Resilient and Resourced: Recent Episodes
Danette Adams
The RESILIENT & RESOURCED Podcast is a series of conversations with thoughtful, strong-hearted people who explore what resilience means to them along what role resources play in their lives.
At 35 years old, Bill has discovered he is as comfortable sleeping in a hospital bed as in his own bed at home. This is because, before he was two years old, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called homozygous-familial-hypercholesterolemia which meant weekly hospital visits. He was the youngest person in North America to have a triple bypass surgery at eight years old. Even with these incredible challenges and physical limitations, Bill was drawn to powerlifting in his 20’s and this practice continues to benefit him physically and mentally. In his early 30’s, his health came to a traumatic point when his aortic valve almost closed. This event tested his positive outlook, his confidence and led him to reach out for professional help. It also challenged his view of what it means to reach out for help from those close to him. Bill compassionately articulates the pain associated with resilience and how he now appreciates how his experiences have shaped him into the man he has become.
Connect with Bill:
Website - https://www.musclebill.com/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/musclebill/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/MuscleBill
While supporting his sister during her cancer journey and before writing his book, Cycle of Lives, David learned a lot. Some of these included how much support there was for the concrete tasks of dealing with a cancer diagnosis but how little resources were available for the emotional side of things and how ill-prepared people were to face the emotional work of a cancer diagnosis. He wanted to connect with people at a deep level and knew he needed to form authentic connections with them to understand what they were going through. He also learned that this skill of authentic connection is crucial when asking for help or offering help to others. This work of building relationships allowed David to hear powerful stories of grief, abandonment and isolation that still incredibly radiated hope, empowerment and that deep sense of connection. David also learned that so many of us are familiar with trauma either directly or indirectly and can learn so much from the trauma stories of others. 100% of the net proceeds from the Cycle of Lives book are allocated to raise money for organizations chosen by the fifteen participants of the project. Order yours wherever books are sold and consider leaving an online review to boost this important work.
Connect with David Richman:
Site - david-richman.com (cycleoflives.org)
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidrichman_cycleoflives/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cycleoflives
Twitter - https://twitter.com/cycleoflives
Book - https://www.amazon.ca/Cycle-Lives-Peoples-Stories-Emotional-ebook/dp/B08KBYPVJV
Following her high school graduation, Noramy studied education in pursuit of her dream to become a teacher. Then, as it often does, life happened and the direction of the path changed. Facing mental health issues head on in those early post-secondary years meant learning the hard lesson of asking for support. Noramy needed to remember that lesson even as she travelled from university, to college back to university. Now, as she is on the cusp on entering a Masters program, Noramy has a unique vision of what it means to self-advocate. This life skill serves her well as she knows when it’s time to take a break, ask for help and even plan for the “best bad day”. You can follow Noramy on Instagram.
When looking back on her life, Erica realized that during some of the most difficult times in her life, she was not writing or creating. After navigating a very challenging year of debilitating physical pain stemming from a mental health condition, Erica now sees how beneficial writing can be to process emotions and to connect with ourselves and others. Erica wrote a book about how she experienced the fear and loneliness during her invisible, yet painful condition. Now Erica shares her passion for writing through her online writing community that connects people from around the world. Check out the links to her Open Sky Stories community as well as her social media pages.
Website - https://www.openskystories.com/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/openskystories
IG - https://www.instagram.com/openskystories/
TW - https://twitter.com/OpenSkyStories
LI - https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-sky-stories/
Pixie & The Bees - https://www.amazon.ca/Pixie-Bees-Erica-Richmond-ebook/dp/B08JM7X2RV
Carly’s early experiences with crippling panic attacks along with an obsessive need to do what was expected of her found her with a university degree and married with children at a young age but struggling. Back when the panic attacks were common, Carly didn’t really see any helpful resources especially when a doctor suggested medication for her anxiety instead of looking for sources of her anxiety in her environment.
While working at her secure government job but not being able to spend time with her children, Carly was shaken by a series of ‘rock bottom’ events that woke her up from her discontented trance. One key event was the very unexpected death of her dance teacher and the dark times that followed led Carly to make some big changes in her life.
Those changes included leaving her marriage, quitting her cubicle job and launching a farm and forest school with her children. Now she and her children spend most of each day outdoors connecting to the land, to the animals on the farm, each other and their own intuition and curiosity for what learning looks like.
