These are the reflections of one of the 15 young people who shared their experiences after ‘The Real Me Book’  on Sunday afternoon, 13 September. When that same participant first entered the room, they said, ‘I’m not good at things. Sometimes I feel really insecure.’

This was MY MIND – MY CHOICE EP.1, the first workshop  for Hanoi teenagers organised by ME&WE.mindS × CHOI Workshop.

📌 Three hours, 15 young people, one question: ‘What am I good at?’

One participant was 1.70 metres tall but still described themselves as ‘shy’. Another could list five weaknesses in ten seconds, but fell silent for a long time when asked about strengths.

This is not unusual. During adolescence, the brain is more sensitive to judgement than at any other stage. A criticism can stay for years, while a compliment may be forgotten within minutes.

So that afternoon, we did not lecture. The young people did the work themselves.

🔹 Solid foundations: each  participant identified things they had done well, even the smallest ones. 🔹 The shaded side:  ‘shy’ was reframed as ‘observant’, ‘slow’ as ‘meticulous’, and ‘a daydreamer’ as ‘imaginative’. No one had to hide a weakness—just see it under a different name. 🔹 The Real Me Book: each  participant designed their own cover, made stickers and wrote a list of their strengths.

💬 What Stayed with Us Most

‘There were times when I thought I really did not have a single strength. Sometimes I doubted whether the things I believed were strengths actually were. Today I also learned that sometimes even a weakness can become a real strength.’

📖 What Did Your Child Take Home?

A notebook they made themselves, a list of strengths in their own handwriting and a different way of seeing themselves.

Three hours will not completely transform an insecure  child, and we do not promise that. But next time your child says, ‘I’m not good at anything,’ you can say, ‘Let’s open your notebook and have a look.’

💛 One Thing You Can Do Tonight

To help your child feel confident, do not simply say, ‘You’re so clever.’ Praise a specific action: ‘I noticed how patiently you revised that assignment three times.’ General praise can fade; specific praise stays.

Thank you to the 15 young participants and parents who trusted us with their children for those three hours. 🙏