Summary
Cultural connections help you:
- Build a strong foundation
- Find peer support
- Find hope for the future
When life gets tough or we lose our way, it might be good to fall back on the guideposts our culture gives us. We can wrap ourselves up in our ethnic pride, or tap into the strength of our spirituality, or just follow the paths set before us by heroes from the past. You’ll be surprised at how much all that positive energy can help you.
We’re all part of many cultures, many groups, and whether we know it or not, we reflect at least some of their values. How? By things as simple as the foods we eat, the special days we celebrate, the clothes we wear. Or as complicated as the spiritual beliefs we hold and the moral choices we make.
All through our lives, we’re part of many groups. Our friends and family, school, religion, and even our hobbies leave a mark on us. They mold our views on everything from clothes to careers. Through their example, we learn how to make the right choices when we need to.
Once in a while, we hit a bump in the road and don’t know where to turn. If our traditions are built on positive values—like honesty, fairness, peace, and sharing—it’s easier to get carried in the same direction. We may not always be aware of it, but the positive energy of what we call our culture is always there to tap into, especially during stressful times.
The power of culture and tradition
Looking for a way to take control of your life? Cultural connections can help you:
1. Build wellness on a stable base.
It’s easier to take a step forward when you start out on good footing. Your culture can be the base of history, traditions, and beliefs that you build on.
We may not know where we’re heading, but our culture tells us where we’ve been. If we look hard enough, we can see our future in the faces of those who share our heritage. Look at them, and you’ll get a good picture of your own strengths and possibilities. Then, use that info to move ahead.
Cultures are like anchors. They’re always there, deep below the surface of your life. They don’t move very much but give you a little rope to try different things, without floating away into dangerous waters. In other words, when you know you’re safely anchored in your culture, it’s easier to try new ways to handle any challenges you run into.
2. Find hope and purpose in life.
Research has shown that people with strong social connections are less likely than others to get sick and more likely to bounce back, if they do. Let the group you identify with lead you toward building a new outlook on life. When you’re part of something bigger than yourself, your own problems don’t look so large, after all.
3. Find a role model.
Be proud of who you are and surround yourself with the best your culture has to offer, whether it’s a special connection with nature or a knack for creating great music. Look for heroes. No doubt about it, some faced problems just like yours. Take a tip from those who succeeded and follow their paths out of life’s pitfalls.
4. Find guidelines for living.
Cultures give us moral structures, goals, and values. Work them into your own recovery plan.
5. Learn lessons about life and an understanding of others.
We most often absorb values from our culture, without knowing it. Pick and chose the best part of all the groups you’re part of. Ignore the negative, take the positive, and wear it like a badge of honor.
6. Get strength from a large and diverse group.
There’s strength and comfort in numbers and diversity. Isn’t it good to know you are not alone? Your heritage is there for the asking. Be proud of who you are.
7. Get support when you need it.
Who would understand you better than people who share your background or beliefs? Their support will mean a lot to you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
8. Keep ties to the past and find hope for the future.
It’s good to know the strengths we’ve inherited and where those strengths can take us. Take pride in the history of your culture and know you are an important part of a long line of people sharing customs and traditions. Your family might celebrate certain holidays, wear clothes, or eat foods tied to a tradition, in honor of your culture. When you do that, you bridge the gap between the past and the future.
9. A chance to help others.
As part of a group, you’ll feel good about yourself if you can help someone who needs you. Keep your eyes and ears open for a chance to share your special gifts with others.
10. Build self-worth.
As you learn more about yourself, you’ll find what makes you special in the world. We all inherit different mixes of traits from many cultures, which connect us to other people but make us unique, at the same time. Be proud of your heritage and it can help you feel proud of yourself.
