"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love."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.
- David McCullough
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...
1) Heather, I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavours. It was great to meet you in D.C. this April, and I hope our paths will cross again.
ReplyDelete2) Australia?!?! That's awesome! Further, I remember when I first started with Active Minds about three years ago. I think we had 77 chapters. I remember how excited I was when I saw that we had hit 100. Now 206! That's phenomenal. I think this goes to show how hard everyone at the National office has worked to spread this movement, and how vital this organization of dedicated staff and students is to the well being of all people on college campuses. We can't change the world in a day (or even three years), but we have definitely made the world a better place for the people we have been able to touch through our work in Active Minds.
3) I'm glad to hear you've undergone such a total change in ideology Jeremy. It's unfortunate that some of the work that needs to be done most in this world does not come with that 6 figure paycheck, or the house in the suburbs of Connecticut. I've long believed in the concept of 'seva' (selfless service), and that the peace and satisfaction that comes from making a positive change in the world (even if it's just in the world of one person) is worth more than any paycheck. That being said, I hope not to be living under an overpass any time soon...people may look at me strange during my morning yoga...
Perhaps ours is the generation that can change the way our society works, ensuring that we can have both the emotional and social benefits of working for a cause we believe in, and the financial stability to do it without having to practice yoga next to our cardboard box under a bridge somewhere...
You asked for a comment, and you got a novel. Haha, sorry!
-Amanda
your blog is wonderful. keep up the great work over there!
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