It’s been a long while since I last wrote a blog post. From losing a family member to co-teaching sections of an awesome course on career development foundations and navigating a global pandemic, life has been a bit of a roller coaster.  

At the end of 2020 I celebrated turning 40, and as any milestone life event affords, I had the opportunity to do a lot of reflection and connect with people from the many different chapters of my story. My life experiences, and in particular the narrative of my 30s now become the bridge that connects the voice of my history, experiences, expertise, passions and heart to the future chapters that lie ahead.

One thing that has been consistent at every stage of my life is my love of writing. Author Meg Rosoff once commented “your writing voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are. In your voice, your readers should be able to hear the contents of your mind, your heart, your soul.” Being a strong writer is a gift I have always been grateful for, and one I know also comes with great responsibility (and for comic book fans, yes, I did think about what Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker when I wrote that).

Helping others explore their stories, develop their confidence, find their voice, be empowered and go out into their communities to make the world a better place is one of the great privileges of my life and comes as naturally to me as breathing. To use my writing to continue the same is one of the new chapters that starts now.

And so, today I leave you with the question: Throughout all the challenges 2020 presented, what are you personally the proudest of?