Resources
Live Your Life Well: Connect With Others, Mental Health America
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/connect-others
Seeds of Hope Books
www.seedsofhopebooks.com/index.html
Teen Mental Health, Medline Plus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenmentalhealth.html
Summary
Cultural connections help you:
- Build a strong foundation
- Find peer support
- Find hope for the future
When life gets tough or we lose our way, it might be good to fall back on the guideposts our culture gives us. We can wrap ourselves up in our ethnic pride, or tap into the strength of our spirituality, or just follow the paths set before us by heroes from the past. You’ll be surprised at how much all that positive energy can help you.
We’re all part of many cultures, many groups, and whether we know it or not, we reflect at least some of their values. How? By things as simple as the foods we eat, the special days we celebrate, the clothes we wear. Or as complicated as the spiritual beliefs we hold and the moral choices we make.
All through our lives, we’re part of many groups. Our friends and family, school, religion, and even our hobbies leave a mark on us. They mold our views on everything from clothes to careers. Through their example, we learn how to make the right choices when we need to.
Once in a while, we hit a bump in the road and don’t know where to turn. If our traditions are built on positive values—like honesty, fairness, peace, and sharing—it’s easier to get carried in the same direction. We may not always be aware of it, but the positive energy of what we call our culture is always there to tap into, especially during stressful times.
The power of culture and tradition
Looking for a way to take control of your life? Cultural connections can help you:
1. Build wellness on a stable base.
It’s easier to take a step forward when you start out on good footing. Your culture can be the base of history, traditions, and beliefs that you build on.
We may not know where we’re heading, but our culture tells us where we’ve been. If we look hard enough, we can see our future in the faces of those who share our heritage. Look at them, and you’ll get a good picture of your own strengths and possibilities. Then, use that info to move ahead.
Cultures are like anchors. They’re always there, deep below the surface of your life. They don’t move very much but give you a little rope to try different things, without floating away into dangerous waters. In other words, when you know you’re safely anchored in your culture, it’s easier to try new ways to handle any challenges you run into.
2. Find hope and purpose in life.
Research has shown that people with strong social connections are less likely than others to get sick and more likely to bounce back, if they do. Let the group you identify with lead you toward building a new outlook on life. When you’re part of something bigger than yourself, your own problems don’t look so large, after all.
3. Find a role model.
Be proud of who you are and surround yourself with the best your culture has to offer, whether it’s a special connection with nature or a knack for creating great music. Look for heroes. No doubt about it, some faced problems just like yours. Take a tip from those who succeeded and follow their paths out of life’s pitfalls.
4. Find guidelines for living.
Cultures give us moral structures, goals, and values. Work them into your own recovery plan.
5. Learn lessons about life and an understanding of others.
We most often absorb values from our culture, without knowing it. Pick and chose the best part of all the groups you’re part of. Ignore the negative, take the positive, and wear it like a badge of honor.
6. Get strength from a large and diverse group.
There’s strength and comfort in numbers and diversity. Isn’t it good to know you are not alone? Your heritage is there for the asking. Be proud of who you are.
7. Get support when you need it.
Who would understand you better than people who share your background or beliefs? Their support will mean a lot to you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
8. Keep ties to the past and find hope for the future.
It’s good to know the strengths we’ve inherited and where those strengths can take us. Take pride in the history of your culture and know you are an important part of a long line of people sharing customs and traditions. Your family might celebrate certain holidays, wear clothes, or eat foods tied to a tradition, in honor of your culture. When you do that, you bridge the gap between the past and the future.
9. A chance to help others.
As part of a group, you’ll feel good about yourself if you can help someone who needs you. Keep your eyes and ears open for a chance to share your special gifts with others.
10. Build self-worth.
As you learn more about yourself, you’ll find what makes you special in the world. We all inherit different mixes of traits from many cultures, which connect us to other people but make us unique, at the same time. Be proud of your heritage and it can help you feel proud of yourself.
