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Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl is a down-to-earth mental health and wellness podcast created for teens, by a teen.
Hosted by Moorea, a teenage girl, the show features open and unfiltered conversations with guests, sharing relatable stories and expert advice that validate your experiences while offering practical tips for navigating the (often) treacherous seas of teen girl life.
Moorea is committed to asking the tough questions on teen life we’re all thinking but are too scared to voice. On this podcast, Moorea also shares her journey with mental health and teen life to destigmatize and normalize the experiences that come with being a teenage girl.
Tune in to Balancing Act: Life and Struggles of a Teenage Girl to learn how to better navigate your:
- Friendships
- Mental Health
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Body image
- Eating Disorders
- Romantic Relationships
- Crushes
- Menstrual Cycle
- Social Media
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Sexuality
- Parental Relationships
- And so much more!
Hello and welcome to Balancing Act,
life and struggles of a teenage girl.
A mental health and wellness
and semi unfiltered podcast
made for teens by a teen.
I'm your host, Moraya, a 16
year old girl from New York.
And here on Balancing Act, I bring
you weekly episodes featuring
relatable conversations, personal
stories, and practical insights to
help you navigate life's balancing
act and related challenges.
And to remind you that you are not alone.
Thank you for tuning into
this episode of balancing act.
So, okay.
There are a lot of authors
out there, but the.
Vast majority of them.
Our adults and.
There are a lot of adults writing
books about teenagers experiences.
And.
How to parent.
And your teenager.
Majors.
And.
You know, all that really fun.
Fun stuff.
But.
But it's coming from the adults, right?
And at 16 gem published her
extremely powerful book storms.
Don't last forever, where she
shares her own experiences with her
mental health and the other storms
she's faced in her life so far.
And at 16 gem has been through
a whole lot already, but what I
find so remarkable and inspiring
is how she's turned all of
her own storms into wisdom.
I do help herself and others
realize that storms don't last.
Forever.
And this is just such an
inspiring conversation.
And it's coming from somebody who's
been through all this herself, who knows
how to turn those negative experiences.
Into something that can help you
further down the line and just really
shifting your mindset on the struggles
that you've encountered in your life.
So this episode is great for
just reframing your mindset.
And it's had such a lasting impression
on how I approach thinking about my
own struggles and my own experiences.
So let's dive right into it.
moorea: Thank you so much, Jem, for
joining me on the podcast today.
gem: Thanks for having me.
moorea: Of course.
Okay, so just starting off, can you help
us to like, set the stage, like, what
storms have you gone through in your life?
I know that's just kind of vague, but can
you like, walk us through your life so
far so that we can begin to understand
what has brought you to where you are now?
gem: Absolutely I can.
It all started when I was one.
My mum got diagnosed with stage three
breast cancer and a very aggressive form.
It was a one in three percent
chance of somebody getting it.
So that was obviously a huge,
turning point for our family.
And it turned our world upside
down within the flick of a switch.
Obviously being one, I, like, I still
remember bits and pieces and I still
have memory of it, but I was also
very young and I didn't understand
everything medical that was going on,
everything in a deep, detailed way.
And then I started primary school in 2012.
Started prep and somewhere around
there, my dad was diagnosed with kidney
cancer and obviously very different
experiences with the different diagnosis.
just had a tumor and he just got his
removed, whereas mum, she had chemotherapy
and radiation and stuff for six months,
so it was very different experiences.
Again, I was still really lucky to be
young still lucky to be, only five at
that stage, but obviously, I'm still able
to still have memories and stuff of it
which does affect my mental health and
that sort of stuff still to this day.
I went through, primary school and
stuff and struggled a lot with my
learning and school struggles and
that sort of stuff, which obviously
had a big effect on my mental health.
Always feeling like I was
dumb and couldn't do the work
or all that sort of stuff.
So I sort of just, hid myself.
I kept myself.
Quiet and stuff like that.
So I couldn't let everybody else
say struggles that I was facing.
And then I started high school, I
was really excited, I knew change,
new experiences, that sort of stuff.
And obviously it was just a big
curve ball thrown my way again.
Obviously I'm not too familiar with the
way that schooling works there in America,
but here in Oz we have year seven to.
In high school and we just
go through those six years.
Obviously from year seven to 10,
I was at a different high school.
I got diagnosed with a form of dyslexia
at the end of year nine and it was a big
eye opening to why I was struggling so
much with my schooling and why I felt
so, so dumb and that sort of stuff.
But then I was also at the point where.
