Becoming proud of where you’re from

Today we’re speaking with Krystal Kalima, a 22-year-old college student from Hawai’i who started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism when she was in high school. Krystal’s story is a lesson in what it takes to overcome shame and become proud of where you’re from. Growing up, she and her mom experienced extreme financial hardship, which led her to feel ashamed about sharing her circumstances with other people. Around this time, she started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to address the deeper feelings she held about her circumstances, and one by one, she tackled each thing that made her feel less than, turning each one into fuel for her dreams.