Inspiration

Inspirational people are among us, as you read these words I’m sure you can think of an individual in your life that has inspired you, or continues to do so on a regular basis. Whether it’s their strength and optimistic view in life, or their relentless determination despite the adversities they may encounter along the way. They inspire you because there’s a small part of you that hopes to become like them one day, to adopt their philosophy of life, and to strive towards your own goals with as much passion and resolve as they have.

I recently attended a national Education, Counselling and Employment conference called CANNEXUS, for the third year in a row. This conference, in a nutshell, is an opportunity to learn by engaging in a plethora of topics. Inspirational trailblazers teach us about current issues; bright minds show us new ways to look at things; Knowledgeable scholars give us tools to deal with challenges and dilemmas;  leaders in our field collaborate to enhance and promote the work we do; and most of all, it's an opportunity to reunite with likeminded individuals and network with new potential lifelong business partners.

Adrienne Clarkson, my Co-Workers, and me 

This year at the conference, I got to meet, and attend a session of a very inspirational individual, the honourable Adrienne Clarkson. She was among the first female Governor General of Canada; she is universally known for having transformed the position because of her passion to make a difference, and her perseverance to help give a voice to marginalized populations of Canada.

I was inspired by the amount of great things that she had accomplished in her life, despite the fact that she immigrated into Canada as a Refugee from Hong Kong. The hardships that her family and her have overcome was partially due to the philosophy that her father adopted, and repeated to them on a regular basis 

``You cannot live thinking that you’ve lost everything, nothing is going to be better than what you’re going to create in Canada.`` Focusing on the unknown, and your role in making it a positive future was very important to her family, as it was to my own. 

Another thing that hit close to home with me was not only her humility and calmness, but also the fact that she was a literature teacher, she learned French because she saw it as an advantage, she had her own radio show where she reviewed books, she became governor general among so many other things. Though the saying goes: ``A Jack of all trades if a master of none.`` Adrienne Clarkson is living and breathing proof that you don’t have to choose and commit to only one single thing in your lifetime. You can take on several roles on your journey, and connect them all in interesting and passion-driven ways.  Despite the fact that she was a natural introvert, she was encouraged to work on her communication skills, and she used that as the connecting point between everything she did. She was a fantastic and eloquent communicator, and she was open to opportunities that arose in her life. 

``I’m an introvert by nature and I’ve learned to have extroverted capacities. You are human; you have the ability to become anything you want when it is necessary to become it. To do so, you must behave as if it is true, and it becomes the truth. In terms of what your personality is, circumstances can bring out different traits in you, embrace them, for that is truly the beauty of being human.``

She sat at our Table too :) 

Lastly, she spoke a lot about the role of her father in her life. She never forgets where she came from, and she was so thankful for each and every one of the lessons he taught her during her upbringing. She was humble enough to thank him for inspiring her to work for herself from day one, and for encouraging her to continue to develop herself. "If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are willing to learn, no one can stop you."

That, in turn, has encouraged me to reflect upon my own life. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by so many fantastic individuals; like my mother , raising my brothers and me by herself, after immigrating to a new country, adapting to a new way of life etc… My brothers and I all turned out well, fantastically even. She raised us with strong values, faith, and a positive mindset at all times. To this day, she never lets us forgets that our potential is limitless, and that she would support us in everything we chose to do in life. I’m thankful for that.

Adrienne Clarkson reminded me of something I think I knew once before, we are surrounded by inspiration. We shouldn't take our mentors for granted.

"When developing yourself always think of your role models. One of my own role models always told me 'you can do anything you want.' She changed my life. I never forgot that message. You have to realize that someone sometime can completely change your life. It is because of my mentors I discovered who I was supposed too be. I was able to change my mind about my aptitude test." - Adrienne Clarkson

Thanks for reading.