I've spent the last 10 years of my
schooling working my way through my
struggles and now I've just got a label
that sits on top of my name and I have
never to this day let that define the
person that I am and let that, it's
just a label that sits there that lets
teachers know that I need a little bit
of extra help and I'm not going to let
that put me down and that sort of stuff.
Anyway, I switched schools at the end
of year 10, started year 11 at a sports
college here in Oz, in Victoria.
And it was the best decision
that I ever made for myself.
whole different learning curves all
new different learning curriculums and
that sort of stuff, a different learning
approach for myself being a very hands
on learner and that sort of stuff.
Anyway, it was very sports orientated.
I'm a very sports orientated person.
I love my sport.
I love my physical activity,
keeping fit and that sort of stuff.
Halfway through year 11,
so through last year.
My mum was diagnosed with an
aggressive form of leukaemia.
And again a 1 in 3 percent
chance of somebody getting it.
So it's called ball leukaemia.
And still to this day
we're still fighting.
Tomorrow I think is her
last bone marrow biopsy.
But we've still got 24 months ahead
of us with chemo and stuff like that.
So we're still in the mix of things.
mum left us.
She had to go down to Melbourne
in Victoria for 46 days.
And as a 16 year old, my
sister, she was 18 at the time.
My sister and I, we just left
home alone to fend for ourselves.
Obviously we had lots of support and
stuff around us cause we're, we have
a pretty big network around, around
our family here, but mum and dad
being in Melbourne for that long it
was definitely a challenging time.
And not being able to see mum and that
sort of stuff was also really challenging.
But, um.
I was very lucky to have experienced
mental health for the past,
I'd say five or six years now.
And obviously during that time I
thought I was in a very dark hole
and there was no way of coming out.
I became a very rude person.
I was getting hurt so much then I
just wanted to do the hurting first.
So I was protecting myself.
So one of these friends told me that.
If you don't change, then
I'm going to walk away.
And it was the flick of the switch.
So I knew that I needed to do
something to change to, to make
sure that I was a better person.
And I was the person that my
parents wanted me to be what
they brought me up to be.
So being rude, wasn't what my
parents spent the last, however
many years bringing me up to be.
And I, I owed it to them to be
different and to be the person
that, they brought me up to be.
uh, Worked on myself, went to the
gym, worked on my mental health.
still to this day 5 30 every morning.
I go to the gym have that to myself.
I started to see some light
at the end of the tunnel.
I started to figure out some new ways
to control my emotions, to control the
negatives, turn them into positives.
I live by a few quotes, which I'm sure
I'll mention later, A lot of people
say since I've released my book and I'll
explain what my book's about a little
bit later, but since I've released my
book everybody's like, you're fixed now
and it's definitely not that what it is.
I'm still going to be fighting this
battle for years and years to come.
But it's, I have the tools now
to control my negatives and
turn them into the positive.
So if I do have a bad day, then
I know how to work with that.
And I know how to work around that
instead of putting myself down.
I mean my childhood and my
first, how old am I now?
17.
My first 17 years have been
a big, tough rollercoaster.
We've had lots of experiences
and stuff, lots of obstacles to
overcome, but everything happens
for a reason, as I say, in my mind.
And we are where we are today because
of everything that's happened.
If none of that happened, then
I wouldn't be sitting here
doing everything that I do.
moorea: Wow, your story is just honestly,
like, so inspiring and so meaningful.
Like you've been through so much
from , your parents cancer and
then the most recent thing that's
come up and then you were diagnosed
with dyslexia, you said it was.
And then here you are, like
writing a book and , of course,
like things aren't perfect.
And , the storms still come But the
way that you've, I said it before and
I'll say it again, just the way that
you turn those all into something
that you use to lift yourself up and
to lift other people up, I just find
so honestly amazing and just wow.
So
I'm just at a loss for words, honestly.
You're just so awesome.
And I know how much like it must
like how terrible it is to go
through like moments like that.
And , I've.
Dealt with some health scares with
my own family And I know a lot of
people also have and just the fear
and the stress Because like you
love a person and then just your
own Stuff on top of that just Wow.
And so when you wrote this book you
what prompted you to write this in the
moment that you chose to write it and
were you like Originally intending on
writing it to publish it or was it more
like something else that Eventually
turned into that published book.
gem: Yes my mum's an author of two books.
So her two books are diary entries the
first one's her cancer diagnosis and then
the second one's dad's cancer diagnosis.
And I'm pretty sure there's a third one
in the mix about the most recent one.
