Waylon Pahona | Healthy Active Natives

“I’m always asked to motivate other people. Motivation has to come from within you. Nobody can give it to you.”-- Waylon Pahona  If you’re reading this, you are probably familiar with Healthy Active Natives. Waylon Pahona created this Facebook page that has almost 60 thousand likes. It’s been a source of motivation and support for people throughout Indian Country. Waylon--who is Hopi, Tewa and Maricopa Piipaash--joined NextGen Native to share his story. If you need some positive energy, Waylon is your guy.  Waylon grew up on Hopi and left when he was 18. He left to get away from some of the negative incidents he experienced. Waylon shared how he was sexually abused and wanted to get away. These negative experiences impacted him profoundly. For many years, he pushed those memories away and was not living a healthy life. He turned himself around (listen to the podcast to learn how) and eventually shared this story with others. This transformation eventually led to the creation of Healthy Active Natives.  In this episode we talk about: Being vulnerable--Brene Brown became a viral hit discussing how shame and courage come from the same state: being vulnerable. When you hear Waylon’s story, you’ll see he chose courage over shame. Float tanks--how they can be used to process memories, emotions, fears. Getting healthy is more than just exercising, or even eating right. It’s about mental balance, too. Understanding people to connect and encourage action. How to deal with negativity. Why Waylon hates the word “haters.” Working on letting go. Why he got a huge hug while traveling in Canada recently. How Derek Jeter’s last hit as a Yankee inspires Waylon.  For all the details, listen to the episode. You can also listen on: iTunes Stitcher ### Tell us what you are working on to make yourself better. Leave a comment on Facebook or on Twitter (#nextgennative) about what you are working on to improve yourself. This could be a physical goal, professional development, etc.