Carly’s concept of accessing her resources is extensive. From changing her environment, seeing everything and everyone as a teacher, learning to befriend herself and surrounding herself with positive influences that may come from reading, long-term friendships or even connecting with like-minded individuals on social media platforms especially during the isolating pandemic times.
Enjoy Carly’s poem of resilience called “Wildflowers”.
Wildflowers
Wildflowers do not ask for permission to grow – they just do.
They do not wait for someone to plant them, water them.
They find their way in the most unlikely of places.
Cracks in the concrete, tiny patches of grass along skyscrapers and city buildings.
Farmer’s fields and pastures, dirt roads, abandoned railways.
They refuse to be put in a box, growing only in someone else’s garden.
And while others may focus upon the things that they are not...
A rose with thorns
A tulip upon rows of bright conformity.
They are something more.
They are free.
Check out Carly's Nature Hill Farm at https://www.naturehillfarm.com/ and follow Carly on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/naturehillfarm/ .
Monika exudes genuine warmth and joy that easily translates into the welcoming atmosphere she’s created at her stylish, organic salon. Along with her talented and supportive team of stylists, Monika has graciously and courageously managed the roller-coaster of pandemic shutdowns and re-openings over the past year.
In reflecting on her past losses and difficult times, Monika has learned to lean on those experiences to understand the necessity of perseverance.
As a young child, Monika experienced the loss of her father and tributes her mother for helping Monika and her brother to process their grief. As an adult, she moved to Canada and began a new life that was even more challenging because she had to do that while learning English. Learning is an on-going process for Monika and she treasures the power of books to support her health and well-being.
After a devastating condition impacted Monika’s sight, balance and even control of her own body, she began researching in earnest to learn more about the toxins used in her hair salon. Her learning paid off and she converted her salon to an all-organic business to reduce toxins for her, her team, her clients and for the environment.
Early in recovery, Monika received an invitation from a yogi friend to attend a yoga class with the sole intention of just lying on her mat. She resisted the invitation at first since she would require physical support to simply walk into the class. But three years later, she was relishing her strong tree pose!
Monika continues to grow and learn and is a beautiful inspiration to her colleagues, friends and clients!
Micaela was only nineteen when her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and this was only one of “big events'' in her life that helped her learn how to face difficult times that would follow. Along with the perspective she gained before leaving home, she also discovered the power of foundational habits. Years later, as she prepared to give birth to her child, she learned the difference between intention and expectation and was blessed with an empowering birthing experience. Micaela values investing in others who then become a “well” of resources during hard times and this is evident with her friendships that go back to kindergarten. Even with her commitment to friends and family, she is grounded in the fact that she enjoys spending time with herself and relies on a keen self-awareness to guide her.
Jennie is no stranger to grief but she’d be the first to say that it doesn’t define her. After the loss of her college roommate to cancer, she realized that stuffing her emotions while focusing primarily on service to others wasn’t working for her in the long term. In light of the emotional toll that the loss took on her emotional and mental health, Jennie reached out for support. Knowing that resources beyond her own determination were available became a lifeline when she lost her brother and newborn son in close succession. Inconsolable sadness and anger led her to work with a cranial sacral therapist and that has proven to be a life-altering experience. This power of this work has encouraged her to pursue her curiosity about the power of the body’s intuition and wisdom. Now as a Reiki Master, Jennie supports others in their healing and overall wellness while continuing her studies in areas of embodied awareness.
You can connect with Jennie in the following ways:
Virtual Course called 'Moving Through Emotions' runs Monday nights, 7:30-8:30 on Zoom starting April 19 for 4 weeks. Early Bird pricing $100 until April 9, then $120. Email Jennie to register.
Website for Reiki info: cranialwaves.com/jennie
Reiki bookings (distance/phone or in-person): cranialwaves.janeapp.com or email
Email: wiebe.jennie@gmail.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/reiki.with.jennie/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Reiki-with-Jennie-103326924898351
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennie-wiebe-b066121b5/
Lisa is grateful for her parents who inspired her to develop a strong work ethic and a confidence to rely on her own ability. The self-reliance she developed growing up is balanced with a belief in the power of making and keeping real connections. Lisa believes that being real with others is one of her key strengths and is vital for keeping her relationships healthy and strong.
With two children who have been learning from home since September alongside both Lisa and her husband working from home, there’s been a need for strategizing and renegotiating roles to make the new system work. The pandemic has also been a time of renewed creativity for Lisa who began painting again after decades of being away from it.
