POSTCARD

Personal growth and development motivate and move me. When we look inward at ourselves and the world around us, we’re working at being our best selves. Personal growth and development is resiliency when we’re challenged, it’s the silver lining when we’re distressed, and it allows for moments of peace and enjoyment. However, when we stop being mindful of ourselves in our surroundings, coping declines, stress rises, and health deteriorates. Ongoing personal growth and development are the catalyst for happiness, confidence, decision making, respectful relationships, and positive risk taking which are just some components that are considered to lead to a healthy and successful life.

Image by: http://quotesgram.com/stress-ball-quotes/

I’m interested in building programs to better support undergraduate students. I work closely with specific groups who deal with unique barriers to education and wellness, such as refugee and aboriginal students, to those who are required to withdrawal from school and/or are dealing with mental and physical illness. Much of our student population are experiencing many “firsts,” and all while positive coping mechanisms remain underdeveloped and undiscovered. I want to create programs for students that give them the chance to grow, develop, learn about themselves, and utilize healthy coping mechanisms as they navigate life in and out of university.

Image by: http://www.moralrenaissance.com/dailydose/2016/2/3/anxiety-girl

ABOUT ME

I grew up on the north coast in the rainiest city in Canada, Prince Rupert B.C., with my folks and three other sisters. My dad was outnumbered from the get-go; even the dog was female. I start here because family and my hometown have shaped me and attribute to my good health today. They are people and a place I return to for support, friendship, good food, memories, and venting, all while being the epicenter of drama. But that’s health for you, it can be good when it’s bad and bad when it’s good.

Prince Rupert sunset

Mental and physical well-being are so connected that when one isn’t in alignment it’s common they’re both entangled. Our emotions are a visceral expression of our attitudes. Heartache, stress, worry, and fear all take a physical toll. My partner Antoine will urge me to “Go for a run!” knowing it’s my cure when I’m being difficult (this is both funny and frustrating to me, all at the same time). Our mental and our physical selves don’t have to be in perfect condition to be healthy, in fact, it’s wrong to expect it. Nevertheless, there has to be an understanding in our minds of our wellness in order to have health. So it sounds like what I’m saying here is that health is determined by one’s perspective. A medical perspective might take different look a person’s health. A medical perspective and an individual perspective will each have their own bias and lack important information. It’s a developing idea and for this write up, it will start and end there for now.

Run away bride! She came back, just running away the pre-wedding jitters

I’ve always been drawn to jumping in haphazardly to new activities and adventures. I adapt quickly and am familiar with the unfamiliar. Albeit the novelty is exciting, but it’s the oncoming challenges I fail to perceive or prepare for. This is my style and I’ve come to accept it and embrace it. For me planning is like standing on top of a 30 foot waterfall and hesitating, thinking too much, building pressure, losing the thrill, talking myself out of it!

Left the boat tour to plant rice (Vietnam). Not the job for me it turns out.

So here I am, at the start of my masters degree, something I never imagined I would’ve/could’ve ever done. Online, the HEAL program looked like it could be a good fit but to be honest, I had no expectations. In July our instructor Stephen sent out the first email with a syllabus, readings, a homework assignment, and a general heads up of what to expect – a few more pieces of the puzzle came together and I was giddy. Better yet, my first class; I was surrounded by keeners who were as equally obsessed with health and wellness as I *beaming.*

I hope to bring a sense of harmony to the classroom. I want to connect with teachers and classmates, and draw people out. I will take from this program whatever I get from it, and I look forward to discovering what these little gifts will be. Ready for a change of pace, bring it on!