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He admits, however, that by default he hesitates for a second before publishing something emotional. It’s the immediate response that keeps him going. “I want to influence people to take action, but it has to be something they can do in their own capacity. If something as small as a post also makes someone feel less alone then I don’t see why I should stop.”
I have been going for therapy for around 1 year and 10 months now, and I know my fight against issues with mental health will be a continuous one. The best advice I can give is this – People will tell you that it will eventually go away, and things will return to normal, which is a big misconception in itself. It’s okay to not be okay, and your thoughts are always valid.
How did you feel when you found out you would become an official Ted X speaker? Unbelievable. Grateful. Humbled. All of this on the first day! I called mum and told her first! And her response? "What’s a TED Talk?". For a second there she did make my spirits drop but after a little explaining on what a Ted talk actually was, they were up and running once again.
*magazine cover
In a world where you can be anything, be kind. With everything going on around the world, it’s important to spread positivity now more than ever. If I am kind to someone, I can only hope they are kind to someone else in return.
"It was beautiful, the whole purpose was to show the victims and their families that we supported them 10,000km away," chief organizer Sharan Velauthan tells us. Throughout the day, passers-by stopped to write messages for Sri Lanka.
Sharan Velauthan, an Instagram personality, TedX speaker and founder of Cosplay Cleanup Global felt miserable at the thought of not having the physical comfort of people around him. And he realized that he might not be the only one feeling this way. So he reached out to his friends and came up with the idea of ‘Going live for Kindness’.
Sharan Velauthan, an Instagram personality, TedX speaker and founder of Cosplay Cleanup Global felt miserable at the thought of not having the physical comfort of people around him. And he realized that he might not be the only one feeling this way. So he reached out to his friends and came up with the idea of ‘Going live for Kindness’.
After going through so much in life: domestic abuse, being cheated on, judged by family – she managed to bring me up working multiple part-time jobs, mistreated at work for being a female and so much more.
I think people have grand plans to change the world, but, sometimes the world is just one person. So if I can die knowing I made an impact in someone's life that led them to be the happiest version of themselves, that is all I could ever want.
I think my audience is very open. They would have followed me for my stories on food, travel, fitness or my personal stories and I think they stuck through because of the genuineness of the content. My followers are very supportive. Having an audience to call upon say on a petition or anything similar is quite encouraging.
Two university students have combined 2019's biggest talking points - climate action and the film Avengers: Endgame - in a clean-up first. Marketing student Sharan Velauthan and science student Lauren Sandeman's mutual love of cosplay - the practise of dressing up as characters from film, TV or books - inspired them to start Cosplay Clean Up.
‘Why superheroes and cosplay?’ you may ask, and it’s a valid question. It’s not like spandex is the first thing to come to mind when someone says ‘conservation’. It’s because we need superheroes in real life right now to save our planet from the dichotomy of crises we face. Much like the heroes we all grew up with, we need ordinary people who stand up and use their own unique powers and resources to instigate change.
We have the time, the resources and the ability TODAY to make a difference and to help save this world. All we need is you, and somewhere to start. The best superheroes began as ordinary people like us, who rose up to fight for what was right – to put in the effort to make a difference.
"Small choices made by individuals to collectively make an impact,” Sharan explains. “Not everyone is a scientist, marine biologist or is able to be a Greta Thunberg. But everyone can be an #everydaysuperhero. So that’s what we want to do,” he adds
As a volunteer with Sea Shepherd and marine biology student, Lauren was well acquainted with beach clean-ups, and with the content strategist mind of Sharan, they combined their efforts to create something that will surely be mindset changing. This train of thought - the combination of ocean conservation, pop culture and individual empowerment - got the ball rolling on the idea of Cosplay Clean Up Global; providing the opportunity for people to embrace their own power and encourage the rise of the everyday superhero
Described as a “community-driven and community-built organization that works to provide access to mental health services for all Sri Lankans” – Samana Sri Lanka launched Phase I of its operations publicly last week.
Founded by Sharan Velauthan and Ravin Perera, Samana seeks to improve the quality of access and credibility around mental health services for Sri Lankans beyond whisper networks and inside discussions.
Reaching out for help does not make you less; it should be something to be celebrated because you know that life is a bit heavy right now and you need help. Our work with Samana and other organisations that focus on helping our communities will help normalise the conversation even more