Meet Kevin Berthia, the first storyteller of 2024 for season 2 of the I Know Lonely Project. As a survivor of 22 suicide attempts, depression and a battle over mental health has always been a deep part of Kevin’s story. His journey hasn’t been an easy one, but Kevin lives life with hope. Kevin shared something really powerful in his podcast,  he said “I think that we don't understand the void that we each fill in that world. There's something that you bring to the world that nobody else can bring. And as long as you're not bringing it, that void is not being filled.” And as we kick off a new year, we hope his story reminds you how much YOU MATTER to the world. And that no matter how dark it gets, there’s always HOPE. Your story isn’t over yet. To watch Kevin's video & and access resources: ⁠www.only7seconds.com/kevin — Learn more about the ⁠I Know Lonely Project⁠ here. Connect with us on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Music written & produced: ⁠Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

As Only7Seconds has heavily shifted our focus to youth, we wanted to bring on one of our partners to share a perspective on why youth belonging is critical to making change in the youth loneliness epidemic. Our guest today is Erich Boltz from The Center For Educational Effectiveness (CEE). CEE develops and delivers quality surveys, data tools and services that catalyze community, district, school, and individual growth. For more on this collaborative conversation, our team joined CEE on their podcast, you can listen to Eric Driessen & Luke Wall chat with the CEE team here. Learn more about CEE and the work they do at www.effectiveness.org — Learn more about ⁠⁠Only7Seconds⁠⁠ Connect with us on social media: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ — Music written & produced: ⁠⁠Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

It's quite fitting the first story we share after our announcement about our focus shifting to youth & young adults over the next 3 years is a story from a teenager! Meet Apuroopa Kavikondala. As an ambitious high school student, Apuroopa is a 5x self-published author and mental health advocate. In her story, she shares about her experience with friendships and some of the lessons she's learned so far. One of the biggest lessons she's learned recently is how friendships change and evolve over time and how that's totally okay. She also shares how her strong family relationships have been a grounding force for her as she's explored her passions. Her joy, honesty, and passion are inspiring to us all. This is her story. — To watch Apuroopa's video, see the full show notes, and access resources: ⁠www.only7seconds.com/apuroopa — To learn more and support the I KNOW LONELY Project: ⁠click here⁠. Connect with us on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Music written & produced: ⁠Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

Mike's story this month shared about the rich friendships he had and we wanted to bounce off of that topic by bringing on a friendship expert to talk about how we can build better friendships. In this bonus episode, Luke chats with speaker, author, and friendship coach, Kat Vellos about how we can have more meaningful friendships. Whether you are struggling to take the relationships you have to a deeper level or struggling to find friends in the first place, Kat shares some practical ways we can prioritize the friendships in our lives. Notable links: Kat's blogpost mentioned by Luke: How To Deal With A Friend Who Doesn't Text Back The blogpost mentioned by Kat: What If Friendship Is Easier Than You Think? — Connect with Kat: Website: ⁠www.weshouldgettogether.com Instagram: @katvellos_author ⁠⁠| Her book on Amazon: ⁠⁠We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships — Learn more about ⁠Only7Seconds⁠ Connect with us on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ — Music written & produced: ⁠Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

Each story we share holds a special place in our hearts because each of these humans are absolutely inspiring and incredible, but I think we all agree that this month's story is an extra special one. Meet Mike Elvasky. Mike is 100 years old and we had the honor of hearing his story and gaining some of the wealth of wisdom he has to share. Whether it was his time serving in World War II, his many years as a farmer and orchardist, or his career as a teacher and educator, Mike shares with us what he has learned to value the most— friendship and generosity. As a part of the I Know Lonely Project, here are a few of the ways you can engage with Mike's story: ▶️ Watch this short video 🎙️ Mike doesn't have a podcast episode this month, however stay tuned for Friday's episode with our expert guest as we talk about friendship and some of the themes Mike shared in his video! 💬 Access the resources — You can access all of this on our website: www.only7seconds.com/mike — Learn more about the ⁠I Know Lonely Project⁠ here. Connect with us on social media: ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Music written & produced: ⁠Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

A near fatal car accident changed everything for 12 year old Kelly. After losing the use of her right arm, Kelly shares her story living with a physical disability. From being bullied in high school, to being told she’d never be able to reach her dream as a photographer with one arm, to losing mobility in both arms for extended parts of her life (not just once, but twice!)- her story will keep you on the edge of your seat, but over and over, you’ll see how she’s continued to push through the impossible. Want a spoiler for one of her secrets? It’s being surrounded by a strong and connected community of people. To watch Kelly’s video & and access resources: www.only7seconds.com/kelly — Learn more about the I Know Lonely Project here. Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

Meet Kelly Lemon, a one-armed photographer and business woman and our second storyteller from SEASON 2 of the I Know Lonely Project. A near fatal car accident changed everything for 12 year old Kelly. After losing the use of her right arm, Kelly shares her story living with a physical disability. From being bullied in high school, to being told she’d never be able to reach her dream as a photographer with one arm, to losing mobility in both arms for extended parts of her life (not just once, but twice!)- her story will keep you on the edge of your seat, but over and over, you’ll see how she’s continued to push through the impossible. Want a spoiler for one of her secrets? It’s being surrounded by a strong and connected community of people. One of the reasons we share stories like this is to build empathy and allow us to be better, kinder, and more compassionate humans. In her podcast episode, Kelly shares some helpful tools for us to have conversations around physical disabilities and how we can support those who live differently than us. To watch Kelly’s video & and access resources: www.only7seconds.com/kelly — Learn more about the I Know Lonely Project here. Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Music written & produced: Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

Coming from a childhood of adversity, Chris shares how he began striving for success by pursuing money, position, and relationships. But it was only when he gained understanding for the value of his story and the impact of healthy connections that he felt he was able to truly find success. Chris mentions 5 Questions that were pivotal in helping him discover his story and we want you to be able to utilize those too! Download this FREE printable. To watch Chris' video & and access resources: www.only7seconds.com/chris — Learn more about the I Know Lonely Project here. Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Music written & produced: Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

Meet Chris Cruz, our first storyteller of SEASON 2 of the I Know Lonely Project. If you have followed along with Only7Seconds over the past year, we release a story every month of the school year in video & podcast form. Coming from a childhood of adversity, Chris shares how he began striving for success by pursuing money, position, and relationships. But it was only when he gained understanding for the value of his story and the impact of healthy connections that he felt he was able to truly find success. Chris mentions 5 Questions that were pivotal in helping him discover his story and we want you to be able to utilize those too! Download this FREE printable. To watch Chris' video & and access resources: www.only7seconds.com/chris — Learn more about the I Know Lonely Project here. Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Music written & produced: Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message

Have you heard that loneliness is as dangerous as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? Not only has Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad been a pioneer in the research around loneliness and the importance of social health, but she is the academic researcher who led that study. More recently, she has served as the lead scientist on the historical advisory on social connection and loneliness released by the U.S Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. We are honored to have her join us for a special episode in honor of Loneliness Awareness Week. In this conversation, Dr. Holt-Lunstad shares more about the impact and dangers of loneliness on our physical health and life expectancy, defines the difference between loneliness and isolation, why our social health is so vital, and some easy action steps we can take to pursue better connections and ultimately, better health. Stay connected with us on social media for #lonelinessawarenessweek and learn more about loneliness, why it matters, and how you can help be a part of the solution. Connect with us on social media: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ — Connect with Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad and learn more about her work: www.julianneholtlunstad.com Learn more about ⁠Only7Seconds⁠ — Music written & produced: ⁠Dash8 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/only7seconds/message