Tag Archives: NKISFSHIC

Risk and Protective Factors

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Preventing youth violence begins with understanding that no single cause leads a young person to commit or experience violence. Instead, it’s a mix of individual, relationship, community, and societal influences. Risk factors—such as exposure to violence at home, poor academic performance, or associating with delinquent peers—can increase the chances of violent behavior. On the other hand, protective factors—like strong family connections, high academic achievement, or community involvement—can reduce those risks. Identifying and addressing these layers can empower parents, educators, and community leaders to intervene early and build supportive environments for youth. By increasing what protects and reducing what harms, we create safer, healthier communities for everyone.

Key Facts

  • Youth violence is shaped by a combination of factors, not a single cause.
  • Risk factors include poor behavioral control, substance use, and exposure to family or community violence.
  • Protective factors include strong family bonds, high academic achievement, and supportive school environments.
  • Prevention efforts must address multiple layers: individual, relationship, community, and societal.

Preventing youth violence isn’t just about stopping harm—it’s about building hope. Every effort we make to strengthen protective factors and reduce risks helps shape a generation of safer, more connected, and empowered young people. Together, we can move forward.

Reference:https://www.cdc.gov/youth-violence/risk-factors/index.html

26 Quotes About Letting Go

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Quotes aren’t just words—they’re anchors. Whether pulled from ancient proverbs, modern thinkers, or historical legends, inspirational quotes can offer clarity and calm during life’s storms. As Jessi Gholami, LCSW, puts it, they’re “concentrated morsels of hard-won wisdom” that feel like a warm hug when we need it most. Unlike cliché slogans, meaningful quotes can ground us, bring peace, and even disrupt the loop of negative thoughts that often spin on autopilot. According to clinical therapist Donna Novak, PsyD, placing inspirational quotes in our environment can help break that cycle and invite in a fresh, healing perspective. In this post, we highlight 26 quotes focused on letting go—powerful reminders of surrender, self-compassion, and the emotional release needed to heal.

26 Quotes About Letting Go

  1. “Some of us think holding on makes us strong but sometimes it is letting go.”
    — Hermann Hesse
  2. “The truth is unless you let go—forgive yourself, forgive the situation, realize the past is over—you cannot move forward.”
    — Steve Maraboli
  3. “When things start to fall apart in your life, you feel as if your whole world is crumbling. But actually it’s your fixed identity that’s crumbling. And that’s cause for celebration.”
    — Pema Chödrön
  4. “The sooner we let go of holding on, the sooner we can hold on to the beauty of what’s unfolding before us. Nothing was ever meant to stay the same forever.”
    — Julieanne O’Connor
  5. “Seek not that the things which happen should happen as you wish; but wish the things which happen to be as they are, and you will have a tranquil flow of life.”
    — Epictetus
  6. “It’s not a matter of letting go, you would if you could. Instead of ‘Let it go’ we should probably say ‘Let it be’.”
    — Jon Kabat-Zinn
  7. “It is the same with people as it is with riding a bike. Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance.”
    — Albert Einstein
  8. “Let go of becoming but never let go of taking action. Stop expecting and start living.”
    — Maxime Lagacé
  9. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
    — Oprah Winfrey
  10. “There ain’t no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.”
    — Kate DiCamillo
  11. “To let go does not mean to get rid of. To let go means to let be. When we let be with compassion, things come and go on their own.”
    — Jack Kornfield
  12. “If you want to fly in the sky, you need to leave the earth. If you want to move forward, you need to let go of the past that drags you down.”
    — Amit Ray
  13. “I don’t regret difficulties I experienced; I think they helped me to become the person I am today… he doesn’t remember the details of everything he learned, but he knows how to strike when the time is right.”
    — Paulo Coelho
  14. “To resist change, to try to cling to life, is like holding your breath: if you persist you kill yourself.”
    — Alan Watts
  15. “Surrender is a journey from outer turmoil to inner peace.”
    — Sri Chinmoy
  16. “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.”
    — Mandy Hale
  17. “Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”
    — Lao Tzu
  18. “The key in letting go is practice. Each time we let go, we disentangle ourselves from our expectations and begin to experience things as they are.”
    — Sharon Salzberg
  19. “If strength is love, then we weren’t strong enough. But if strength is letting love go, we were.”
    — Joe Bolton
  20. “The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.”
    — Marcus Aurelius
  21. “The ultimate act of power is surrender.”
    — Krishna Das
  22. “Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”
    — F. Scott Fitzgerald
  23. “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
    — E.M. Forster
  24. “When all is lost, when all is let go of, when all is abandoned, what you are left with is an ocean of bliss.”
    — Robert Thurman
  25. “The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.”
    — Barbara De Angelis
  26. “People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. They prefer suffering that is familiar to the unknown.”
    — Thich Nhat Hanh

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, loss, or personal growth, the right words can offer perspective and strength. Let these 26 quotes about letting go serve as daily reminders that healing begins with release. Pin them to your mirror, keep one in your journal, or share with a friend—they might be exactly the breath of wisdom someone needs today.

