“When the world quiets to the sound of your own breathing, we all want the same things: comfort, love, and a peaceful heart.” – Mitch Albom

About four years ago, I found myself feeling particularly overwhelmed with the stresses of school, extracurricular activities, and everything that comes with a final year of university (or at least that was my plan at the time). While I allowed the pressure of assignments, meetings, and deadlines to determine my priorities, I slowly began to realize that I had stopped appreciating the many things that made my life truly wonderful. This led me to write the word “perspective” on the board above my desk as a reminder to step back and look at the big picture each time I was feeling overwhelmed.

This word has since come to mean many different things to me. I have written it on post-it notes, office white boards, and pages in my day-planner. It has helped me to look at the world outside of myself and appreciate that I am part of a much bigger picture. It has also served as a constant reminder to stay grounded and focus on the things that are meaningful to me. Finally, it has reminded me that the world is full of people with unique stories that I have the opportunity to listen to and learn from as I create my own.

Since that realization four years ago, I have been learning to value experiences that make me feel small. I have been learning to listen to the stories of others with humility. I have been learning how to look at the world from a variety of different perspectives.

There is something about writing that seems to help me put things in perspective. These posts are my attempts to learn by narrating my experiences, giving value to my thoughts, and sharing my story.

Thank you for reading.