Once upon a time, I had a friend named Wayne. Wayne was about 80 years old and I knew him because he sold me tools and other supplies for the tire shop I once owned; in what seems like so many lifetime’s ago.
Wayne was always moving around, his mantra was that, ‘ if he sat down, he would die’.
I see myself being much like old Wayne. Remaining active until the very end of my life, to my last breath.
I am reminded of this because, although I am leaving this prison soon, and most people here quit their job and, “do them” at the end of their term.
That sounds good but for me, it’s different- I have all these goals that I had for myself; goals that effect the community here, that I simply must see through down to the very last minute.
Nike had a commercial back in the day that I wrote on my heart, ” A BODY IN ACTION, STAYS IN ACTION “.
This is one of my many mantras and the number one problem I see here in the BOP ; too many folks laying around.
This month though, here at Aliceville, we are kicking off a 90 Day Challenge- the PEER SUCCESS PROGRAM is hosting the kickoff at recreation on the 23rd of the April and or mentor teams will help those who challenge themselves in the various challenges that the think tank created for them, all based on the different spokes of the wellness wheel. The goal is to see it through for the entirety of 90 days. Awards and accreditation will be given for those who succeed and shine.
If you have been following the program and it’s progress, you may know that one of the issues our mentor teams have had is in the area of what my grandmother called, STICK-TO-IT-IVENESS.
My answer to this problem is the kick off of a compound-wide “90 Day Challenge “.
The other issue that has become my pet peeve, is that the participants in the units, those in the community who are attending the workshops and receiving the benefits of our mentor’s efforts, like a free life-coach, often ask WHAT THEY GET OUT OF IT IF THEY PARTICIPATE?
Now, am I tripping or does this strike you as odd as well? Where in this world does anyone look at making positive changes in their life and expect the person helping them, encouraging them and holding them accountable TO GIVE THEM A REWARD if they succeed ?
The fact is, it’s the opposite, in the real world, we pay our life couches and trainers, even for an app that helps us to remember to do whatever.
This goes back to this crzy new, quick-fast and in a hurry- generation who is simply ENTITLED AND EXPECTANT. The same folks who are constantly complaining that there is nothing to do here.
So here we are, doing a 90 day challenge with incentive, certificates and honors.
My challenge as the director was to find a way to demonstrate the real benefits to each challenge and so when I asked the think tank ( THE COLLECTIVE ) to write proposals for the various challenges, I asked them to include the real benefits.
Here is an example:
I created the writing challenge, which spins out of the INTELLECTUAL and EMOTIONAL SPOKES OF THE WHEEL.
I titled it:
FIND YOUR VOICE / SHARPEN YOUR MIND
1) For those of you who wish to TELL YOUR STORY
DID YOU KNOW, telling your story is healthy for your mind and body, here is how:
Challenging yourself to write your story has PSYCHOLOGICAL benefits:
-improves self awareness, fostering increased emotional intelligence and clarity.
-narrative writing ( i.e..,telling your story ) supports mental healthy by organizing traumatic experiences into coherent stories reducing stress and anxiety.
-empowerment comes from reframing your story from a position of agency, increases resilience and a sense of control over your life narrative.
Believe it or not, writing your story even has PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS! ( this means it effects your physical self )
-lowers your cortisol levels: reflective writing has been associated with reduced stress markers!
-boosts your immunity: expressive writing can lead to lower doctor visits and improved immune functions.
– create a timeline of the portion of your life’s story you wish to highlight or heal from
-draft and outline
-make a rough draft
-produce the final work
-submit to THE COLLECTIVE
and or
-STORIES@FAMM.ORG
-Interns@PrionProfessorsTalent.com
Award given to ” best of ” in each unit.
2) Participants who set records for answering daily PRISON PROFESSOR emails.
Award given in each unit for, ” most entries” and ” best of “.
3) Writing BOOK REPORTS
Makes us habitually thoughtful and expands our intellect and literally has cognitive and physiological benefits:
Enhanced comprehension and critical thinking:
-book reports demand synthesis and analysis , reinforcing deep reading skills.
Improved memory retention:
-recalling and articulating key points from a book strengthens memory encoding and retrieval.
Reading fiction increases understanding of other perspectives, ” theory of mind ” development.
We actually have science to back this up:
– MRI studies show that reading narratives activates the brain similarly to experiencing events , especial in the left temporal cortex and somatosensory cortex.
There could be academic gains as well: writing summaries and book reports boosts academic performance by improving structure and analytical skills THIS MEANS YOU MAY DO BETTER ON YOUR GED OR EXCELL IN VT OR COLLEGE!
EXPANDING YOUR VOCABULARY comes naturally when reading and writing book reports, make sure you are writing down and looking up the words you don’t understand or recognize.
Cognitive benefits:
-neural flexibility: learning new words builds neural connections and strengthens language centers in the Broca’s and Wernickes’s areas.
-increased processing speed: a richer vocabulary aids in faster, more accurate communication and comprehension.
Psychological benefits:
-self- efficacy: being able to express thoughts clearly boosts confidence and social fluency.
-mental agility: regular vocabulary expansion slows cognition decline and supports better -making.
Scientifically speaking:
Higher vocabulary correlates with greeter executive function and cognitive reserve, both protective against age-related decline.
Award given for the individual who writes the most and best book reports.
4) CREATIVE WRITING submissions of short pieces of fiction, poetry, and lyrics.
Creative writing boosts:
-creativity and problem solving!
-engaging in the imagination improves lateral thinking and innovation.
Mood regulation:
Expressive story telling:
– activates the prefrontal cortex, supporting emotion regulation and mood stabile-
Have you ever heard someone say they were in the zone? or that they had found their ” flow “?
This is known as FLOW STATE ACCESS
Creative writing often includes a state of ” flow “, which enhances happiness and engagement.
There are also physiological and brain-based benefits to creative writing!
Hemispheric Balance:
-creative tasks stimulate both the left ( logical ) and the right ( creative )
hemispheres, enhancing overall brain integration.
-improve sleep
-stress relief
*evening creative writing can serve as a wind-down ritual, lowering stress and aiding in better sleep.
Awards given by category.
* all , ” best of “
* all submissions turned into unit PST LEADER NO LATER THAN 8/23/25
Hey, how about we build a bridge and for those of you out there at home, perhaps you would enjoy some of the aformentioned benefits !
Spring into action with the Peer Success Team here at Aliceville!
