E11. Awakening Your Higher Self - with Khiari Allen-Infante, Ever Forward Club Member

Ever Forward Club’s Ashanti Branch is joined by Khiari Allen-Infante, a high school senior, Ever Forward Club member, and graduate of EFC’s social-emotional leadership academy.

(3:00) Ashanti’s introduction

(6:10) Ashanti welcomes Khiari and introduces Khiari’s role with Ever Forward Club and the podcast.

(7:10) Khiari and Ashanti make their masks together.

(12:15) Khiari shares more about himself, an Alameda High School senior, who has lived all over the Bay Area in his lifetime.

(13:45) Ashanti and Khiari connect over how they both initially grew up in single-mother households, and both had experienced similar transitions: Khiari experienced his father coming back into his life in the 9th grade; and both Khiari and Ashanti experienced stepfathers coming into their lives and creating uneven dynamics.

(20:20) The men discuss how Ashanti saw something in Khiari’s eyes the last time he saw him, and they circle closer towards something deep down in Khiari’s heart.

(25:15) Khiari and Ashanti share the fronts of their masks.

(29:20) Khiari and Ashanti share the backs of their masks, connecting over Khiari’s disappointment in himself and Ashanti’s fear of failure.

(32:55) Khiari reflects on the expectations of his family, and how not meeting these expectations, especially with the sacrifices his mother has been making, is filling him with regret and disappointment.

(34:05) Ashanti shares a science experiment conducted with monkeys in a cage, which may teach Khiari something about societal expectations.

(37:50) After sharing more about his regrets and bringing himself down, Khiari receives encouragement from Ashanti to engage in more positive self-talk and let his positive assets shine brightly to those around him.

(44:00) Khiari shares his responsibilities at home, and how his stepfather moving across the country, and the ensuing stressors over the custody of a sibling, are causing Khiari to take in the stress that his family is projecting onto him.

(47:15) Ashanti and Khiari discuss anger, and whether Khiari’s is not actually balancing emotions, but rather suppressing them and preventing himself from finding a reason to care.

(52:20) Now that Khiari is a senior, the men discuss how Khiari is finding his reason to care, and now is developing an ability to lead other youth around him and youth in the EFC.

(57:00) After wrapping up, Khiari shares his last word.

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Connect with Khiari:

Instagram:    https://www.instagram.com/key.are.e/

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Connect with Ashanti Branch:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaks

Twitter:   twitter.com/BranchSpeaks

LinkedIn:    www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch

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