Lessons From Selena Gomez: Turning Pain into Purpose

In todays email…

• Turning Pain into Purpose

• Brain game

• Trending mental health news this week

• Product Recommendations

From Struggle to Strength: A Personal Journey

Selena Gomez has transformed her personal battles with mental health into a beacon of hope for millions worldwide. The multi-talented artist, actress, and entrepreneur has been refreshingly transparent about her struggles with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, refusing to let stigma silence her story.

Her journey hasn't been easy. Diagnosed with lupus in 2013, Gomez faced not only physical health challenges but also the mental health impacts that often accompany chronic illness. The autoimmune condition led to complications requiring a kidney transplant in 2017, further highlighting the interconnected nature of physical and mental wellbeing.

But perhaps most courageously, Gomez has been open about her bipolar disorder diagnosis, sharing how it affects her daily life and the importance of seeking professional help. Her willingness to discuss therapy, medication, and the ongoing nature of mental health management has helped normalize these conversations for her massive audience.

The Rare Impact: Turning Pain into Purpose

What sets Gomez apart is how she's channeled her experiences into meaningful action. Through her beauty brand Rare Beauty, launched in 2020, she created the Rare Impact Fund—an ambitious initiative aimed at raising $100 million over 10 years to make mental health services more accessible to young people globally.

The fund envisions "a world where all" young people have access to mental health resources, and it's already making significant strides. One percent of all Rare Beauty sales automatically goes to the fund, creating a sustainable model for ongoing support.

The initiative goes beyond just fundraising. Gomez has hosted multiple Annual Mental Health Summits, with the 4th Annual Mental Health Summit taking place in Los Angeles in May 2025, bringing together experts, advocates, and young people to discuss solutions and share resources.

Recognition and Impact

Gomez's advocacy hasn't gone unnoticed. She was awarded Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab's "Mental Health Innovations" Award for Excellence in Mental Health Advocacy, recognizing her courage in using her platform of over 350 million followers to share her bipolar experience and encourage others to seek care.

Her documentary "My Mind & Me," released in 2022, provided an intimate look at her mental health journey, further cementing her role as a mental health advocate who leads by example rather than just words.

Beyond Beauty: A Multimedia Approach

Recognizing that mental health advocacy requires diverse approaches, Gomez co-founded Wondermind, a multimedia company focused on providing affordable mental health resources. This venture, launched with her mother Mandy Teefey and entrepreneur Daniella Pierson, represents her commitment to making mental health support accessible through various channels and formats.

The Ripple Effect

What makes Gomez's advocacy particularly powerful is its authenticity. She doesn't present herself as someone who has "overcome" mental health challenges, but rather as someone actively managing them. This ongoing honesty helps reduce the stigma that often prevents people from seeking help.

Her approach recognizes that mental health isn't a destination but a journey—one that requires ongoing attention, professional support, and community understanding. By sharing her story, she's given permission to millions of others to share theirs.

Looking Forward

As we move through 2025, Gomez continues to expand her mental health advocacy. Her recent summits, ongoing fund initiatives, and continued transparency about her own journey demonstrate that this isn't a temporary cause for her—it's a life mission.

For young people especially, seeing someone at the height of success openly discuss therapy, medication, and mental health struggles provides a crucial counter-narrative to the perfection often portrayed on social media.

The Bigger Picture

Selena Gomez's mental health advocacy represents something larger than celebrity activism. It's about the power of vulnerability, the importance of representation, and the potential for personal pain to become collective healing.

In a world where mental health challenges are increasingly common among young people, having advocates like Gomez who combine personal authenticity with concrete action provides both hope and practical resources. Her work reminds us that mental health advocacy isn't just about awareness—it's about creating real, lasting change in how we support one another.

Through her transparency, her business initiatives, and her ongoing commitment to the cause, Selena Gomez has shown that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply refuse to suffer in silence—and then use your voice to make sure others don't have to either.

Brain Game

Three quick brain teasers for you

1. Unscramble the letters below to reveal five words related to mental health.

• XANITYE → _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• SIRENCEILE → _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• PYTHARE → _ _ _ _ _ _ _

• GASTIM → _ _ _ _ _ _

• SOWNELLES → _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. A woman is pushing her car along a road when she comes to a hotel. She shouts, "I'm bankrupt!" Why?

3. Decode the emoji sequence below to uncover a mental health message inspired by Selena Gomez’s journey. What message do these emojis convey?

***For answers, scroll to the bottom of the newsletter

Trending Mental Health News This Week

• Romesh Ranganathan Shares Mental Health Struggles on BBC’s Desert Island Discs: Comedian Romesh Ranganathan discussed his lifelong mental health challenges, including suicide ideation during his teens, on BBC’s Desert Island Discs. He aims to destigmatize mental health by normalizing conversations while being cautious about triggering others.

• High Mental Health Risks Among Transitioning U.S. Troops: A Government Accountability Office report found that nearly 67% of U.S. troops who left the military in 2023 were at risk for mental health conditions, based on 50,500 separation health assessments. Half declined referrals to the DoD’s inTransition counseling program, raising concerns about inadequate support for veterans.

• Oklahoma’s Mental Health System Faces Court Fines Over Treatment Delays: Oklahoma’s Department of Mental Health is under scrutiny for failing to treat mentally ill defendants in county jails, facing fines from a judge due to long wait times and an overwhelmed system. A court-ordered deadline looms, with new treatment beds delayed until July 2025, and a pilot program for in-jail treatment is stalled.

Product Recs

Genius Wave: A neuroscience-based device that uses sound waves to promote relaxation and mental clarity, aiding healing.

Mindfulness: Everyday guided practice and meditation to help you deal with anxiety and overwhelming stress.

online-therapy.com: Life-changing therapy & tools for a new you.

Everyday Yoga: Whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned yogi, you're covered. They pride in being the go-to destination for yogis, and offer a diverse range of top-of-the-line products from your most beloved brands.

Thank you, see you soon

Bolaji

The Oxymind

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, remember that help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 988, and mental health resources are available through organizations like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and the Rare Impact Fund's partner organizations.

Loved this newsletter? Here’s another you won’t want to miss!

• Upper Middle: We helps high-income, high-stress Americans contextualize their experience, understand their choices, and make the best of a good situation.

• MaxDividends: High Yield & Dividend Growth Stocks worth Investing In to Boost Your Passive Income for Living Off Dividends and Retire Early. 25,000+ constant readers!

• The Wealth Wagon: Your go to newsletter for finding all of the best ways to generate passive income and building wealth. Subscribe to find out how you can grow wealth.

• 6AM City - AVLtoday: Daily email 📩 delivering the most relevant, need-to-know news and events for Asheville, NC📍 Brand Safe: No politics or divisive topics. A marketing engine for our cities.

Brain Games Answers

1. ANXIETY, 2. RESILIENCE, 3. THERAPY, 4. STIGMA, 5. WELLNESS

2. She’s playing Monopoly! In the game, if you land on a property you cannot afford and owe rent to another player, you may declare bankruptcy.

3. From sadness to strength to speaking out.