ADORE Yourself with employU Peer Mentor Elektra

employU peer mentor Elektra has some great advice for youth clients learning to navigate the challenges that come with transitioning into the adult world.  And, with a little creativity, she’s made it super easy to remember by using the word adore as an acronym.  Read more on the details of ADORE and check out Elekra’s video below. 

A – Announce your disability – Feel confident to announce your disability – First within yourself.  Then, when you are comfortable and when you feel the time is right, announce it to others.  

D – Delight in who you are. Don’t put yourself down. See your challenges as obstacles you can and will succeed in overcoming. 

O – Ownership – Take ownership of who you are, what you want, what you need, and your feelings.   

R – Rephrase how you talk to yourself.  Think positively and don’t put yourself down.  

E – Environment – Be aware of your environment and who you are surrounded by.   Don’t isolate yourself but also avoid negative environments that put you down.  

“This all spells out adore,” explains Elekra.  “I adore myself because I don’t put myself in bad environments.  I adore myself because I rephrase how I talk to myself. I take ownership of who I am because I know what I want… I take delight. I’m happy with who I am.” She also recognizes that everyone’s needs will be different, “All of these things are based off of what you need and your necessities. So, mine are probably going to be different than yours and that’s perfectly ok.  But you use whatever fits in your adore method so that you can better adore yourself and then be more confident.” 

For more on Elektra and employU’s Peer Mentoring Program click here.