Name: Avianna

Social Media Handle/Username: Instagram : @av.ve

Introduce Yourself/Tell About Yourself: My name is Avianna. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. However, I picked up and moved overnight to Los Angeles, California on December 15th, 2021. I’m 19 years and a college student. Right now, I’m just working on building the foundations for the things I want out of life.

What Inspires You Every day? : My biggest inspiration is myself & God. I used to have role models, people I looked up to, but I found myself being disappointed whenever they failed to meet my “expectations”. I felt it was unfair to put that pressure on others and unrealistic. That’s how I became my own inspiration. I know who I am and where I want to be, so everyday I work towards that. Of course, God inspires me too. I know that with God, I’m never alone in my journey.

What is some words of wisdom you live by?: “ Faith over fear”
Life has been a roller coaster of emotions and events since I moved from Georgia. It’s scary to be vulnerable and out of your comfort zone. That’s when I have to surrender and just have faith instead of sitting in fear.

What is your ultimate goal in life? : I’m going to go with being successful in all areas of my life. Success, to me, looks like having healthy, stable relationships and friendships. Creating a beautiful family with the man I’ll spend the rest of my life with. Being successful in my career to where I enjoy my work and my work provides me everything I want and need monetarily. As I’m writing this, I realize that my definition of success is stability more than anything.

What are your thoughts on people who seek attention on social media, and what message would you like to give them? : It’s natural to want attention from other people. All behaviors function from attention, escape, accessibility, or sensory/sensation. “Attention seeking” is already in us. When that attention seeking is/becomes problematic and is rooted in needing validation, that’s where the problem lies. My advice to those who seek validation/unhealthy attention via social media is do inner-work and healing . If you’re coming from a place of lack, you will never feel content with ANY amount of attention or validation from others or social media. That feeling of “content” only lasts so long until you seek for it again. Heal .

How would you help people around the world who are going through mental health problems? : Currently, I’m a behavioral therapist for children and young adults with autism and behavioral problems. My job/goal is to set them up to be able to live and function independently. So I guess that’s my contribution on a larger level. On a regular basis, I think extending grace and compassion can work wonders to those struggling with mental health.

How would you describe a better world for us all? : A better world is a world where we function from a place of love. Bell Hooks wrote the definition of love in her book “All About Love” as “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.” If everything we did came from a place wanting to nurture BOTH ourselves and each other’s growth imagine where the world would be today. We’d live with honesty, integrity, and compassion.

What else would you like to tell others about you or your life?: When I leave this world, I want to be remembered as someone who spread love and positivity. It is a goal of mine to know that I have tried my best to be loving to everyone and everything I meet. I can rest easy knowing that I’ve done that .