An old Indian Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, self-harm, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed my child, the one you feed.”

Last week was all about this very notion that we have a choice… to feed our disease or to feed our wellness. Almost everything we do, including the foods we choose to eat, the amount of sleep we get, the people we hang out with, what we choose to watch on TV, what we say and don’t say… all have an impact on our bodies and our minds.
We’ve all got mental health! Just like each of us has physical health. The question is really… are we protecting it or neglecting it?

Our main focus was on “reaching out”… reaching out to the things that bring us joy, reaching out to the friends who make us laugh, reaching out to the teacher or confidant who understands us, reaching out to nutritious foods, reaching out and connecting with nature, reaching out and being there for someone else.
We held workshops on the link between nutrition, exercise, sleep and the quality of our brain health. One of our peak events was Tuesday’s fundraiser for Khun Kib which served as part of our testimonial that positive wellbeing includes being of service to others in meaningful ways.

Ajarn Dan and the HPE team introduced the concept of “One Wave”, which is a group of individuals who meet on the beach, wear bright colours, and surf together. They raise awareness regarding mental health issues, wear bright colours to show that there is light even during dark moments, and get together because they understand that connection is part of the antidote. The HPE team offered face painting, yoga, and other community activities during break and lunchtime, and encouraged everyone to wear bright colours. Prem even received a personal video message from the founder of One Wave during our closing assembly 😉
Life, like the ocean, does have its ups and downs…. It does get stormy.
Our message is not to avoid the waves, but to learn how to surf.