Adulting 101 was a hit – a great forum for young adults to learn about life and how to navigate it. It was held on November 30, 2019 at the Jamaica Conference Center in Kingston. This conference was aimed at educating youth and the youthful at heart about the realities of adulthood. Even though all presentations were great, these three stood out the most: 

1. Spiritual well-being is important Mr Kavan Allen, a dedicated and outspoken Youth Pastor and CEO spoke on Spiritual Wellness and putting God first in every situation. He said “With relationships, there’s such great benefits in the other side and people should focus on the benefits and pull on God for strength.” Allen expressed how the church brings us together and helps us to grow. He mentioned the loss of his dad, and that even though he mourned and was sad, he still invested in his relationship with God and that’s what led him to success.  

2. Your health is your responsibility Dr George Scarlett presented on Health and Wellness. It was a wake up call for many. Imagine learning that food you eat daily could be slowly killing you, especially when you believe these foods were healthy. “Eat Strong Live Long” he urged. According to Scarlett, a healthy life can’t mean not eating. However, in reality, to really live long, persons have to participate in calorie restriction and fasting. Calorie restriction is a dietary regimen that reduces food intake without incurring malnutrition. He said that sugar, seeds, vegetable oils and grains can lead to many health problems. For example, he claimed that consumption of grains can cause a leaky gut, while consumption of seed oils can increase the omega ratio which leads to diseases. Therefore, trying to eat healthier this Christmas is a must. 

3. Communication is essential to all relationships Relationships 101: sugar, spice and everything nice by Felecia Williams was very educational and interactive. I appreciated that she was unfiltered and very funny and engaging at the same time. She expressed that “We don’t communicate anymore, and that’s why it’s getting incredibly harder to build good relationships. Instead of having a real relationship we have casual dating, meaningless hookups and mixed signals.” What proved to be one of the most riveting statements of her presentation was: “Some persons are just NOT ready for relationships, therefore, know yourself first before jumping into one.” She ended the presentation on a high note, expressing that we need to choose LOVE and how we plan to achieve it every day. She also tried highlighting some ‘modern’ terminologies. (Look up these terms: pocketing, breadcrumming, instagranstanding and r -bombing). At the end of the day long conference youth walked out with packed notepads and newly found confidence in their ability to take in the world of adulthood. More conferences like these are definitely needed. Kudos to the #Adulting101 team.   

– Akkeem Polack