The Life of Katie Graden

Katie becomes a Thriver FIRST STEPS... I first walked through the doors of Thriving Life Church when I began volunteering at Newtownards Food bank. I had never been a Christ follower, in fact the very thought of it made me angry, even when I was broken, I never wanted to turn to God, I wanted to do it my way, but I always wanted to make a difference and change lives. The world seemed unfair to me and I wanted to change it. Suddenly, my whole life seemed to be focused on this massive goal, it ignited passion inside and I loved every moment of my previous experiences of public speaking, campaigning and writing. I loved the food bank and to this day, I am still volunteering, almost 2 years later. Food bank really helped me to become who I am today, it revealed the inner me, who I really was. I wasn’t the stubborn, emotionless person I thought I was, I actually had a heart and I cared, I really cared. It sparked a confidence within me, I started to truly believe in myself and my abi...

HEY GUYS! I am back, don't worry!! This is a speech I wrote about the importance of education- my dream is to become a teacher because I believe that if we educate our young people, they will educate everyone and this will change the world. We need to learn because if we don't learn, we don't develop. It isn't just about learning French vocab or being bombarded with spelling tests, it is about learning life skills and shaping our young people for life in the real world, so change that negative attitude of education and join me in the fight for a better world! WE'VE GOT THE POWER Education is simply power. A spark… A boost of confidence… A light… It is a pathway to a safer, healthier and happier life. As Global Partnership explained “whether a person is living in poverty or among the wealthiest in the world, education is necessary to advance in any situation.” Education decreases poverty, promotes health, minimizes malnutrition and provides economic growt...

Now a published poet… Just a childhood dream “Mummy, mummy, I want to be a writer, a real author.” “That’s great Katie, but…” “No buts mummy, I am going to be a writer.” This is all my family heard when I was a small child, I had my heart set on being a writer, I mean it was unrealistic yes, but it is what I wanted and I was determined that I would achieve my dream. I guess my family didn’t want me to be disappointed if things didn’t work out, but nothing could stop me, not even criticism. As time went on, I drifted away from writing- I just stopped. I suppose at the back of my mind there was always this discouraging voice eating away at me saying, “you won’t make it, people won’t want to read about your boring life, you aren’t good enough,” and for ages I listened to that voice. It ate away at me. I was wondering what was wrong with me, but I was shutting the door to something which I absolutely loved, something that satisfied me and something that made me happy… Why? Some p...

HEY GUYS- AS PROMISED, ANOTHER BLOG MORE FOCUSED ON ANXIETY AND HOW TO FIGHT IT! COME ON, WE CAN DO THIS. Please read and share with all your lovely family and friends. Anxiety killed me inside… BREAKDOWN TO BREAKTHROUGH In year 8, change prompted anxiety levels to rise dramatically- my father had left and pressures at school were becoming overwhelming. I had always been a worrier, but now panic attacks were part of everyday life. I just wanted to give up and this was what I was doing- I lost interest in all the things I absolutely loved and before I knew it, I was trapped in a cycle of seemingly unbeatable anxiety. Each day was a challenge I no longer wanted to face. I didn’t want to eat. I didn’t want to sleep. I didn’t want to study. I didn’t want to exercise. I didn’t want to read. I didn’t even want to talk. I wasn’t living, in fact I was barely surviving. My family watched me disintegrate as I believed that I was nothing, but today I know that I am something. Now, after a...

HEY GUYS, I HOPE YOU ARE ALL WELL! I wrote a useful blog tonight to help you save and spend money wisely- I hope you like it! Please follow me, comment and share!! Even as a young person, I understand how easy it is to struggle financially. The kids want another ice cream, you have to buy those GCSE textbooks that your teenager needs, your partner needs new work clothes, the bills need paid and the list goes on. It is endless, but there are ways that you can take the pressure of yourself and therefore, your family. I HATE WASTE, AND YOU SHOULD TOO! Whether it is wasting money or food, I hate it! Did you know that the average UK family wastes almost £60, throwing nearly an entire meal away a month? THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND IT NEEDS TO STOP! For my family, this is a weekly shop. We are all guilty of food waste, but let's not complain and think proactively about it! How can you prevent food waste? I believe there is simply no reason to chuck your food away if you can follow ...

