This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. It's inevitable: we will struggle in this life. We will face trials. We will hurt. And we'll get knocked down. But have you ever thought about the purpose of suffering & embracing persevering through it instead of rushing through the pain until it goes away? Could it be to bring you to something greater and to a more complete version of yourself? Stephanie Goetz - Emmy nominated journalist and president and founder of The Stephanie Goetz Mental Wellness Initiative - talks about her personal life struggles: losing her only two brothers before the age of 18. She talks about her personal walk through the immense suffering & loss and how facing struggles and persevering through them will bring you to a place where you find your true passion and purpose for life. Ultimately, learning the beauty in struggle.
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
― Maya Angelou
www.ImagineThriving.org
www.GoetzInitiative.org
She's a familiar face that enters tens-of-thousands of people's living rooms every week night at 5:00, 6:00 & 10:00 p.m. Stephanie Goetz is the evening news anchor for Valley News Live TV in Fargo and storytelling has been a part of this Emmy-nominated journalist's life for more than a decade. She's a native of Red Wing, Minnesota and a University of Minnesota grad. Although she pours her heart & energy into producing & anchoring newscasts everyday, she has another true passion: creating real solutions to mental health issues, focusing on early intervention and prevention & bringing hope and healing to those who are struggling. Her passion for the world of mental health began after seeing the toll it took on her older brother Cam. He was a vibrant, beloved, talented college tennis player who had everything going for him. But he was fighting an inner battle with depression. After struggling for a year, he took is life in 2002 - one day before his 20th birthday. Since then, Stephanie has made it her personal mission to make sure no one suffers to this point. In November of 2012, she started the Stephanie Goetz Mental Wellness Initiative. In just one short year, Stephanie, her advisory board, her executive director Abby Tow & countless volunteers have helped integrate Student Support Strategists into the Fargo Schools - which are licensed clinical social workers who identify a child struggling with mental health issues in the school, assess them and get them to appropriate care then need at a mental health care facility outside of the school. It's something practically no school districts in this country have and school officials say it's vitally needed now to help so many struggling kids!
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
