The Ultimate Goal In Life

"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love."
- David McCullough

Hey everyone! We've had a lot of things happening in the past week that I'm sure everyone will be excited to hear. However, with the good comes the bad (or sad), so I'll start with the sad news first.

This Friday will be Heather's last day. Heather is our Development Director who is essentially in charge of all-things fund raising and grant work. She has been essential in growing Active Minds into the success it is today. Without her tireless work, Active Minds chapters would be without many events such as National Stress-Øut Day because she helped us get funding for all the amazing materials each chapter received! So, let's all wish Heather the best of luck with her future endeavors. She will certainly be missed in the office. We owe her a huge thank you!

On a happier note - we just signed an AUSTRALIA chapter!! It's Active Minds at the University of the Sunshine Coast, in Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia. I hope everyone is as thrilled as I am to hear this news! What makes this even better is the fact that in the office, there is a huge map of North America with colored push pins wherever a chapter exists. Considering we didn't have Australia on the map, Erin (one of our friendly Chapter Coordinators) printed out Australia and placed it in the Gulf of Mexico - pretty close to the actual location, right?

As I mentioned in the last post, we've slowly started going into planning mode for this year's 6th Annual Mental Health on Campus Conference, which will be held at George Washington University on November 13-14. As always, it's going to be an amazing opportunity for all the chapters - across the world - to come together and meet other people who share the same passion as they do. There are so many exciting events we're planning for this year, and I know it is going to be an incredible time for everyone who comes! You can actually start buying your tickets to the conference online at:
http://www.activeminds.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=101
Buy your tickets now for what I assure you will be an experience you will always remember!

I've also been working on sending out Chapter Toolkits, which go out to all the new and upcoming chapters. Although they can be quite a hassle to put together, it feels great knowing we're helping a brand new chapter start their quest in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. As of June 22, we are up to 206 chapters and steadily on the rise!! Everyday our Chapter Coordinators receive e-mails requesting information on starting new chapters.

The rest of this post may be a bit off-topic now, but I think it's something that needs to be discussed. A few days ago my dad and I were talking about the work I'd like to do in the future, and he said something that I think everyone should think about at some point in life. He reminded me how I used to envision my future, and how concerned I was with material objects. I grew up in a part of Connecticut that can be considered as middle to upper-class. Many people were more concerned with how much money they were making in a pay check as opposed to the things that matter most - loving what you do. This mentality rubbed off on me and while I was growing up, I had always been so concerned with the kind of car I was going to drive (I wanted a Jaguar at the time), how big my house was going to be, and I certainly wanted to make six-figure pay checks.

Looking back I certainly feel a bit ashamed with how I hoped my future would look - although I was just a child. I have truly realized that you not only have to love what you do, but it should be something that you are willing to devote your life to. Whether it's a cause like the stigma of mental illnesses, enivornmental advocacy, or animal rights - it should be an area that you set your mind to, and attempt to change whatever you see needs changing. It is certainly not about the paycheck at the end of the week (or month), but about how satisfied you feel everyday you go home. You should feel as if you've made a difference in the lives of others - whether it's one person or hundreds of people.

McCullough said it perfectly. If you pin point what it is you're passionate about, and devote your work towrads that cause...that is success.

And with that I'll say farewell for today. Always bear in mind - We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

P.S. Please feel free to leave comments/questions/concerns on this page! I'd love to hear from everyone...

Two Weeks Down...Already?

"You always pass failure on the way to success."
- Mickey Rooney

Through the past few weeks I've realized how much this economy has effected non-profit organizations. I'm not going to complain, or try to suggest ways to turn it around, but I just wanted to share an observation. Due to the scarcity of money, organizations such as Active Minds aren't receiving the same amount of funding that they have seen in the past. Through many disheartening attempts at receiving funds and grants, there are always those moments when we hear a surprising "YES!" or "OH MY GOD!" coming from the conference room across the office. I have recently learned a lesson that everyone in the office has known for a long time - in this business, perseverance is key. As Rooney said, no matter what you do you're bound to fail before you succeed. The key to succeeding not only as a non-profit, but in life, is picking yourself back up, dusting yourself off, and continue running towards the ultimate goal.

It's been two weeks since I've started working in the Active Minds, Inc. office. From day one I knew I would have my work cut out for me. Working at a non-profit organization never proves to be easy, especially one with a small work force. As I said a few posts ago, the staff here is simply amazing (and no, I'm not repeating that because I know they read this). This small office that consists of six full-time employees works so hard towards our goal of reducing mental health stigmas.

With a small office such as this, there is always more work that needs to be completed. I haven't had many chances to sit back and relax without the thought of all the tasks I have to complete by their respective deadlines.

Yesterday was mostly spent working with the Director of Development, Heather, on how to get students excited about lobbying Members of Congress during our 6th Annual Active Minds National Conference in November. As I had said earlier, there is a bill going through Congress at the moment - S. 682 and H.R. 1704 - that will greatly improve counseling centers across the nation. In order to show this nation's leaders how effective this bill would be, we are hoping to bring the Active Minds' student leaders to meet with their Representatives. The main problem that has come up is how to get everyone excited about this opportunity. Many people who are not politically involved think politics is such a bore - it's just the opposite! Being able to sit down with your Congressman is such an amazing chance for them to hear you out, and witness - first hand - the compassion you have towards the issue you're meeting about.

