Talking helps

After 20+ years as an educational consultant working with students grades 5-12, here is my observation: we're too quick to blame kids for school struggles violence, poor grades, behavioral issues while ignoring the adults around them. In this episode, I discuss absent or abusive parents, burnt-out or ill-suited teachers, disengaged principals, and superintendents who undermine good leadership  while also honoring the ones doing it right. It's not one villain. Everybody plays a part.

In this follow-up to "Loneliness Won't Leave Me Alone," host Hashim M. Garrett digs into a strange contradiction many people know but rarely admit: getting so comfortable being alone that you actually become worse at being around people. He talks through oversharing, second-guessing conversations at 2am, secretly keeping score on people's "annoying" moments, and the push-pull of wanting connection on your own terms. Honest, a little funny, and a lot relatable this episode is a reminder that solitude can be healthy, but only if you stay intentional about not losing your ability to connect.

In this episode, I get into the difference between being alone and feeling lonely, sparked by a song lyric my dad shared with me: "loneliness won't leave me alone." Drawing from growing up as an only child and going through two marriages, I make the case that loneliness is internal, not circumstantial. You can feel isolated in a stadium full of people or in the same bed as your spouse, and you can be completely at peace sitting alone in your house.I used to run from difficult feelings after my first marriage ended, filling the silence with going out, dating, and staying busy instead of doing the real internal work. My message: solitude isn't something to fear or fill with distraction, it's where growth happens. I talk about historical and spiritual figures who found clarity in periods of being alone, and I encourage you to sit with yourself intentionally, build positive coping habits, and use that time to grow, so that when you do reconnect with others, you show up as a better version of yourself.

After 20 years as an educational consultant and licensed social worker, Hashem Garrett has sat in hundreds of classrooms and just as many principals' offices. In this episode, he gets honest about what he's seen: teachers who are true beacons of light for their students, and others who've lost the ability to separate their own struggles from how they show up for kids.

Hashim M. Garrett, LMSW is an educational consultant, author, motivational speaker available for freshman orientations, assemblies, and staff development. Booking inquiries: [email protected]

Talking truly helps when we are feeling down or overwhelmed 

Welcome to the Morning Message series. Sit back, listen and enjoy. 

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