But, Obviously not being a fan of school
not being a fan of English and that sort
of stuff, I was more of a maths geek.
I hated writing.
During school I could never write
a good story or any of that sort of
stuff, but I always knew that When I
was going through the peak of my mental
health, I needed to find a way to just
let everything out because I'm a very
big advocate of holding everything in.
And then one day I'll blow
up and it just is a big mess.
So I needed to find a way of,
releasing all of that negativity.
So I did start writing a journal.
Even if I had a good day, I'd still
write down every day, I'd write it down.
What happened, the goods that
come out of the day, the bad that
came out of the day and just get
it all out onto a piece of paper.
I work a lot within the
community around where I live.
Obviously being a swim teacher with
little kids and coaching basketball
and all that sort of stuff.
I work very closely with a lot
of people in the community.
And there was one time down where I
live where a boy like took his own
life and then his girlfriend took his
own life and then it was just a big,
scheme of there was about four or five
kids that just took their own life
within about four months of each other.
And it was a very big eye opener to a
lot of people around not only the town
that I live in but around the whole of
Australia and the whole of the world
that mental health is a huge thing.
And obviously it's the highest number
of kids deaths around the world.
So had the idea of publishing my journal.
It's not really my journal, but I had
an idea of writing a book that could
put my story out there that could
let everybody else know that they're
not the only person that is going
through what they're going through.
And it is okay to ask for
the help that they need.
It is okay to connect your networks and
to make sure that you have people around
you to fall on if you do fall, cause
you don't want to, obviously you don't
want to fall alone cause then you've
got nothing to pick you back up on.
But I guess writing my book was a
big challenge to make a difference.
And I still say to this day, my main
goal in life is I can have career paths
and I can have this goal to do this and
that, but I need to make a difference
in the world and I'll do whatever I
can to make a difference, not only in
mental health work, but everywhere else.
I can to be approachable for
people who just want to talk.
If they're doing really well and they
just want to talk, then I'm there.
If they're doing really badly,
then I'm there if they want to
chat and that sort of stuff.
So writing my book, obviously
as a teenager, yeah.
It's going to be a very big
awakening for a lot of people.
There's like heaps of authors out
there, but a teenager putting their
mental health journey out into paper.
Also someone as well, they're with
dyslexia, you've got dyslexia.
That's going to shut me down.
No, it's not.
I can do this.
I know I can do this.
Let's do this.
So I had lots of ups and
downs writing the book.
It took me a year and a half to write it.
I remember my mom edited it.
I came out one night from one
morning from having a shower and she
told me to stop being so dyslexic.
It was a big mumble, but it got there.
I was very nervous to publish it.
Obviously, that's my story.
That's what's happened.
I don't know if I want
to put that out there.
I don't want everybody to know that.
But then, If I wanted to be
approachable to people, then I
needed to show my weaknesses as well.
It's out there, it's in the community.
I ordered 250 of them,
completely sold out.
I just ordered another 200.
Again, I'm completely sold out, it's
costing me a bloody fortune, but my
book's getting out there, the word's
getting out there, and I'm making a
difference, which is what we want to do.
moorea: Oh my gosh, that just, wow,
you really are making an impact.
The fact that your book's
just sold out like that, like,
people really want to read them.
And.
Is there like an ebook or like a way that
it could be easily accessible to listeners
if they would be interested in reading it?
gem: Yeah, I haven't got one as of yet.
It is in the working progress.
Obviously, I'm not going to write
one, because when I read a book,
you're not going to hear the words
that actually say on the page,
obviously, because of my dyslexia.
But I will get one done, because
a lot of people asked for it.
A lot of people have asked for my
book, and they're like, but I've got
this dyslexic, and you don't know
that they've got dyslexia, and here
it is, I've got dyslexia, I can't
read it, and that sort of stuff.
It is definitely in the making.
It will happen.
It's not happened as of yet, but it will.
It will be there.
moorea: What about like an e book,
that you could like read online or
like Kindle or something like that?
gem: Yeah I haven't put it, it's,
I've only got a hard copy as of yet.
So I've only got the actual physical
copy, but everything else, an e
book and that sort of stuff is,
it's in the work in progress.
moorea: Amazing, I cannot wait.
And It is so brave of you to like
put your journals out there because
I also journal and I write what
happens like in my journal every
day and I could never imagine like
putting that out into the world.
I've showed a few people the journals,
I've showed my therapist, the journals,
and I've showed my friends the journals
when they're going through something
similar to what I went through to
show them that they're not alone.
