Amanda is the best-selling author of Shine from Within; a teen girl’s guide to life (Hay House), a youth mentor, a certified life and business coach and a co-host of the Gentle Business Mastermind. Amanda loves supporting teens and tweens to shine from within and also train adults around the world to be inspiring youth mentors through the award-winning online Youth Mentor Training. Amanda is also the host of The Youth Mentor Podcast!

It was a 2-year battle with cancer in her mid-twenties that changed Amanda’s perspective on life and inspired her to go vegan, simplify (living off-grid in a shipping container for over a year!), enjoy each moment and encourage youth to shine from within.

You’ve worked in the Youth Mentoring space for a number of years now, what made you head in this direction?

The main catalyst for me to do this work was the cancer diagnosis. I learned so much during this time and found myself saying, “I wish I knew this when I was younger,” over and over again. Once I got my energy and strength back, I was on a mission to share tools and life skills with teens.

Looking back, it was one of those things that was meant to happen I think… everything in my life led me to this moment where I had a range of skills, knowledge and passion to share with youth (from teaching deportment courses in schools as my side job while at University to working as a model in Europe and seeing how devastating body image issues can be for young people).

I wanted to learn more and more – studying life coaching, eating disorder prevention, young people’s mental health and technology – certificate after certificate! But when I started running my own programs, I realised it was all about the connection. Holding spaces for young people to feel safe and nurtured so they can talk about whatever they need to is where the magic happens.

Why is it important to reach and inspire young ladies early?

Most women I speak to say something like, ‘Gosh imagine the heartache I could’ve saved myself if I learned this when I was a teen!’ A part of that is growing up, of course, but there are elements we can be teaching young people during their teen/tween years so they don’t have to suffer through some of the trials and tribulations that we may have gone through.

The teens are at a time of huge change – physiologically and psychologically. Their brains are still developing, their hormones are going all over the place, there are so many ‘firsts’ in their life (from a license to a first kiss!) and all while they’re in this in-between stage where they are still a child who needs boundaries and support but also really want freedom and independence. It’s a time of heightened emotions and heightened creativity… everything can feel so intense for a teen!

It’s such an important time to ensure they have a range of supportive, nurturing adults around, different perspectives, trusted mentors and space to explore who they want to be.

How do we change from our teen years to being young adults taking on the world? Do our values and motivations change significantly and how do we help them through these changes?

I think it’s about giving teens space and support to explore what their values are and what motivates them. Many teens haven’t sat down and considered what their values are – and our values are such a big part of how we react in the world and the decisions that we make. So if we can have a conversation with a teen about their values, provide a list of options for them and some context around how it’s helpful to understand this, then they can feel empowered and have this inner compass with which to make decisions going forward.

What are your top three tips to help us look after our health and well-being?

Meditation. Find a practice and a teacher that feels good for you.

Go vegan – best thing I ever did for my health, wellbeing and my heart too. Start by finding alternatives you can try and experiment with new foods. There are so many options these days.

Get rid of some stuff! Decluttering and donating things we don’t need can do wonders for the mind and feel lighter :).

So what’s next on the cards for Amanda Rootsey – what’s next…?

We’ve got our next round of Youth Mentor Training coming up soon so I’m excitedly preparing for the launch of this. I’ve also just recorded the audio book of Shine from Within so I’m looking forward to seeing the book out in the world in this way. And we’ve just released our school’s curriculum ‘Shine on the Inside’ so that’s been making it’s way into the hands of guidance counsellors and teachers across the country.

What book are you reading at the moment? 

The Himalayan Masters by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

You’ve travelled a lot – where has been your favourite place and why?

Tasmania – so much wilderness, crisp air and amazing walks.

What is your favourite quote or mantra to live by?

You have everything you need within.

To find out more about Amanda and Shine From Within head to:

shinefromwithin.com.au | amandarootsey.com.au

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@AmandaRootsey