Remember to Pause- You Are Living a Life You Dreamed of

While you’re climbing your ladder of success, don’t forget that you’re living a life you once dreamed of. I had to remind myself of that this weekend while getting ready for my favorite conference of the year with NCAA D2 athletes. I remember very early on in my speaking career, I visualized myself having a consistent partnership with the NCAA. …

Canine Comfort: How Dogs Alleviate Stress

In September of 2019, my wife and I rescued a 12-week-old puppy. Bringing home this little dog, which we named Darcy, into our new apartment was a stressful, exciting, and overall chaotic experience. We had no idea how our lives would be forever changed. Little would we know then that the experiences life would throw at us over the next …

self-care blog: Let Your Why Be What Carries You

Let Your Why Be What Carries You

It was his first flight. And it was the scariest one of my life. Meeting Ayden was not by chance. His late aunt’s name was Ivy, and he felt like he had a guardian angel watching over him for his first flight. We were on a small 8-passenger flight from Massena, NY to Boston, NY. There were 4 of us …

Don’t Suck It In

I didn’t learn how to breathe until I was in college when a yoga teacher told me to stop sucking in my stomach with my breath. Like many twenty-somethings, I assumed she was simply incorrect. I mean, how could I take a deep breath in without sucking in my stomach?  Society had instructed me to suck it in much of …

Embrace Your Genius

“I believe that you are a genius and the world is worthy of you and all that you can contribute to the world to make it a better place, a safer place, and a more inclusive space to live.” That is what I have told my students since we began Genius Hour around 2012 from the first day of school. …

Mental Health Is Everything

My name is Kate Kranias, and I am a member of the 1n5 Youth Council for Suicide Prevention. Through my involvement with 1n5, I am able to advocate for adolescent mental health and work with like-minded peers to debunk stubborn stigmas.  Mental health is everything. Really – it is. Brushing your teeth in the morning, calling a friend, cooking a …

Redefining Strength: A Journey Through Grief and Healing

The second worst call of my life came on September 11, 2019. The worst call came on May 19, 2021. The second worst call? They suspected my mom had pancreatic cancer, we just weren’t sure how bad, yet. The worst call? My dad saying three words that shattered me. “She died, Ivy.” All of the healing I had done previously …

We Are Always Becoming

Hi, reader! Abby here, I’m grateful to be the new Office Manager at 1N5. Thanks for spending some time on our blog.  We are always becoming. It’s a beautiful reminder about our shared human experience, acknowledging that we are dynamic individuals; that we are malleable, we are impressionable, we are wildly adaptive, we are capable of transformation and growth.  Allowing …

Reclaiming My Power as a Single Mom

After losing my mom one week after finding out I was pregnant, I didn’t think life could get much worse. But life had other plans for me and things did in fact, get worse. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be where I’m at right now. I never thought I would be going through a divorce …

The Diary of a Creative Mind

My name is Kamiah Vickers — I’m a NYC-based playwright and actress. As a creative, it’s important that my mental health is prioritized, as so often it’s easy to forget about it in a fast-paced industry. My goal is to help fellow creatives understand their creative conscious, and prioritize mental wellbeing. I think a lot—there are rarely moments when my …