But the fact that you were just able
to like, I'm sure it wasn't easy to
like, put it all out there, but I just
want to say that I am so inspired by
you and I am just so amazed by like
the impact that you're having on me.
On the world.
Thank you.
And so, of course, and so, in addition
to, like, of course, impacting
the people around you through
the book, what impact did it have
on you when you were writing it?
Because I know that when you're
reading through, like, past experiences
that you've had, and you're, like,
maybe writing about them and trying
to turn them into a book, it forces
you to do a lot of reflection on,
like, yourself and your own life.
Did you have, any unexpected insights?
about yourself come out of this book?
gem: that one message that
I explained before, it was,
very big turning point for me.
And from that forward, I'm a completely
different person from that backwards.
I was completely different person.
So rewriting my book or writing my book
from experiences from past that point.
I would not have sat here today,
and if I hadn't have read that
sort of stuff, I was completely
ashamed of the person that I was.
And it made me sit there and
reflect on everything that I'd done.
Obviously not everything that I
was in the wrong for, but being
a terrible person because I was
protecting myself from getting hurt.
Obviously I'm a very ashamed of that
and that sort of stuff, but I would
never have had my eyes opened if I
hadn't have reread my book or if I
hadn't written that down and then
reread it or all that sort of stuff.
So you don't really know what
you're doing until you relook at it.
And that sort of stuff.
So yeah, a hundred percent.
I don't know how many times I've read my
book I don't know how many times I've read
each chapter and that sort of stuff, but
definitely re reading things, you have a
very big eye opener of, oh, that actually
did happen, and oh that looks like that,
but it could be this, and that sort of
stuff hundred percent, hundred percent.
moorea: Wait, so you're still
reading your book, like, even today?
gem: It's on my bedside table.
moorea: Oh my gosh.
Because I know normally when people
publish books they're like, Yay!
I finally finished writing it and
it's out in the world and I don't
have to think about what I wrote
ever again because it's done.
but just the fact that it's still
such a huge part of your life and
still allows you to like reflect
on yourself even up to like today.
Yeah.
That's just so special.
gem: There's one point, I mean
I've got a forward, in my book.
So written, it's just a brief
outline written by one of my
really close family friends.
And then once you finish reading
that, you go into my story.
And I do it constantly.
I read those first few pages of the
foreword and then I go into my first
chapter and that's me writing that.
And if I'm having a bad day or I'm
feeling like I've completely failed or
something like I'll constantly read this
and I'll be like, yep, I'm proud of that.
I wrote that.
Like, that's me talking.
So I don't even use it just to reflect
back on what I'm, what I've done.
I've also, I use it as, if I'm
having a bad day, then look at
all the good stuff I've done.
moorea: Wow.
Just showing yourself.
Reminding yourself how capable you are and
how much you've done because I know for a
lot of people It's hard to like step back
and look at everything you've achieved
Because you're so caught up in like what
you haven't achieved and what you still
have left to do But that book provides
you with like something physical that
you can hold and be like I wrote this I
did this and I got it out into the world.
And so in addition to like looking at
your book and reminding yourself of
everything that you've accomplished
when you're having a bad day What
other strategies have you learned
from like your own experiences and
writing this book that help you to?
Weather storms like in the
past and then also today.
gem: Yeah I've got
heaps of little things in the back of
my mind that You know, everything's
for a little different thing.
There's a big saying that I say to
everybody that I meet and I tell
them to live by it because I, it
changed my life and it's literally
two words and it says you choose.
So if I'm having, if I'm having a bad day,
if someone's putting me down, if that sort
of stuff, I can choose to listen to that.
I can choose to be put down
by that negativity and I can
be choose to be heard by it.
Or I can choose to, yep, that's what
you think, but that's not what I think.
Or I can choose to turn
that into a positive.
I can choose to, yeah, that happens.
That's really bad, but what can I do
to make sure that I'm turning that
into a positive and that sort of stuff.
So, like I said, I got little bits and
pieces, my books, my big one, those
two words is a very big one for me.
But yeah, I guess I don't
really have, a set thing.
It's just whatever
feels right at the time.
moorea: Yeah.
I know before you mentioned like the
gym and working out and like the gym
does different things to different
people, but like, how would you feel
like the gym has impacted you in
your life and your ability to cope
with things that are thrown at you?
gem: Yeah.
Like I said, 5.
30 every morning, mum
and I are at the gym.
