The Key Is Self-Awareness

In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews Romi Grossberg. She is a social worker and author who specializes in mental health and emotional well-being. Author of 'The 5-Minute Guide to Emotional Intelligence' and more recently 'The Key, A Social Emotional Toolkit for Teens,' Romi has been published in numerous forums such as The Huffington Post and Griffith Review and has presented on the TEDx stage in Cambodia. After living in Cambodia for three and a half years as the Manager of a hip hop center working with street kids, Romi wrote her memoir 'Hip Hop & Hope, from the slums of Phnom Penh' which she just finished. She now lives in southern Thailand working as a holistic counselor and writing therapist for adults and teenagers both at a wellness resort and online. Romi also travels to conferences teaching 'The Key' to educators and goes to schools to teach 'The Key' to students. "Your E.Q. (emotional intelligence) is based on self-awareness. It is understanding your emotions and why you react to people or situations the way you do. Increasing your awareness is important for the very simple reason that it ultimately makes life easier! It is difficult to notice the good or acknowledge the 'not so good' in life if you aren't aware in the first place. Understanding and increasing your awareness and learning some of the tools in this book can help you deal with pressure, anxiety, school life, friendships, relationships, arguments, family life and growing up." She says. In Romi's book 'The Key' she also discusses the concept of friendships with teens. "And speaking of friendships, do you have any friends that you can completely and truly be yourself with? Or do you need to think and edit yourself before you speak? Do you do or say what is cool and what you're expected to say? Or do you say what you really think because you know it is safe to do so and that you won't be teased, looked at funny or told you're weird? Think about it. Be honest with yourself. It's not exactly a lie when we say what we know other people want to hear, but it's not always the truth either. It is us trying to fit in, not stand out, be cool. We all do it. But wouldn't it be cooler if we didn't have to always concentrate or try so hard? If we could be honest with ourselves and our friends and know that everything would just be okay? Being different or being called weird is not the end of the world. I personally think that is cool. Why should we all be the same? Wear the same clothes, share the same thoughts, always agreeing out of fear of not agreeing - the world would be a very boring place. If all of your friends like shopping and you don't, then decide what you like to do and you can join the others later. True friends accept all of your similarities and differences and respect your choices. True friends can agree to disagree without having an argument. Finding friends that support and encourage your interests and passions is important." – says Romi Grossberg. To learn more about Romi Grossberg, please visit her websites: https://www.romigrossberg.com/ For Intro-free episodes: https://www.patreon.com/aquestforwellbeingpodcast Podcast Page: https://fitforjoy.org/podcast ** Bio intro and outro one by Heidi Lynn Peters.