Josh Yandt was bullied for years. After his father passed away, he became even more depressed and anxious. He lost all hope. Feeling invisible and unwanted, Josh’s family moved and he started at a new high school. Going to a new high school he wanted things to be different. On his first day at this new school, he mustered all of his courage and decided to make a change in his life by finding one gesture of kindness he could do over and over again. He decided to hold doors for classmates. Day after day, he held doors open in the morning, at lunch and after school.
At first, his classmates thought he was strange, but he stuck with it. Eventually, the other students grew to love Josh and his gesture of opening doors for others. Josh was a genuinely kind person and it showed. For the first time in his life, classmates were nice to him and was treated with respect. He wasn’t invisible any more. Opening doors made the bullying stop. His gesture of kindness, as simple as it was, changed him and it started to change others too! He found purpose, meaning and a sense of belonging. Josh wants to help you find your gesture of kindness too.
The Doorman
A heartfelt speech about the challenges Josh faced throughout his childhood. He discusses the negative effects of bullying, overcoming obstacles, and the importance of small acts of kindness. Other topics that are touched upon include mental heath, self-esteem, forgiveness and school involvement. (Length: 40-60 minutes)
