https://www.strengthenalaska.org/strengthen-stories-blog daily 0.75 2023-11-17 https://www.strengthenalaska.org/strengthen-stories-blog/shadeed-atif monthly 0.5 2023-11-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63dc2a1a9b29467a52a209de/26d0c728-ee01-40b1-90f1-198b5775a637/SA+3.jpeg Strengthen Stories - Shadeed Atif WHAT'S A DEFINING MOMENT OR TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE WHEN I BECAME A STRONGER MAN? April 11 - September 25 2016 is when I took my first steps on the AT (Appalachian Trail) and completed 2,189 miles Thru hiking from Georgia to Maine. I lost over 85lbs on the trail, met a trail family who's forever in my life now, and learned lessons that restore my faith in humanity. Hiking backcountry with nothing but YOU and your gear to get you through taught me a thing or two about strength. Starting the trail at 255lbs I can tell you every part of my body and places I never knew could hurt.....HURT! I had never been awakened by my body cramping up and seizing in pain before this trail. The trail was physically brutal (at times) with elevation gains totaling the equivalent of doing Mt.Everest 11 times, still it was the mental game that truly pulled me to a new place in my life where I choose to see peace in all my situations and strive to see what unites US ALL, we are more alike than people realize and truly can lift one another up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63dc2a1a9b29467a52a209de/fb754fed-c1a5-4109-83a0-6a0d41d76e00/SA+1.jpeg Strengthen Stories - Shadeed Atif HOW DO I SHOW RESPECT TO OTHERS? By respecting myself..When I respect myself, I'm honoring my family, ancestors, and the world we live in. That means that I'm always actively listening to myself and the environment around me. The more I listen the more I may understand and show levels of respect specific to each individual and moment as they come. I FEEL LIKE A MAN WHEN? I'm brave enough to express myself without fear or hesitation. For me this is when we own our nonbinary selves! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63dc2a1a9b29467a52a209de/55b7cf18-212e-417d-9dbd-7476ab339cd6/SA+4.png Strengthen Stories - Shadeed Atif WHO TAUGHT YOU ABOUT BEING A MAN? Several Men, Women, Kids, T.V. friends, family, strangers, games, colors have even been used as factors which have contributed to the development of my manhood. All of these people, places and things put in their two cents towards social standards they thought ment being a man. No matter who thought they were teaching me to be a man, I can say humbly that I taught myself how to be ME. Looking back on my life and understanding at some point that I had to own my actions meant I had to be accountable and authentic in the way I interact with the world around me and that has been my biggest teacher; Accountability and Authenticity. Born in the Deep South an American of the African Diaspora...........BLACK and proud, there are several lessons from society and community members that were conflicting. Family members telling me how to survive being a black man in America, while History, teachers, police(literally) all conveying another message silently asking me to assimilate to white/eurocentric capitalistic culture or suffer the consequences of being Black in America............These were tough lessons especially because all of this was happening by first grade and all I wanted to do was be a carefree child, that sadly was not an option. I bring this up because these are lessons in Unlearning limited ideas, beliefs, and systems that don’t align with constructive thought, growth and self exploration ALL have been vital teachers to my human development! https://www.strengthenalaska.org/strengthen-stories-blog/farimang-touray monthly 0.5 2023-11-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63dc2a1a9b29467a52a209de/4426bdb9-b589-4b8a-86df-322206643eb3/FT+1.JPG Strengthen Stories - Farimang Touray Bio: I am a born and raised Alaskan (shout out Anchorage) and currently work as a physical therapist. Growing up in Anchorage is one thing I will always be proud of, it really was where the foundation was built for myself and has helped shape me into the person I am today. It is easy to take for granted what you have been blessed with and through it all, I try to not forget where I come from and what helped me get to this point now. It is a journey, one that I am glad to be on and I am excited to see where it leads. When I am not working, I enjoy being outside, traveling, playing basketball, podcasting, writing and exploring what limits can be pushed. Follow and support Farimang by following him on twitter and instagram at: @docmang Now that you're older, what advice would you give yourself about being a man and what that means? I would tell my younger self that you will have big responsibilities to upheld when it comes to being a man in regard to being a provider, being there for my family, being the rock. It is a big responsibility and you’re going to feel like you’re doing a horrible job but stay true to who you are. When people tell you that you are doing a great job, listen to them, don’t downplay it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63dc2a1a9b29467a52a209de/09a21af4-a771-4030-a5ed-b0b05bb0cb0d/FT+2.jpg Strengthen Stories - Farimang Touray Life can be overwhelming. How do you stay afloat? Take care of the physical with exercising, and basketball. Address the mental with journaling, having conversations with people close to me. How do you express yourself and your emotions in healthy ways? I think I have done a lot better job at not keeping my emotions bottled in, finding ways to channel them via conversations, journaling, exercising. Asking myself why I am feeling some type of way and trying to break down why that emotion came about and how I can tackle that emotion. Are you the man you want to be? I don’t know if I will ever be the man I want to be, always going to be a way to get a little better. It’s always a process, it’s about the journey not the destination. 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