Activities for the Beauty of Loneliness – Part 3: The Beauty of the Self

Theme: Reclaiming the Person Behind the Role

The Narrative: Why We Do This

“The greatest gift you can give a child is not your self-sacrifice, but your self-discovery.”

Many of us believe that “good” caregiving means disappearing into the role. We become “Mom,” “Dad,” or “Coach,” and the person we were before—the artist, the music lover, the dreamer—slowly fades away. But here is the hard truth: You cannot teach a young person how to live a vibrant, full life if you are modeling a depleted one.

Loneliness often strikes when we realize we have forgotten who we are.

Reclaiming your “Lost Self” isn’t selfish; it is an essential strategy. It invites the youth to know you, not just the things you do for them.

Your WAY Forward Hub Activity

The “Who Was I?” Flashback – Take 3 minutes to time travel.

Step 1: Think of the age the youth in your care is right now (e.g., 14 years old).

Step 2: In the box below, type in the answer – What was a song you played on repeat at that age? What was a movie you loved? What was a hobby you did just for fun?

Hit “Submit.”

(WAY will not capture any information shared in this box)

Your Micro-Moment – “The Time Travel Intro”

Introduce your past self to your current family.

The Setup: Play that song for the youth or show them a photo of you at their age.

The Script: “I realized you mostly know me as ‘Parent/Coach,’ but I want to introduce you to the version of me that was your age. This is the music I loved. This is what I was afraid of. I wasn’t just an adult; I was a person like you.”

The Goal: Connect human-to-human, breaking the “Authority Figure” barrier.

Video: Talli Dolge (President / CEO of Wellbeing Action for Youth)

Join Talli as she vulnerably shares her journey in reclaiming herself in the loneliness during the third part of a four-part series.