Today I'm honoured to  feature Claire Hutchinson (a former fellow University of Toronto Varsity Blues Rower) in my "Profiles of Perseverance" series.  Claire was on the Varsity team while I was a Novice.  I never had the chance to really get to know her, as I only saw her briefly at practices and competitions.  I have had the chance to connect with her electronically since my depature (due to graduation) from the team.  Claire is an incredibly strong athlete and person!  I really respect her, and  I am blessed that she took the time out of her busy training schedule to share.  Thanks Claire!  

Happy Thanksgiving to all those Canadians celebrating this weekend! I'm so excited to spend time with my wonderful family and friends.  I'm extremely blessed to have them in my life.  My family has this tradition during dinner that we all go around and say what we are thankful for.  I thought I would share the question with you.

I have to share with you this moving video about Jennifer Livingston, a Wisconsin television anchor, who received an insulting email from a viewer criticizing her weight.  The reason I find this video powerful is because of how she COPED with the situation.  As you all know, my work revolves around body-image, self-esteem, and coping, so I love when I encounter role models who are sharing their stories with others.

We all encounter setbacks and critics; it is all about how you deal with them.  In Jennifer's case, instead of dwelling on the man's mean words, she PERSEVERED! 

I have to share this short film, called "Validation," that my uncle showed to me a couple days ago.  You have to watch, as it is such a beautiful and touching film!  I will be sharing my thoughts on this film in an upcoming post; until then, please enjoy and reflect on "Validation."

Imagine this scenario: you have the talent, the drive, and the passion; yet you are still stuck with no where to go.  How can you advance to the next level? You can’t do it all by yourself; you need the help of a coach, a teacher, or a mentor to help you get there.

I was watching the television show, “The Voice,” last night; it has coaches who help beginner singers turn from good to great.  I love how the coaches – all outstanding singing performers in their own right - (Blake, Adam, Christina, and Cee Lo) hear promising talent and give them a chance to develop into greatness.

Anne-Sophie Reinhardt is an anorexia survivor, body image expert, author, and blogger at Anne-Sophie. She empowers you to achieve a healthier and more successful life by returning to your true purpose and values.  Anne-Sophie graciously offered to take part in the series and also has a special suprise for the first twenty people to comment on her interview.   Thank you Anne-Sophie for sharing with us. Curious as to what the suprise is, you will have to get to the end of the article to find out :)

Do you ever feel disorganized or unclear about achieving your life goals? 

I started thinking about this issue while helping some friends organize their house recently. There was a problem with the moving company that day.   As a result, the movers just unloaded all the possessions in one place and left my friends to put away everything. 

When I first saw the place, a couple days after the movers had been there, the house was overwhelmingly cramped and disorganized.   My friends felt frustrated as they didn’t know where to start on the project to get their place looking like home.  They had an idea of how they wanted the place to look, but had no clue how to implement it.  They didn’t mention anything to me about wanting help, but I volunteered as I have been in that position before and could relate to what they were going through.  We worked together and got the place organized! Success.

As it is the start of the school year, I thought it would be appropriate to ask the former principal of Wycliffe College, Dr. Reginald Stackhouse, to share his life lessons with us.  Reg is a prominent educator, a Canadian politician, and a friend of my family. I thought it would be fitting to ask him to be part of my “Profiles of Perseverance” series as he has persevered through trying times and has left a huge impact on so many lives. He is a mentor, and I am honoured to share his advice.  Reg knows the importance of nurturing the next generation and exemplifies this in how he lives his life. Thank you, Reg, for taking part in the series!

This quote has been my mantra as I’ve been navigating the journey of my twenties.  I threw off my bowlines, sailed away from the harbour, caught the tradewinds, but got stuck.   I stopped my journey for awhile, as I was unsure of the direction to sail my ship. The wind (i.e., the passion) was there; I was just unsure in which direction to steer.  Do I choose mainstream (i.e., the common path) or set my own course? 

During my pitstop, I reflected on my life journey thus far and where I could go from there.  I wanted to manifest my calling of empowering others to persist despite any setbacks they encountered.  As I was stuck momentarily, I decided to use my personal journey as a tool to start discussion and implement change.  Therefore, I developed my blog as a way to coach others to navigate their personal journeys. I went against the wind and began creating empowering media; I was turning my dream of helping others thrive into a reality.

Life is all about the journey, not the destination.  Every obstacle teaches you a lesson which shapes you into the person you are today. I want to create a ripple effect through sharing what I have learned.  I have learned many lessons along my path and I want to help others (especially Generation Y) overcome the obstacles in their path.  I will share more about this in an upcoming post. 

One of the best mantras that I have incorporated into my life over the past several years is what I call “Coffee, Talk, and a Walk.” (c)

If you are stressed, need to sort out an issue, or just want to feel even better overall, I suggest you take part in this mantra as well.

Some of my happiest and most favourite times involve these three things. You can do this process alone or with others. 

Let me break the mantra down for you, “Coffee, talk, and a walk.”

September has always seemed like the start of a new year! With its new beginnings, we should start afresh with our attitudes; we should open our hearts to new ideas.

Individuals today are transient; they are constantly moving for school, for their work, for their families, or just for a change. I have moved various times since leaving high school.  I have had many new beginnings and endings with cities, schools, and work. I have embraced each move, though, as I love meeting new people and learning their unique stories. Each of my moves has  been an exciting experience and has taught me new lessons. However, moving and changing are by no means easy tasks.