So headphones, airpods go in, listen
to my own music, listen to my own
jam, work on myself, time for myself.
I can't hear anybody else around me.
It's just me.
And obviously it sets me
up for a really good day.
It sets me up.
Yep.
I'm refreshed.
I've worked out, I've had a
shower, all that sort of stuff.
I've spent an hour to myself
to reflect on what I've done.
everything that I need to reflect on.
If there's nothing I need to reflect on
that, I just chill and that sort of stuff.
So the gym has been one of my
biggest life changing experiences.
If I hadn't have started going to
the gym, then, I probably wouldn't
be where I am today, but obviously
consistency with going to the gym,
consistency with having that hour
of Me time before I start my day.
Me time, okay, let's tackle this day.
We're going to do it together.
We'll do it together.
Not listening to my voice.
And it's, you can see a big change in if
you miss a day and you don't set yourself
up for the day, then you just wake up
and go to school and listen to all that.
And you have a really bad day.
And I've noticed that quite a lot.
So obviously my gym and
that sort of stuff, and just
literally focusing on that hour.
AirPods in, nobody else
around, it's just me.
Let's do this, we're
going to conquer today.
We're going to turn bad days, if
it's a bad day, we're going to find
a way to turn it into a positive.
And if that doesn't work,
then we'll find another way.
And we'll keep working
and we'll work together.
So yeah.
moorea: Yeah, I remember the
gym used to be like that for me.
It was like my go to thing every day
and I'd go and I'd lift and I'd feel
strong and powerful and amazing.
But then on the flip side, I know this
isn't the experience for everyone, but
I'm also somebody who struggles with
an eating disorder and like exercise
addiction sometimes and so I'm just
wondering, like, this may not even be like
relevant to your experiences in your life.
But how do you manage like, wanting
to pursue like, wellness and How the
gym makes you feel and how it sets you
up for a good day, how do you balance
that with, like, maybe not letting
the gym control your life, , if you
have, , a day where you can't go, or if
your normal schedule gets thrown off?
gem: Yeah, I'm a big one for routine.
And obviously if I miss a day,
like I said, it's not if I haven't
followed my routine, then, yeah.
everything just goes into into wild.
But over the years I've started to
realize that if I hadn't gone, then,
okay, this today might be a bad day.
It might not be.
And we just, we see how it go, but like
I've obviously never experienced eating
disorders or any of that sort of stuff.
So I'm not really known to
any of that sort of stuff.
But.
Obviously, with missing a day, and,
trying to weigh up, obviously, like
you said, the addiction to the gym, and
that sort of stuff, and knowing that
this is going to give me a good day.
I've always experienced mental
health, but I've never experienced
addiction sides of things.
So like, trying to work out to
cope with if it is a bad day.
And if I haven't gone to
the gym then what do I do?
I'm a very big advocate
of just having my me time.
I need me time every day.
Like I need just self time to myself.
And that sort of stuff.
So even if it is at school, if I
just go for a walk or something
like that, just to regroup myself,
we're going to do this together.
We'll find a way to.
And we'll push past things.
It's hard for me to answer that sort of
question because I've never really had
that experience, if that makes sense.
Like, I'm not really a big
advocate on that sort of stuff.
Obviously in mental health is very
different from many ways, many different
aspects and that sort of stuff.
But yeah, like I've always found ways
around it and that's what my book's a lot
about is finding different ways to deal
with different situations because not
everything's going to work in one day.
And if you use all your tools in one
day and you've got nothing left and
it's still not working then, we need
to try and figure something else out.
moorea: Yeah.
That makes so much sense and like
you said, mental health, it's so
different for like every single person.
We all have our own experiences and we all
have different tools that work for us in
different ways and doesn't mean anyone is
like better or worse than like the other
in terms of like the tools and so it's
just about Finding what works best for
you and like it's honestly amazing how
you've been able to do so much reflecting
and like find ways To cope with the storms
in your life and so I remember what you
mentioned earlier and I just want to go
back to it one of the storms that you Were
battling it was like Isolating yourself
a bit right from like social stuff,
maybe and i'm just wondering because
as somebody who also Battles with that.
And I know that a lot of people
listening might also deal with
like social isolation that comes
from a bunch of different factors.
What were some skills or like
strategies you used to get out of
that cycle of just isolating yourself?
gem: Yeah.
before I got that text message
that I, keep going back to.
I'd go to school, I'd come home and I'd
just sit in my room and I wouldn't really
go out or do any of that sort of stuff.
And I kept reminding myself
there's a big world out there
that you need to experience.