Resources
Live Your Life Well: Connect With Others, Mental Health America
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/connect-others
Seeds of Hope Books
www.seedsofhopebooks.com/index.html
Teen Mental Health, Medline Plus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenmentalhealth.html
Summary
Cultural connections help you:
- Build a strong foundation
- Find peer support
- Find hope for the future
When life gets tough or we lose our way, it might be good to fall back on the guideposts our culture gives us. We can wrap ourselves up in our ethnic pride, or tap into the strength of our spirituality, or just follow the paths set before us by heroes from the past. You’ll be surprised at how much all that positive energy can help you.
We’re all part of many cultures, many groups, and whether we know it or not, we reflect at least some of their values. How? By things as simple as the foods we eat, the special days we celebrate, the clothes we wear. Or as complicated as the spiritual beliefs we hold and the moral choices we make.
All through our lives, we’re part of many groups. Our friends and family, school, religion, and even our hobbies leave a mark on us. They mold our views on everything from clothes to careers. Through their example, we learn how to make the right choices when we need to.
Once in a while, we hit a bump in the road and don’t know where to turn. If our traditions are built on positive values—like honesty, fairness, peace, and sharing—it’s easier to get carried in the same direction. We may not always be aware of it, but the positive energy of what we call our culture is always there to tap into, especially during stressful times.
The power of culture and tradition
Looking for a way to take control of your life? Cultural connections can help you:
1. Build wellness on a stable base.
It’s easier to take a step forward when you start out on good footing. Your culture can be the base of history, traditions, and beliefs that you build on.
We may not know where we’re heading, but our culture tells us where we’ve been. If we look hard enough, we can see our future in the faces of those who share our heritage. Look at them, and you’ll get a good picture of your own strengths and possibilities. Then, use that info to move ahead.
Cultures are like anchors. They’re always there, deep below the surface of your life. They don’t move very much but give you a little rope to try different things, without floating away into dangerous waters. In other words, when you know you’re safely anchored in your culture, it’s easier to try new ways to handle any challenges you run into.
2. Find hope and purpose in life.
Research has shown that people with strong social connections are less likely than others to get sick and more likely to bounce back, if they do. Let the group you identify with lead you toward building a new outlook on life. When you’re part of something bigger than yourself, your own problems don’t look so large, after all.
3. Find a role model.
Be proud of who you are and surround yourself with the best your culture has to offer, whether it’s a special connection with nature or a knack for creating great music. Look for heroes. No doubt about it, some faced problems just like yours. Take a tip from those who succeeded and follow their paths out of life’s pitfalls.
4. Find guidelines for living.
Cultures give us moral structures, goals, and values. Work them into your own recovery plan.
5. Learn lessons about life and an understanding of others.
We most often absorb values from our culture, without knowing it. Pick and chose the best part of all the groups you’re part of. Ignore the negative, take the positive, and wear it like a badge of honor.
6. Get strength from a large and diverse group.
There’s strength and comfort in numbers and diversity. Isn’t it good to know you are not alone? Your heritage is there for the asking. Be proud of who you are.
7. Get support when you need it.
Who would understand you better than people who share your background or beliefs? Their support will mean a lot to you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
8. Keep ties to the past and find hope for the future.
It’s good to know the strengths we’ve inherited and where those strengths can take us. Take pride in the history of your culture and know you are an important part of a long line of people sharing customs and traditions. Your family might celebrate certain holidays, wear clothes, or eat foods tied to a tradition, in honor of your culture. When you do that, you bridge the gap between the past and the future.
9. A chance to help others.
As part of a group, you’ll feel good about yourself if you can help someone who needs you. Keep your eyes and ears open for a chance to share your special gifts with others.
10. Build self-worth.
As you learn more about yourself, you’ll find what makes you special in the world. We all inherit different mixes of traits from many cultures, which connect us to other people but make us unique, at the same time. Be proud of your heritage and it can help you feel proud of yourself.
Resources
Live Your Life Well: Connect With Others, Mental Health America
www.mentalhealthamerica.net/connect-others
Seeds of Hope Books
www.seedsofhopebooks.com/index.html
Teen Mental Health, Medline Plus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenmentalhealth.html