BRADLEY
RAPIER

"What’s wrong with me?” That’s one of the worst statements a parent can hear from their child.

 

In 2017 our youngest son Sammy struggled with heavy anxiety.

 

It had been building over a few years. If Sammy didn’t know exactly what was going on at all times, if schedules shifted, or if there was even a hint of abandonment, you could see terror take over his whole body.

 

I remember being out of town when my wife called. Through desperate tears she told me Sammy was not going to make it at the new school we had invested so much time to get him into. Anxiety had won the day once again and she was bringing Sammy home.

 

Over the next few years there were some breakthroughs. Then in 2020, the lockdowns came and the fears returned with a vengeance.

 

Sammy quickly went from sharing presentations at school with enthusiasm, to not being able to open his mouth in classroom zooms at all.

 

Panic and anxiety closed his throat and he couldn’t speak. He totally shut down.

 

It was a very difficult time, BUT, one thing Sammy had was determination. He would say, “Dad, the way you walk up to anyone and join the conversation or activity… I don’t understand it, but I’m going to learn how to do that!”

 

We made a pact and Sammy went all in. He allowed us to guide him as we explored what it meant to venture out of his protected, scheduled comfort zone, and Step in the Circle.

 

Today, Sammy is a successful content creator known as KingSammelot. He’s a young man who absolutely thrives in community. One who will walk up to anyone and fully engage, even when the nervousness creeps in.

 

It’s incredible to look back on that time just a few years ago, compared to where Sammy is now. Embracing a new approach, and CHOOSING a new perspective made all the difference.