There's a big world out there, there's
so many opportunities coming your
way and you're just sitting here
and we're not really doing anything,
we're not taking those opportunities.
And then I, the little voices in the back
of my head just kept saying to I'm gonna
get judged if I go out there or I'm gonna
get hurt or I'm gonna, that sort of stuff.
So isolating myself from the
world was a very big one for me
before I got that text message.
But then reading my book, thinking
back on it, I don't necessarily do
it now because I constantly say to
myself and look, the way I deal with
my mental health is it's good for me.
But like you said before, there's so many
different ways of dealing with it and
It's not going to work for everybody.
got to find your own ways to help.
And my book doesn't say use this.
It's going to help because it's not.
we got to find ways we're going to
work together to find what's right for
you and how you're going to deal with
it A lot of people when I released my
book are like, yeah, but that works
for you, it's not going to work for me.
And I said, yeah, I get that.
And that's what we're
going to work through.
We're going to work through flying
ways, what's going to work for you.
And that's a big thing.
So what worked for me was continuously
saying to myself, you've got your parents
out there that want to see you grow up.
You're not going to grow
up by sitting in your room.
You've got friends out there.
You've got people who love you.
You've got people who care
for you that want to see you.
And we're just sitting in our room.
So we need to go out and see the world.
We need to see the opportunities
that we're going to get.
And then I say to myself still to this
day, I wake up and I say you've got
24 hours in a day, where you sleep
an average of eight of those hours,
you've got 16 hours left, you're never
going to get a 7th of November again.
2024, never going to get one again.
So you can either sit here, regret
your choices tomorrow by just sitting
in your room, or you can go out, you
can live today, you can have those
experiences, and then you can wake
up tomorrow like, yeah, cool, I did
that, I'm not going to regret that.
moorea: Wow that's a really good like
insight and a really good tip, but
it's also like a bit of like tough
love, on yourself because , you're
never gonna get this time back.
You got 16 hours in the day.
And I know that can feel overwhelming
for some people to be like, okay,
now I'm wasting time and I'm like
just sitting in my room and then
all that other stress comes on.
But, there is no, , perfect solution for
everyone, but I think that is, a very
motivating strategy, especially if you're
someone who wants to make an impact in
the world, like, seeing, I have this
limited amount of time to make the impact
that I want to make in this world, and
so I'm gonna take advantage of that time
and go out there and make my impact.
In terms of the impact that you've
made on the world so far with this
book and with the work you've done, are
there any like, experiences you've had
or things people have told you after
you've published the book about how it's
helped them that have really resonated
with you or like meant a lot to you?
gem: Yeah all of my 250 have completely
sold out from my original rerun and a
lot of them have been friends and family.
Those 250 have been friends and family
that, oh yeah, we're gonna, buy a book
to support you and that sort of stuff.
A lot of people say to me,
They started reading their book
and they couldn't put it down.
They finished it in one
go which is what I want.
It's, attracting the viewers
and that sort of stuff.
But then a lot of people have also said
I've passed my book on to this young teen
that I know that I think's gonna help.
I spoke at a conference last year.
I actually released my
book at this conference.
And my mum spoke at the same conference
the year before, and one of the
guest speakers that also spoke with
mum that year she brought my book,
Candid, straight to her daughter.
Her daughter's, like, really
struggling with mental health.
She's in a really big dark hole.
I got a follow request
on Instagram for her.
She started talking to me.
She's like, what are we doing?
I need to get out of this.
You got out of it.
I can do it too.
And I've had quite a lot of those.
I've had quite a lot of those
instances where people just reach out.
They follow me on Instagram.
They reach out and they're
like, okay, how can we help?
Or they've read their
book or read your book.
And it's really got them out of their
shell and really made sure that they're
taking every opportunity that they can
get and that they're working on themselves
to make themselves better because I've
been in the dark hole, I've been there
and I never thought that was a way out.
Honestly, I can still remember.
I was just like, yep, I'm
not coming out of this.
And here I am, never thought I'd be
17, never thought I'd be in graduating
school, never thought I'd be the ducks
of my high school, which I'm getting
tonight, shh, don't tell anybody.
And that sort of stuff.
But here I am, I'm still here.
And there is a way out.
And that's what my book's getting to.
So it's continuously making its
way through, all of the young
teens around my little town.
And then we're working our way out.
So I've got a very big supporter of
one of the foundations down here.
And do you know Guy Sebastian?
moorea: No, I don't know.