Lisa’s grounded positivity was particularly beneficial when she experienced a challenging delivery of her first child and the residual PTSD that also led her to reach out for professional help. It’s also helping her now when the stressors on the world stage are front and center. With passion, practical positivity and directness, Lisa sees good things in our post-pandemic experience.
Barb has been running since she was 10 years old and has a lifetime of lessons and insights that have come from listening to her body’s wisdom through that practice. Running provided her with a mechanism to help work through adverse emotions and even positive ones. It became a way to deal with life even when the physical act of running didn’t always feel good. Growing up in a family system where resilience was expected, she learned the skill of working through challenges without complaint early in life. This introduction to resilience-building evolved into a skill that she has relied on to face physical, relational and professional challenges. Barbara also shares the benefits of developing that habit of attending to your “self-care buckets'' as a method for support during difficult times. From single parenting to running the Boston Marathon to defending her PhD, Barb has had plenty of opportunities to lean into difficult times and to learn from them. Keenly aware of her privilege, Barb is a grounded source of wisdom and encouragement for those looking for resilience, within themselves and from external resources. To dig deeper into the work of Barbara Frederickson (Broaden and Build Theory) and Michael Ungar to learn more about their theories of resilience, click on the links. You can connect with Dr. Barbara Ward on LinkedIn.
Sheri notes how the pandemic is shaking up big systems like health-care, religious organizations and education. One example from education that she shares is how some students are flourishing with online learning so she hopes that the needs of these particular students will be addressed when things return to face-to-face learning.
For new teachers, Sheri encourages them to recognize that this likely will be their hardest year ever and that they have a full career ahead of them. She also notes that they will also be at the forefront of how education changes by having seen the way things were and how things can be better going forward.
Spring of 2020 was a tough time for Sheri. She suffered the loss of her father-in-law, worked through a cancer diagnosis and had surgery on top of the stress of pivoting to supporting students as their Guidance Counsellor from a distance. The fall brought radiation treatments and the stress of knowing how much work she was leaving for her colleagues. With the strong encouragement of her supportive colleagues, Sheri took the leave of absence she needed to recover and returned to work in November feeling strong and ready to go.
Sheri expressed gratitude at so many points for the flexibility of the system to allow her to do the healing she needed to do and the chance to stay connected with her students on the phone when face-to-face is not possible. Besides her strength in communication, Sheri works hard to teach with her “heart forward” so that she can meet her students and all of their unique situations right with caring support.
As an Early Childhood Educator in a pandemic year, Melissa has been learning to keep the chaos of so many unknowns to herself and exude a calmness to support her young students. This is important as working with toddlers is much different than it is with older students. Toddlers may not have the language to express how they are feeling with all of the changes so keeping tuned into them is key for educators.
Early pandemic was a challenge for Melissa who is a huge planner of the colour-coded calendar variety. She has been inspired by friends who have been able to embrace the concept of leaving spaces in their calendars but admits that she’s not quite there yet.
Melissa reflects on the Reggio Emilia approach from Italy that is more student-directed and where children are co-constructors of their own learning. For Melissa, this concept turned the tables on how children have traditionally learned. For her, it brings learning alive for the teacher and student.
Self-care helps Melissa prepare physically and mentally for what each day may bring and allows her to see challenges as opportunities.
Follow Melissa here http://www.melissabowmanward9.ca/ or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/m2bowman.
Blessed to have encountered many teachers who had a transformational impact on her, Maria recalls how two specific teachers inspired her towards a deeper sense of self-awareness, learning to trust in her body’s wisdom and encouraging her to become more attuned to her students as an educator. In the spring of 2020, Maria adapted the teaching methods of her post-graduate course to make it more “gently rigorous” in light of how all of us were still working on coming to terms with the changes brought on by the pandemic. She was slated to teach in a Grade 7-8 school in September when she determined that being in the at-risk category with a health condition along with the unsafe plan put out by the government, it was in her best interest to not return. Join in to hear Maria’s passion for education, student’s mental health and climate change as well as her view of what opportunities lie ahead in education when we look at it as an investment instead of a commodity. You can connect with Maria Vamvallis on Linkedin and Twitter.
Back in September, Mary recalls how the anxiety around the social distancing and hygiene protocols, including the multiple layers of PPE, made it stressful to meet the students where they were at. She says that “it was so hard to not be right beside the child!” and that the “kids need us to be right beside them”. To ease the distance, Mary was conscious of using expressive eye contact and a positive tone of voice to bridge the distance between her and her students.