Reference: https://www.verywellmind.com/quotes-about-letting-go-8678775?hid=9da7c9b8a1c14056d0b1170abc613280ce8d3716&did=17413375-20250424&utm_source=verywellmind&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=verywellmind_newsletter&utm_content=042425&lctg=9da7c9b8a1c14056d0b1170abc613280ce8d3716&lr_input=c24f0f82324dd205a457b795567a3fcc0905f5476a12d769963bdac7cec1fc7a

Yes, Stress Really Can Make You Sick —Here’s Why

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Can Stress Really Make Us Sick? Understanding the Mind-Body Connection

Yes—chronic stress can absolutely impact your physical health. In fact, 60% to 80% of primary care visits involve stress-related concerns. Health psychologists like Dr. Julia Kogan and functional medicine specialists like Dr. Patricia Mills explain that prolonged stress elevates cortisol levels, which can weaken the immune system, trigger inflammation, and exacerbate chronic conditions like arthritis, IBS, and fibromyalgia. Chronic stress also decreases white blood cells, disrupts sleep, and interferes with hormone production—leading to issues with menstruation, fertility, and even testosterone levels in men. Symptoms of stress-related illness include headaches, high blood pressure, lowered immunity, sleep disturbances, and reduced sex drive.

Key Facts:

  • Chronic stress weakens the immune system and increases inflammation.
  • Cortisol overproduction impacts hormone balance and immunity.
  • Stress can worsen chronic conditions like arthritis, IBS, and fibromyalgia.
  • Symptoms of stress-related illness include fatigue, poor sleep, tension, and frequent infections.
  • Activities like meditation, breathwork, yoga, walking, dancing, and aromatherapy can naturally increase oxytocin, the relaxation hormone.

While we can’t eliminate all stress from our lives, we can choose how we respond to it. Tuning into our bodies and incorporating daily oxytocin-boosting habits like mindful breathing, gentle movement, and social connection can help us build resilience. If stress is taking a toll on your body, it’s not just in your head—and it’s worth taking seriously. Prioritize your well-being and reach out to a healthcare provider if stress is affecting your quality of life.

Reference: https://www.verywellmind.com/yes-stress-can-really-make-you-sick-this-is-why-8350874

RACE AND AMERICA

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Race in America is a complex discussion that has many facets. We can not ignore POC history, we can not push aside the sad and very real issues we are faced with in the USA. Today we are here, we are present, and our goal is to dismantle white supremacy and build a path for all cultures and identities now, and in the future.

THE FACTS:

  • White supremacist disapprove multiculturalism
  • White supremacists only support ” white ” identity
  • White supremacists sometimes use violence and fear to achieve their goals

THE METHOD:

When we are faced with the pain, trauma, violence, and hate of white America it is important that we BIPOC do not give rise to hate within our own hearts, or we become no different than them. It is important that we cultivate our hearts with love, peace, and non-violence in the quest of racial equity. For most of us BIPOC it is frightening to even think of the tragic history of America, and yet alone live today in the aftermath. So the question arises, “how do we end racism in America?”. First of all, you are NOT the problem, it is not your issue, the problem is within the engrained racism in our society and roots of white nationalism. To end racism we must educate, make our voices heard, and promote peace and equity in our new American culture. It may be difficult for some white nationalists to accept culture, this is not the problem of our BIPOC communities, and we should not internalize it, or it then becomes transformed into internalized racism. We can only continue sharing our cultures, freely expressing our identities and living as genuinely true to ourselves as we possibly can. Radiate love and peace, and eventually a cold heart will become warm.

END GOAL:

The end goal for our bicultural Asian American Pacific Islander AAPI and Black Indigenous People Of Color BIPOC communities is to promote the cultural message of acceptance, love, understand, and appreciation. Many of us come from different cultures and in many ways socially as well, but this does not mean that we disassociate with our neighbors. Many of us have cultural ties to countries that are incredibly diverse and have long histories of peaceful cultural interactions and exchange. Our goal is to appreciate and to embrace the differences, so we can create a better future together.

References: https://www.britannica.com/topic/white-supremacy