Along with that monumental project, we have been shooting fundraiser ideas back-and-forth. One of the biggest problems in today's economy is the lack of donations towards non-profits. Many people don't realize that if every person who has, at one point, been effected by Active Minds gives $5 or even $1, it would add up to such a significant amount! We would be able to provide chapters with much more materials and give-aways (which we all know people swarm towards) than we are currently able to. If anyone has any ideas for fundraisers, PLEASE comment below or feel free to e-mail me: jeremy@activeminds.org!!

Aside from the development work, I've been helping the three chapter coordinators organize all the Chapter Inventories that were due May 15th. Many schools have sent their inventories to the office, but we're still missing so many; trying to chase down the chapter presidents only goes so far! I'll be completely honest, compiling the data was not fun and summarizing it was even more of a project. In a few weeks there is a Board of Directors meeting where all the data has to be presented, so before then we need to complete a board report with all the data I compiled. As the chapters know, if they don't turn them in soon, they will unfortunately be considered inactive, and no one wants that :(. If any chapters haven't turned their Chapter Inventory in, there's still a chance to get them in!!

Anyways. I just finished writing a memo on this year's Student Advisory Committee survey feedback for Sara, our Program Director. Other than that, it's a typical Friday! I'm all caught up with work (for now) and can't wait to see what next week brings to the table.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend, and feel free to post any questions/comments/concerns on this blog!

As always, We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Quiet Day

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." Woody Allen

I couldn't find any pertinent quotes to relate to this post, so I chose one that made me, and will hopefully make you, laugh.

Knowing that it's only been 1 day since my last post, I'm slowly becoming excited about this new responsibility as the Active Mind "blogger". Having just taken a lunch break with my fellow intern who's working as the MPH intern, I figured I would write a quick post.

First of all (and completely unrelated to Active Minds), I just had "Chipotle" which is, apparently, a gourmet burrito and taco restaurant across the United States. However, I had never heard of this place until coming to D.C.!! There are so many places that Connecticut lacks, and my new friends don't forget to remind me of this. They are so surprised we don't have any of those places ("Potbelly" being another restaurant) over in CT.

Anyways, I'll get back on track. Today has been a quiet day. Out of the six people on staff in the office, only two full-timers are in today! Two of those missing are out of state for the week- one in Minnesota and the other in Maine. The the other is testifying at a Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee hearing. Needless to say, it's a more relaxed day.

I'm working on a bunch of things concerning fund raising and lobbying Congressmen during the Fall conference. If any of you Active Minds members are reading this - get pumped! There are currently two pieces of related legislation in Congress - S. 682 and H.R. 1704 - titled "Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act". You can track these bills on www.govtrack.us to see where they are in the legislative process. In November we'll be lobbying Members of Congress to pay attention to mental health issues and, if it has not been passed by then, lobby for them to vote for the bills. They are incredibly important in our fight to "change the conversation about mental health". Basically, they would award grants to institutions of higher education to improve mental and behavioral health services and outreach on college and university campuses.

Please, contact your local House Representative or Senator (which you can find on either www.house.gov or www.senate.gov respectively) and tell them to support these bills!!

Always remember, We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!

Starting A Change

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

- Barack Obama

I promise this is not a blog about President Obama! As a new resident of Washington, D.C. (aka "The District"), the Obama buzz still lingers in the air everywhere you turn. T-shirts and posters - with the president's face emblazoned on them - are sold on every street corner. However as I was looking for an appropriate quote to start my blogging "career", I stumbled upon one of Obama's quotes that I thought fit perfectly with what I wanted to say.

We all know how strong the stigma that surrounds the topic of both mental illnesses and behavioral disorders. I'll admit it - whenever I walk into my school's counseling center I feel as if hundred's of eyes are boring into my soul and all I want to do is climb that set of stairs as fast as possible and escape through the door unscathed. As I ascend, I scan the area to see who's looking at me - wondering what reasons they've conjured up in their heads as to why I'm going to the Counseling Center. Then it dawns on me that this is the reason I began the Active Minds chapter at my school.

Active Minds is set to change the way the world perceives mental health through the undergraduate's voice. Every member of the organizations 200+ chapters has stepped up to the plate, attempting to knock that stigma out of the park. We all came to the same realization that something needs to be done, and we have become that change. Every one of us is attempting to change the world around us.

One of the striking realizations I've made since beginning my internship here at Active Minds, Inc. is how dedicated everyone in this office is to the work we've set out to accomplish. It is one of the warmest, friendliest offices you'll ever step foot in - as soon as you walk in there is someone at the door greeting you with a huge smile on their face. All of us have our own stories as to how and why we came to Active Minds, but since this is my blog you probably want to know who I am:

My name is Jeremy. I'm going into my senior year at University of Connecticut (UConn) studying Political Science and Sociology. Mental Health education and advocacy has been my passion since sophomore year of high school (I can't believe it's been 7 years!!). Last September I founded, and serve as President, of the Active Minds at UConn chapter and it's rocketed from there. I became immersed in my work, and realized how much I truly love this field. In the spring, I was selected to serve on Active Minds' Student Advisory Committee (SAC), and was then elected as the Presdient of SAC. Now, I'm interning in the office and dove straight into work! From now on, these blogs will be more about the daily happenings of the office.

I'll leave you with this. We are all here for a reason; every one of us has something they're dedicated to - whether it's politics, health care, education, etc - we're all dedicated people. If you haven't found what you're dedicated to, it will come. When you least expect it, you'll be thrown into a situation and suddenly realize "wow, this is so important to me" (maybe not as corny though). For some, it may come sooner than others, but don't worry - it'll happen! Once you find your passion, be the change you wish to see in the world.

We are all working towards a similar goal, so why not help each other out!