Sebastian's
gem: a singer here in Australia.
He's got a big foundation.
He's actually quite a
big singer in Australia.
He's got a mental health
foundation that's nationwide.
It's all over Australia.
So our little foundation here that
supports me, supports that foundation.
So then now they've got a hold of my book
and now it's going all over Australia.
So little networking, little bits and
pieces, it's working its way through.
I flew to Perth to play a
big basketball tournament.
I came home the same night I got a.
Big City of where I live, Ballarat.
So Big City of Ballarat Youth
Award major award for 2024.
They made a documentary about
me that's going through their,
all of their little schemes.
So little things that
you do, little things.
Your book gets to this person, the book
gets to that person, the next person.
They've got really big networks.
Oh
moorea: my gosh, wait, they're
making a documentary about you?
gem: I filmed it yesterday.
moorea: That's so amazing!
Congratulations!
so in addition to the documentary and
your book, being spread by like, of
huge, like, networks and organizations.
what's next for you?
You graduate high school in a few hours.
I'm sure you don't have, like, your
entire future planned out, but, is there
anything in particular you're looking
forward to, like, after graduating?
What do you want to do after all this?
gem: Anything I can do within the
community is gonna be my next step.
I can sit here and I can be professional,
but I live on the edge all the time.
I'm a crazy cat, I do weird
things, I'm weird, that's just
me, I'm not gonna change that.
But I fly to, like, I fly to Texas
as soon as I come back from Texas
on the 27th, I think, get back on
the 27th of this month, so I'm only
there for a few weeks, but come back.
Let's get a job.
Obviously, I didn't have support
and that with dyslexia and high in
primary school, so we're going to get
a primary school education support job.
Hopefully, working in primary school
will help those little kids so they
don't have to experience what I have.
Stop it young, work within the
community, keep coaching my sport,
keep coaching the one that I
love, and then we go from there.
moorea: Oh my gosh.
That's so meaningful, how even
like, after all of this, it's like,
how can I impact the people in my
life, in my community, the most?
And I just find that's
honestly, so meaningful to hear.
gem: Just an ordinary teenager
with a little blue book.
moorea: A really amazing little blue
book that is helping so many people.
Wow.
Yeah,
gem: actually, yeah.
moorea: Yeah.
And so if there's a teenager listening
who has been listening and they've heard
your story and they're really inspired
and they've seen like the impact that
writing a book has had on you, do you
have any advice for them in terms of
how they could pursue either writing
a book to publish or just writing
to reflect on their own experiences
and to learn more about themselves?
gem: Yeah, 100%.
Obviously, like everybody says
it and it's okay to not be okay.
And 100 percent it is.
It's okay to not be okay.
I will still sit here myself
and say that I'm not okay.
And obviously I can say that
because I've built up stuff.
And it's really hard
for people to say that.
It's really hard for people to
come out and do that sort of stuff.
But want to read my book, it's there.
If you want to write a book, do it.
I say do it.
You've got one life,
you've got one chance.
Just do it.
Don't listen to everybody else.
And I know it's really hard to just,
it's really simple to say that.
Don't listen to people.
It's really hard to do it.
But if you've got one life,
go out there, live it, go out
and make the best of yourself.
Make yourself proud.
Don't make anybody else proud.
Make yourself proud first.
Work on yourself first.
You matter first, not everybody else.
moorea: Yeah, that's so That's such
a great insight, and like, the book
is for you, it is your experiences,
you don't have to publish it.
Like, you did, but not everyone
might be in that place yet,
or not everyone might want to.
And it's about you, and
like, what do you want to do?
like you said,
gem: it's okay if it's okay to not
want to do something and it's okay
like I've published my book, if you
don't want to do it, then that's fine.
That's 100 percent okay.
Be proud that you've actually done it.
Be proud that you've
actually written that.
moorea: Like you said, like you
choose, like, I really, yeah.
I really like that line.
Yep.
I think I'm going to
use it more in my life.
gem: You choose.
Three simple words.
You choose.
moorea: So where can people go if they
want to, like, read your book or connect
with you or just learn more about the work
that you're doing and what's in store?
Where can they find this documentary?
Where can they do all this stuff?
gem: Yeah.
So my book just updating my
website at the moment, but I've
got a website, GemGaleAuthor.
com.
Books are available there.
I'm pretty sure we're sold out at
the moment, but there's more coming.
I promise there's more coming.
Or you can follow my Instagram.
It's SDLF.
So storms don't last forever.
SDLF underscore Jim Gale.
