Stories JOIN THE CONVERSATION Be part of growing Aotearoa’s humanity Our Humanity Inspiration New layer New layer New layer POPULAR TAGS All (1027) Family (218) community (176) kindness (132) children (115) seniors (101) money (95) faith (91) relationships (86) mental health (81) loneliness (42) Alcohol and Drugs (40) Stress (32) THIS MONTH’S QUESTION What’s a challenge you’ve experienced? Billie | Tolaga Bay, Gisborne - "I feel like I can’t go out and talk to people purely about myself because I feel like that’s too selfish. But the people I’ve met in my life, they’ve identified that there’s no shame in talking about yourself if you’re struggling. Kev | Addington, Canterbury - "That was certainly a big problem for me in my 20s. A lot of feelings, but no words, no language to portray this to other people. Also, feeling like it’s undignified to ask for help. Reina | Pukekawa, Waikato - "It’s become more and more apparent to me how important it is for us all to connect back to those roots. Connect back to our ancestors, for me to connect to my tūpuna, and to continue the legacy of their own culture, because it’s so beautiful." Reina | Tolaga Bay, Gisborne - "I went out there in the big wide world by myself, from this little town where I thought that nobody loved me, nobody cared for me. So the only ones that I looked to were the guys that pulled me off the street, and they were gang members." Anita | Fairfield, Waikato - "I didn’t really have the best of lives. I was married to a gang member and finally, after 20 years I got away from that. It still took a long time, but now I’ve come out the other side, and just got my kids to keep me going." Tui | Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne - "Tokomaru's a very isolated, remote, rural area, but when you get there, you get to be with the people, you learn the land, you learn the history and you learn a way of living life the way the people up there live it" Abdi | Christchurch, Canterbury - "The biggest challenge that I’ve had to face is I’m from a refugee background. Having to learn to adjust and give kudos and mana to both sides of who I am. Kelly | Uawa, Gisborne - "What I do is a gift, and it’s handed down from generation to generation from our family, and being from Ōmarumutu which was known as a hospital during the Māori Wars. Jono | Paparangi, Wellington - "It was a challenge overcoming the loss of a limb. In my culture, to opt to have a part of you taken away is not a thing we take lightly. From a spiritual basis, from kaupapa Māori, tikanga Māori, we value our body." Kelly | Matamata, Waikato - "You can’t dwell on it. It’s your moment that’s happening at that time, but it’s not your forever moment. Things will change, other people go through lots of hard times, but you always know whether it's one week later, six months later, or a year later, at some stage in their life they start overcoming."
Billie | Tolaga Bay, Gisborne - "I feel like I can’t go out and talk to people purely about myself because I feel like that’s too selfish. But the people I’ve met in my life, they’ve identified that there’s no shame in talking about yourself if you’re struggling. Kev | Addington, Canterbury - "That was certainly a big problem for me in my 20s. A lot of feelings, but no words, no language to portray this to other people. Also, feeling like it’s undignified to ask for help. Reina | Pukekawa, Waikato - "It’s become more and more apparent to me how important it is for us all to connect back to those roots. Connect back to our ancestors, for me to connect to my tūpuna, and to continue the legacy of their own culture, because it’s so beautiful." Reina | Tolaga Bay, Gisborne - "I went out there in the big wide world by myself, from this little town where I thought that nobody loved me, nobody cared for me. So the only ones that I looked to were the guys that pulled me off the street, and they were gang members." Anita | Fairfield, Waikato - "I didn’t really have the best of lives. I was married to a gang member and finally, after 20 years I got away from that. It still took a long time, but now I’ve come out the other side, and just got my kids to keep me going." Tui | Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne - "Tokomaru's a very isolated, remote, rural area, but when you get there, you get to be with the people, you learn the land, you learn the history and you learn a way of living life the way the people up there live it" Abdi | Christchurch, Canterbury - "The biggest challenge that I’ve had to face is I’m from a refugee background. Having to learn to adjust and give kudos and mana to both sides of who I am. Kelly | Uawa, Gisborne - "What I do is a gift, and it’s handed down from generation to generation from our family, and being from Ōmarumutu which was known as a hospital during the Māori Wars. Jono | Paparangi, Wellington - "It was a challenge overcoming the loss of a limb. In my culture, to opt to have a part of you taken away is not a thing we take lightly. From a spiritual basis, from kaupapa Māori, tikanga Māori, we value our body." Kelly | Matamata, Waikato - "You can’t dwell on it. It’s your moment that’s happening at that time, but it’s not your forever moment. Things will change, other people go through lots of hard times, but you always know whether it's one week later, six months later, or a year later, at some stage in their life they start overcoming."
