Tweens need spiritual leaders!

Last Sunday I watched an episode of Oprah's "Super Soul Sunday". An amazing episode it was, with Gabrielle Bernstein, Mastin Kipp and Marie Forleo. I'm a huge fan of Gabby's. I was watching in between practicing my speech for TEDx Youth@ The Beltline which I would be speaking at the next day. In this episode Oprah Winfrey interviews three "up-and-coming" thought leaders from the next generation of spiritual thinkers. All in their 30's. and then it struck me: What about MY generation? The 10 to 19 year olds?
 
When you turn 10 you're official a "tween" which literally is short for between. You're in the middle of being a child and a teenager and you start slipping out of what your parents and teachers taught you and you start forming your own opinions about the world, how the world sees you, and how you see yourself, and how you want to be seen.  You were born unique, different from anyone on the planet, but this is when you start to make yourself an individual. A lot of kids between 10 and 13 start to slip through the cracks and they need to be reached. 

When I'm asked to speak to schools and girls organizations, I hear their stories. Stories  about how they've been bullied, abused at home, how they've been cutting themselves for the past months, and some not even alive to tell their stories, as they've committed suicide. 10 year olds should not be committing suicide. No one should.  I just heard a story on the news today about a 13 year old girl who stabbed her 2 year old half sister to DEATH, left her in the backyard and lied about it to her family. What is THAT about? What kids and teens really need are other KIDS or TEENS to talk to and relate with. 

We need our own thought leaders and gurus. I go in and uplift them, and give them a positive view in life, and I quote from the great Dr. Maya Angelou, "You should be a rainbow in somebodies cloud.". It would be great if Oprah did a Super Soul Sunday with just kids and teens talking and sharing their experiences, asking their own questions and giving their own answers, and uplifting and enlightening each other. If that ever happened I would LOVE to be a part of it. You can watch the episode HERE

Signing off for the night.

Blessings,

-Maya :)

The Best Animated Shorts of 2011!

This past Saturday I went to the ASIFA ATL's Best Animated Shorts of 2011, at the High Museum of Art. I saw lots of awesome animated shorts there, and I met the President of ASIFA ATL, Fatimah Abullah! Fatimah was so cool, and really nice, and she told me they were going to have a kids workshop next year and I'm so excited about it! I also met and was blown away and honored to meet co-creator and series executive producer of Captain Planet, Barbara Pyle! It was so cool to talk to her and she even let me wear her original power of Heart ring that she wore while working on the series! No one else had worn it but her, and I was so thrilled I felt the tingling power when I put it on! She's truly an amazing woman.



Me and Fatimah Abuallah

Me and Barbara Pyle

Me, Barbara, and the rest of the "Planeteers".

I had a great time, and I hope everyone else had a great Saturday as well.

-Maya =)





Maya Shares Her Breakfast!

Today I submitted a picture on Kellogg's Share Your Breakfast of my breakfast! It goes to a good cause too. If you submit a picture of your breakfast on their website a less fortunate kid will get a meal too! And the best part: Anyone can do it! Here's my picture!

Share yours here and view some other cool pictures of the most important meal of the day!

http://www.shareyourbreakfast.com/