Everything's up on there.
Everything I do, all the talks and
stuff that I do, everything's on there.
So follow me, keep up to date.
I put a lot of quotes.
I put a lot of inspirational
stuff on there.
Keep up with my life.
I put a lot of silly stuff
on there, everything's there.
It's my life.
It's what I do.
It's what I do.
And I'm not just professional.
I'm not just a teenager that's doing that.
I'm just an ordinary teenager just
living my life, just making a difference.
moorea: And that makes it
all the more meaningful.
You're not some like, 50 year old, like
in a teenager's body, like doing all
your like, corporate like, whatever.
Thank you so much for
coming on the podcast today.
This has been absolutely amazing.
And your story again, it's so inspiring.
And I know like, not everything's
perfect all the time and writing a
book doesn't make it better right away.
So just thank you.
gem: Thanks for having me.
Of
moorea: course.
It's been amazing.
Thank you for making it to the end
of this episode of balancing act.
So, this was just such a
meaningful conversation to have.
And I think it's extremely relevant,
especially for listening to this
at the beginning of the new year,
we're heading into this new year.
So how are we going to.
Approach this new year, how are
we going to approach your past?
How are we going to approach entering
this new chapter in our lives?
And so what I urge you to do and what
I'm trying to do myself, is to reflect
on what I've encountered in my life so
far and realizing that my struggles.
Don't have to define me.
In a negative way and
that I can embrace them.
And turn them into something positive,
turn them into something empowering,
and then move forward in my life
informed by my past experiences,
but not restricted by them.,
so here are my key takeaways from this
episode, Uh, starting off, we're shaped
by all of our experiences and it's okay.
If they're not all amazing were shaped
by the good and the bad and that's life.
And so we need to learn to accept that and
to embrace all of our
experiences, the good and the bad.
And then choose how
we're going to approach.
The future.
And so the phrase that Jim said
that really, really stuck with me.
Is the two words she shared.
You choose.
We can choose.
To not let our struggles restrict
us in our lives and we can
choose to pick our heads up.
And move forward.
And to embrace our
experiences, learn from them.
And then just keep going,
even though it can be hard.
And then moving on to tools that you
can use to move forward in your life.
Again, saying you choose.
I can choose to say, you know what,
I've dealt with that, but, so what.
Is that going to restrict
what I do in the future?
No.
And can I use this as something to empower
me to move forward, to help other people.
Who may be experiencing something similar.
Perhaps.
But it's about making that decision
for yourself and realizing that
you have the power to choose.
And.
I acknowledged that not.
Everyone will be in.
in.
this place..
I don't think.
I for.
A long time would be able.
To say, so what.
Let me.
We move on.
Because that's.
that's.
really hard.
But it's really about.
Finding.
Works for you.
You.
And.
Taking.
Your journey.
At your.
Our own pace, but just.
Remembering that you're not alone.
moorea: And so another key
takeaway I had was that.
Again, different things.
Things work for different people.
We're all different human beings.
And so it's about finding
the tools that work for you.
For gems, she's talking about tough love.
Can be really helpful for her
people telling her, you know,
you got to change or else.
I don't know if I can be
friends with you anymore.
To her.
That was extremely motivating.
And that may or may not work for you.
And then another thing she shared
was about her book and the process
of writing her book and how it
gave her a way to reflect on
herself and to learn about herself.
And learn things that she didn't
really like about her behavior and
then how to change that, how to be
better in the future and how to move
forward and not let your past define
you in such a constraining way.
The last thing that really stuck with
me Was just how powerful it can be
to know that you're making an impact.
And that can be in your immediate
community and it can be on a
large scale, but just knowing
that you're making an impact.
can be so empowering.
So as we head into this new
year, I just want all of us
to reflect on our experiences.
And really.
Try to shift our mindsets a little bit.
If you've.
you've.
been letting your experiences.
ANSES restrict what you think
you can do in the future.
I.
That's happened for me.
But just moving on me, like, so.
so.
what.
And.
Turning it into something powerful.
And again, it is not about
not experiencing any.
Anything negative.
It's about being able to cope with
the negativity that will Inez.
Negatively.
And to your life, because
again, That's life.
So, thank you so much for
tuning into this episode.
And I hope.
To see you in the next one.
Thanks for listening to this
episode of Balancing Act, Life
and Struggles of a Teenage Girl.
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I hope you have an amazing rest of your
day and remember, life's a balancing
act and sometimes you're gonna fall
on your face, but you're not alone.