From the Founder

Why Word for Thought? To put it plainly, words are the initiators of thought, the food for the soul and mind.

Before, I used to think awareness wasn't important at all, that it was just another thing people said we should do to make us feel better. However, I realized that awareness is essential in almost every scenario.

It was the perfect summer day. Breeze drifting through an open window, the translucent curtain breathing gently, sun warming everything. It was the summer after freshman year, and sitting at the dining table, about to have a turning point. At that table, I remarked how on earth capitalism (whatever that is) relates to the climate crisis. I discovered how interconnected capitalism is with our environment's current state. With our government. My eyes were opened to a whole new side of the world. Unfortunately (but necessary), I ended up struggling with the feeling of impending doom for a while, not wanting to get anything done---what was the purpose? We're all going to die soon anyways. I thought hard about what my life priorities then.

However, after a period of time, my family and I went on a camping trip. I had a great time, ate good food, surrounded by fresh and gorgeous nature, thank you for asking. But above all, I think my favorite memory was continuing that conversation: we actually spoke about climate anxiety, my perspective as the next generation, and had a meaningful discussion. Even something as small as holding a conversation made me immediately feel better about the world and feel less anxious and more understood. And it was those conversations, those questions, that were my fuel--the food for my thought. I was able to question things even more-- from why we normalize doing certain things considered "normal," to questions like why are we even here, and what does it mean to be human? As the frequency of those kind of conversations with family members and friends increased, and the more and more I began to understand bits of the million-piece puzzle that is how society and the world works, the even more I asked myself questions about the "why" to everything. It is part of my personality to want to understand the "other side." I want to know why humans act the way they do, how we can use that information, and utilize this self-awareness towards solutions. I want to know why are we here, and what we can do about it. I want to know why some people unjustly live better than others. From there, my interest in philosophy and psychology really resonated. I also realized that almost everything everyone does is from the mind. Including the very things I do. I started making it a priority to live my life making my own self happy, living a life with no regrets, instead of letting the impending doom get to me. I wanted to have a mindset shift, to rid of my limiting beliefs. I was sick of my limiting beliefs and fearing mistakes and staying in the same place. I saw enough, heard enough, and that made me want to do the things I really want to do. I began to use these questions on life to thinking about how I want to live. And as I and my generation grow to be the world's future leaders, I believe it is important to create similar awareness and discussion while improving our own selves at the same time.

However, aside from those conversations, another factor to feeling better was school itself. As I became immersed in small high school culture, and was busied with the unimportant dramas, things like climate change was pushed to the back of my mind as an unimportant priority; it was out of my psychological brain pool, and I secretly was okay with that. I noticed at my school and probably at many others, there isn't much opportunity or resources to talk about these sort of things, the things that are truly important in big picture adult life. And even if some schools have this opportunity, it's not much, and doesn't impact many. Moreover, I was privileged enough to have family members and friends to hold those sort of conversations with, to talk about mental health, to have access and knowledge of resources that inspire me to live the best life I can. I want to provide the resources, provide the spaces for people my age to hold these conversations, to have that thought provocation, to remind them to not stay too blissful in ignorance. To be a future leader.

Word for Thought aims to aid those with less resources in purging awareness and searching for solutions through conversation; to use psychology to reach self-growth, to overcome their mind-blocking obstacles to achieve their full potential by mindset shifts, mental strength, and by providing safe spaces for open, understanding conversation in mental health, backed up by philosophy and psychology, and oftentimes research. I believe that collective awareness (both of world and of self's functions) will lead to a more peaceful population.

Happy wording for thought!

Rachel J, Founder

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