As a Foodbank volunteer, I can only imagine the hardships families face. Their life is based around FEAR… ANGER…SADNESS… A heart breaking 1 in 5 people of the UK population live below the poverty line. Can you imagine how hard it is for parents to face the fact they can’t feed their own children properly? Can you imagine how hard it is for young people to function at school without a nutritious meal? Can you imagine how hard it is for these people to reach for help? It would take a phenomenal amount of courage. 2,230 three- day emergency food supplies were given to people in crisis last year. Could you help by donating food that you would otherwise carelessly throw in the bin? As Carlo Petrini (founder of Slow Food Movement) stated, “there is food for everyone on this planet, but not everyone eats.” How can you prevent food waste? I believe there is simply no reason to chuck your food away if you can follow these simple steps: 1)       Plan your me...

“Mummy, mummy, that’s not fair, this world isn’t fair.” As annoying as this whiny voice is for everyone, they are 100% right. The world isn’t fair, but the question is- what are YOU going to do about it? YES YOU! Are you just going to sit there and observe the horror- let innocent people die, people be made homeless, people starve, people live without even having clean water? Are you? Is that okay to you? Or are you going to get off the sofa that you are currently slumped on and do something? It is perfectly fine to rest, in fact compulsory, but if you find yourself always doing nothing, you need to break that unhealthy and unhelpful pattern! I’m not saying you must be the next Nobel Peace Prize Winner, I mean that would be some achievement, but at least do something!! You were created for so much more than to simply do nothing, find what your good at, seek your purpose and just GO! You may be sitting there in a comfy chair, a roof over your head, a home full of good food to...

So, tonight I decided to publish an article that I wrote about striving for perfection, let me know what you think and please share! Every day the controversial topic of perfection creeps up in the news, on the radio and even in general conversation. We must ask ourselves, is perfection healthy?   Or are we just taking ourselves down a very long, dark and bumpy road? Research is showing that an approximate 1 in 6 young people will suffer from some sort of anxiety and most of the time it all begins with the desire to be perfect! Striving for perfection is one of the fastest routes to unhappiness. Why? Because perfection doesn’t exist. It is an illusion that keeps us caught up in a cycle of unhappiness and disappointment! Let's start by focusing on one of the most important things in our lives! Education... From a young age, children are brought up trying to please parents by getting 10 out of 10 in their times tables or spelling test.   This sticks to them, like g...

I remember scrolling through Facebook as I often did, until something alarmed me. My newsfeed read, "Cairn Wood is going up for sale. It is currently for sale by Northern Ireland Water ( under Department for Regional Development) as part of the sale of Ballysallagh Upper reservoir." " NO IT'S NOT," I yelled loudly. Mum was extremely shocked, " what's wrong?" "The flipping idiots trying to take away my forest, that's what." No one had ever seen me this fired up or passionate before. My mum said "look maybe it's too late." " It's not, there's a way to save it and if there isn't, I will find a way," I shouted. Cairn Wood was at the centre of my childhood- my AWESOME Granda took me there when I was young- I remember climbing the river banks, building huts, swinging on a rope swing, eating picnics and so much more. Cairn Wood was our peaceful place, a refuge. It was more precious to us than anyone could ...

When the world said no, I said next. Never in my life had I stepped foot on a massive stage, in fact it sent shivers down my spine and the thought of it made me physically sick. For once when I say that I'm not just being dramatic because this is truly how much I fear being on stage. Somehow, something had changed, I knew this was a significant turning point, my life was going to change dramatically- I didn't quite know how, but I knew that in a few months or a year I'd be a very different person leading a very different life and I was 100% right. When Mrs Butler suggested entering the Environmental Youth Speak 2015 at Newtownards Town Hall, I looked at her as if she was absolutely crazy- more than usual haha! My eyes nearly rolled out of my head saying “are you being serious?” She knew how much I doubted myself and how anxious I was, but she wasn't joking. Someone believed in me. REALLY? I mean my family did of course, but a secondary school teacher actually bel...