Teaching had always been a back-up plan after a senior high school math teacher suggested she’d be good at it. But that suggestion stayed with Kathleen as she gravitated toward training and teaching roles in other jobs. Her areas of strengths include adaptability and creativity to help students in ways that she hasn’t had to before. She realizes now how challenging it is to see if a student is struggling in her class when she doesn’t have daily face-to-face contact with them. Going forward, Kathleen is committed to surrounding herself with human resources that include co-teachers, colleagues and therapy to stay healthy, resourced and kind to herself.
After a decade out of the classroom, Gwen was unsure of what she’d be teaching until the week before classes started. The stress caused by the disorganized and constantly changing return-to-school plan had to be met head on with the calm resiliency that she has honed over the years. Those years included teaching kindergarten to Gr 8 with a range of responsibilities as well as being in the library for the past decade. Realizing her need to ask for help, Gwen has been reaching out to her colleagues and her family for support. She urges new teachers to focus on the social-emotional aspect before curriculum, especially this year, to create a space where students of all capabilities will feel safe, welcome and who will want to come to school.
Derrick and Andrea are a study in contrasts! One loves to have things planned out, one not so much. One works in STEM and misses the regular interaction with colleagues while the other works in a congregated class with multiple EA’s in the classroom each day. One works in a public board and one in an independent school. Join us for this beautiful conversation about how pandemic teaching is impacting this family who is dedicated to the power of educators and of a solid education.
Linda‘s memorable mentor was an English teacher who challenged students with her incredibly high standards. But the true inspiration for becoming an educator wasn’t necessarily this or other influential teachers. This turned out to me Linda’s father was a school principal who also ran a family summer camp where Linda discovered her love of working with children. In times of stress, Linda’s support systems include remembering the basics of self-care and engaging with a gratitude accountability friend as a way to keep things in perspective. Linda’s innovative mind has created two amazing initiatives, each “born out of frustration”, and they are a testament to her unwavering belief in a student-centred education system. The PIVOT Plan and the @1every5 are interesting reads so listen to our conversation then dig in.
Lori loved school and is grateful for so many positive educators who cared deeply for students and made learning fun while excelling at teaching. As she regularly deals with students and their trauma in her work, she realizes now that she also has to resource herself to continue to support those students in the school year ahead. In the face of the student/ parent/ educator state of constant worry of the unknown in this pandemic time, there are resources to deal with all that anxiety and not let it take over. Lori suggests methods of increasing your happiness chemicals as we head into more unknowns ahead. And she wisely reminds herself that worry is a misuse of your imagination!
Kim recalls her Grade 10 French teacher treating her students like they truly mattered and that has stuck with her all these years. As she works with the educators in her school now, she values her relationships with them and lets them know they are an important part of the team.
She is a direct, well-organized educator who knows that this school year will take some extraordinary effort especially around staying connected with students and their families. But she is optimistic about the future of education given her belief in the power of face-to-face learning and the long-lasting impact teachers can have in the life of their students.
Carolina leans heavily on the memory of her ancestors to work through challenging times. She knows that they experienced events like wars, pandemics so she takes strength from their best practices when dealing with the school year ahead. But she also stresses the need for kindness towards others since we all deal with hard times in our own way. She says “we do what we can and what we know!”. Not one to wait for things to come to her, Carolina has always reached out for mentors and strongly encourages others to do the same whether that’s an experienced educator, a therapist or a mentor. In her view, mentors are valuable in giving us permission to set a reasonable pace and glean wisdom from their experience of navigating the world of education.
Her vocal passionate support and advocacy for others extends beyond the school hallways where she has founded and leads a female leadership project called Feminine Harbor and you can also find her on LinkedIn and Instagram .
Kimiko firmly believes that educators are experts at making impossible situations work and who want to put wellness before curriculum so they can simply meet students where they’re at during this pandemic school year. She also believes that educators need to prioritize taking care of themselves, reaching out for help and supporting each other as three key ways that educators will make it through to the other side. “Extending grace” is her go-to phrase this year for herself and others especially to new teachers. And echoing through all of Kimiko’s grounding advice is the phrase “You are worthy of all the love you give to your students”. After exploring how the pandemic has highlighted so many injustices, Kimiko considers the ways that education may grow more inclusive and more creative in the post-pandemic setting.
If you want to be regularly encouraged, you can follow Kimiko on Twitter at @ESL_fairy or log into her school website to access some incredible resources.