“Beautiful people do not just happen.” These were the words of Elisabeth Kübler Ross, an American Swiss Psychiatrist, speaking in the context of people who have gone through hell and became kinder because of it.
Truer words could not have been spoken in the case of 23-year-old Amy Ylitalo, who found her life’s mission only after being driven to attempt suicide by extremely difficult circumstances in her early years, which she, fortunately, survived each time. She experienced this back-and-forth with life and death for a total of four times before she realized that there is more for her to offer the world.
The world had been harsh to her, but despite so, Amy found the kindness within herself to want to use her personal battles with severe mental health issues to contribute to the world. Her past struggles only served to make her stronger–the strength she is now using in order to be a pillar of support for others who are going through the same experiences. The willingness to get involved with other people’s problems is a quality possessed by only a few people. Other people would perhaps stick to their own businesses–after all, everyone’s got their own issues to deal with–but not Amy. In fact, she makes it her business to stick with people during their hard times, and quite literally.
With the belief that her mission in the world is to bring the peace of mind that no one is ever truly alone, she created The Letter Organization as the manifestation of this mission. The Letter Organization is a company hoping to create long-term positive communities where people can build a network of emotional and mental support without fear of judgment. It is currently in the early stages of launching, but Amy plans to have her own life principles integrated into its operation: honesty, pure intentions, and perseverance.
The company’s main goal is to help others overcome challenging obstacles and gain confidence in any area in their life. Amy believes that building one’s self-confidence is the one thing that is integral to being able to overcome life’s challenges. By having confidence, one is able to plan accordingly and take steps going towards the resolution of their troubles. Failures will not break them down but instead make them come back stronger. Given a person’s self-confidence, then, a person would become self-sustainable. Life would be a cycle of facing a problem, resolving it, and being in harmony with the self until the next hurdle comes.
With respect to those who have unfortunately passed due to mental health issues, she has an angel wing tattooed on her right forearm, with the script “You’re Not Alone” as the representation of her solidarity with those who continue to fight.
While individual circumstances are extremely different for people with mental health issues, there will always be a common ground where people can connect. She exerts her positive influence by modeling healthy support, unconditional love, and acceptance for people from all walks of life. Her end goal is to leave the world in a better state than she found it in.
You can learn more about her and her company by following Amy Ylitalo and The Letter Organization on Instagram.
