
and shows compassion to yourself and others.
Communication
6
Deep
Like a
When I want to escape, I think of the Grand
Canyon. The deepest part is 6,000 feet deep. I
imagine I am flying, seeing the secret places, most
vibrant colors. If there is an afterlife, I’d wish to be
part of the eternal red rock, home to deep, rapid
rivers. It’s the kind of place I think I’d be happy to
disappear.
Canyon
Visualizing a happy place is a
mental vacation spot-- it’s the
The Grand Canyon was made by water, a surging
river cutting deep into stone. It’s the most beautiful place you go to find calm and
scar I’ve ever seen.
When I feel like life is too much, I remember that I
restore balance.
am not separate from nature. Studies have shown that the more we exercise our
I imagine the Grand Canyon, close my eyes mind, cultivating happy mental spaces can make us
and list the following: more resilient when hard things happen. Like the
canyon, there will always be water in this life trying
1. 5 things I can see to cut deeper beneath our surfaces.
(Red rock, birds, scrubby pine, horizon, the river) As human beings, we tend to think of ourselves as
2. 4 things I can hear separate from nature. This is untrue. Like everything
(tourists talking, birdsong, falling rock, my heartbeat)
in nature we have our seasons, times of rest and
3. 3 things I can touch
times of majestic energy. It’s important that we give
(Grainy sand, prickly plants, sun on my arms)
4. 2 things I can smell ourselves that time and consideration to reconnect
(Pine, warm sand) with our calm and grounding places.
5. 1 thing I can taste in the air One day I will fly through the Grand Canyon and
(warm, spice) see what is just beyond my sight. Maybe you’ll join
me and explore your own happy place.
You can borrow my mental vacation spot if you
want. Where do you feel the most at peace in
yourself?
7
I am proud of ME!
Be your own best friend and give yourself credit for all the you-est parts of you!
My Strengths and Qualities
Things I am good at: Compliments I have received: What makes me unique:
What I like about my Challenges I have Times I’ve made others
appearance: overcome: happy:
A list of Positive Traits
Kind Optimistic Trusting Practical
Intelligent Respectful Resilient Mature
Hardworking Determined Cheerful Focused
Loyal Skilled Self-Directed Courteous
Attractive Helpful Reliable Grateful
Down-to-Earth Motivated Relaxed Open-Minded
Goofy Insightful Listener Positive
Creative Funny Brave Responsible
Accepting Patient Decisive Cooperative
Strong Realistic Enthusiastic Frugal
Friendly Honest Forgiving Tolerant
Flexible Generous Humble Innovative
Nurturing Modest Sensitive Balanced
Thoughtful Serious Organized
8
Confident Independent Selfless
