Meet Aryanah Oldenburger, our July Dandy Lion of the month. She just turned eighteen years old this month. Like many teens, she has been anxious to go back to the way it was in 2019.

Aryanah grew up in a family that cultivated happiness. Her parents gave her tools for self-managing by using positive affirmations, appreciating our connectedness to one another, and practicing gratitude. They taught her to appreciate the little joys of miracles of life, such as the sun rising every day. Aryanah grew up with a growth mindset.

Though Aryanah grew up in a loving family, it did not shield her from being bullied at school. Being 5'9 inches at age 15 was ammunition for her schoolmates to make fun of her. She had terrible acne on her face, more pronounced than the typical girls her age. A group of girls made fun of her and even told other students that she had chickenpox. They made her life miserable. Her parents taught her to accept those uncomfortable sad feelings because they deepen our ability to appreciate the joy in our lives. But it does not give anyone permission to hurt others with mean words. And especially for something they have no control over.

Aryanah knew the only way to fight back was to self-love and ignore others' opinions. Though a challenging journey, she knew she would have to journal her feeling and look in the mirror daily to self-love. With patience and time, it worked. During the pandemic, she had a few failures that would impact her acceptance into nursing school. Listen to how she overcame them.

Contact her via Instagram at:

instagram@aryanah.o

Imagine -A-World of Kindness from 16-Yr Old Janaya Iverson.

THE AUTHENTICITY SERIES: DANDY LION PERSPECTIVE By Harriet TinkaJan 27, 2021