Positive World, Positive People

When do you feel most like yourself? For a lot of us, the answer isn’t always clear. You might feel one way around friends, another in school, and a completely different version of yourself online. That means, over time, it can get harder to tell which parts of you feel real and which parts are shaped by expectations. That is why, for this episode, I wanted to explore: How do teenagers balance bei...

In this episode, we are talking about something that touches all of us, whether we notice it or not: our harmony and connection to nature. Currently, we hear a lot about mental health resources, coping strategies, and support networks, and while all of those matter, something as ordinary as the environment we live in can play a huge role in how we think, feel, and connect. Some teens feel calmer a...

In this series, we highlight activists, innovators, and leaders who used their voices and actions to create real change, reminding us that you are never too young to make a difference. At its core, this series is about showing that change doesn’t have to start big. Sometimes, it starts with one idea, one passion, and the courage to act on it. Today’s guest is someone who truly embodies what it mea...

The teenage years are full of change. We’re asked to think more seriously about our futures, take on more responsibility, and define who we want to become. But somewhere in the middle of all that, motivation can start to feel unpredictable. You might feel incredibly driven toward one goal, and completely stuck in another area. Instead of assuming that inconsistency means something is wrong, I star...

As we move through our teenage years, emotions can feel heavier, more complex, and sometimes harder to understand. For some teens, those feelings go beyond stress and become something deeper: something harder to explain, like a lingering sadness or a sense of disconnection. These concepts made me start to wonder: Why do depressive symptoms often increase during adolescence? How do stress and ident...

One thing that comes up again and again in life is how complicated self-esteem can feel. There are moments where you feel confident and secure, and others where your self-worth feels tied to things like grades, friendships, or how you think others perceive you. Because of this, I started to wonder: what truly is self-esteem? And what is connected to make those emotions so severe? To explore these...

In this series, we highlight activists, innovators, and leaders who prove that meaningful change often begins with a single idea and the courage to act on it. These stories are meant to inspire you, because no matter how small your beginnings seem, your voice and actions can ripple outward and create real impact. Today’s guest is someone whose story truly embodies this idea through multiple compon...

Something I notice constantly, in my friends and in myself, is how unpredictable motivation can feel during the teenage years. Unfortunately, motivation is not something adolescents can ignore as it shapes our academic performance, ambitions, friendships, and even self-confidence. So, in this episode, I wanted to explore questions like: What actually causes motivation to fluctuate so much during a...

As we grow into our teenage years, life becomes fuller and more complicated. School and hobbies get harder. Expectations rise. Social dynamics shift. And sometimes, the small, natural acts of kindness that once felt easy begin to feel harder to prioritize. It’s not that we stop caring; it’s that life feels louder. In all, that made me wonder: Why does kindness sometimes feel more difficult during...

Today’s episode feels especially grounding, literally. When we think about teen well-being, we usually address topics such as friendships, school stress, social media, or family dynamics. But we don’t always think about something much quieter, and maybe much more powerful: our connection to nature. What does it mean to feel connected to the natural world? How does time outdoors shape mental health...

In this series, I highlight young activists, innovators, and leaders who are already shaping a more just and equitable future through their voices, values, and actions. These interviews show that meaningful change doesn’t require waiting for the future; it starts when young people decide to step up, speak out, and lead with intention. With that said, I’m incredibly excited to introduce today’s gue...

One question that comes up a LOT is: Why does motivation sometimes feel like a wave, strong one day and completely gone the next? Why does it feel easy to care about something at one moment and impossible the next, especially during school or goal-focused work? For this episode, I really wanted to dig into the science behind motivation during adolescence. What drives teens to engage and persist? W...

If you’ve ever looked at your phone and realized you don’t talk to someone the way you used to, or felt like a friendship quietly changed without a clear reason, you’re not alone. One of the strangest parts of growing up is watching relationships evolve while you’re still trying to figure out who you are. For today’s episode, we are discussing why friendships change during the teenage years and ho...

Today’s episode focuses on something many young people experience but don’t acknowledge: loneliness. Even though we’re constantly connected through social media, texting, and school, lots of teens still feel isolated, unseen, or emotionally alone. Loneliness doesn’t always mean being physically alone —sometimes it shows up even when you’re surrounded by people. This experience can be confusing and...

Today’s episode is part of our “Change Starts Small” series, where young activists, innovators, and leaders who are proving that age is never a limitation to creating meaningful change join our podcast. This series is rooted in the belief that finding your voice and choosing to use it often is the very first step toward making an impact. By sharing these stories, we hope to inspire others to lead...

The teenage years come with moments that test us. Whether it’s pressure, loss, failure, or uncertainty, difficult experiences can make us feel disconnected from ourselves and others. However, doing simple things, such as staying open-minded, kind, and maintaining personal identity, can relieve these pressures, but it is easier said than done. With that in mind, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Tyrone C....

As we move through our teenage years, friendships often begin to change. People we once felt inseparable from might drift away, friend groups shift, and sometimes we’re left wondering what we did wrong or if something is wrong with us. These changes can feel confusing, painful, and isolating, especially when no one really talks about how normal they are. Because of this, I wanted to understand why...

In our previous episode, we sat down with Jenny Garrett to talk about building self-esteem, what it means to find confidence from within, and how to navigate identity in a world full of comparison. We explored how self-worth connects to authenticity and leadership, and why believing in yourself is one of the most powerful things you can do as a teenager. Today, we’re taking that conversation a ste...

Our guest today is Jahkil Jackson, who turned his own curiosity, empathy, and sense of purpose into a global movement. Jahkil is a three-time best-selling author, youth philanthropist, student-athlete, and social entrepreneur. When he was eight years old, he founded Project I Am, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about homelessness and assisting those in need by creating and...

In our last episode, we explored the topic of self-esteem with Sadie Sutton and discussed what it truly means to find confidence from within. We talked about how anxiety and self-worth often overlap, and how learning to accept ourselves can be one of the most powerful tools for mental health. Today, we’re continuing that conversation, but from a new angle. This time, we’ll focus on how self-esteem...

As teenagers, self-esteem does not always come naturally. Being able to be confident in who we are, who we want to be, and what we want to become is incredibly difficult. Between social media pressures, academic stress, and the constant comparisons that surround us, it can feel nearly impossible to truly love ourselves. With that in mind, I wanted to explore how teens can build healthy confidence...

Through our teenage and young adult years, we begin to take the steps to discover our true identities and passions. Discovering who our true selves are makes an incredible difference in our everyday lives, but sometimes that journey of discovery is incredibly rough. The components of life get thrown into the mix, and sometimes we lose who we are supposed to be along the way.  To help us discuss ho...

I’m thrilled to welcome today’s guest for our first episode of the newest PoWoPoPe series, Change Starts Small. Nate Wilbourne is a youth and nature advocate from New Zealand. Nate has done incredible work in environmental conservation, climate justice, and youth empowerment. Support the show

As we develop into our teenage years, life begins to move at lightning speed. School becomes more demanding, extracurriculars fill up our afternoons, and social pressures seem to grow by the day. Amid all of this, the simple acts of kindness and selflessness that once felt natural can begin to fade. It’s not that we care any less; it’s that life gets busier, and sometimes kindness unintentionally...

As we begin our teenage years, schoolwork begins to pile up, activities become more demanding, and thoughts about college consume every waking minute. In all, life becomes more anxiety-inducing and sometimes frightening. Thinking about all this, I wanted to discover techniques teenagers can begin to use to control their anxiety and start to learn ways to advocate for themselves when life becomes t...