Just yesterday I attended The Pursuit of Happiness workshop presented by YWiB’s SFU chapter! In small groups, participants were able to learn from three amazing speakers in an intimate setting.
Loretta Cella opened the morning with an inspirational speech. She spoke a lot on happiness and what happiness is. The words that really set the tone for the rest of the workshop was that:
Happiness isn’t something that is gained or lost in a few hours.
The moment those words left her lips, almost every person in the room wrote them down or tweeted them. That must be positive reenforcement for any speaker. From there she spoke of how happiness is based on passion, and that passion is something that sparks inside of a person which they then take into the world. This made me reflect a lot on how I bring my passions into the world and how it may affect those around me. A great tip she gave was that people who flourish in life find three to five positives in every challenge they face.
I then started with Monika Hibbs, blogger and creator of The Doctor’s Closet. I really connected with her story as it reminded me of how I got to SFU and became a Communications student. Monika started out by going to medical school. Had planned to be a doctor all her life, followed all the right steps, and was really unhappy in her path. With the support of loved ones, she began to blog and is now not only a successful fashion blogger but sells some of her own products. From her story I was reminded of how important it is to do what you feel passionate about. The thing that sparks inside of you. You can find her stuff on Etsy. I really suggest it as her stuff is really cute.
Then my small group moved to Loretta Cella who started The Passion Foundation. Because of her unique experiences I was able to learn a lot about working in non-profits and managing a busy lifestyle. It’s really important to be aware of your most important values. Write them down. As for making time for them, if you want something that badly, you’ll make time for it. Unfortunately in my case this generally means a lot of last minute homework. As for my future work in non-profit, it’s important to collaborate and look for partnerships. Open up discussions with others to do what you want to do. And the really key tidbit Loretta gave us was that it is important to take care of yourself, then you’ll be able to get things done.
Finally I was fortunate enough to speak with Gina Chong of Butter Studios. How many possible future photographers get to meet a current photographer who started from scratch like I am? When she talks about her studio and her path, Gina’s entire face and eyes light up. And her way of personal care and reflection is something I can’t wait to try. Once a year, Gina takes a trip to a new country entirely alone. She suggests starting out in Canada to feel comfortable travelling alone, move on to somewhere in the USA, and eventually explore other areas of the world. And I plan on starting once I graduate.
This workshop really reminded me on how much I think YWiB is awesome. They put on a fantastic, intimate workshop and I can’t wait to attend more.
Yay! Glad to hear you enjoyed the event. Gina made me feel that it’s okay to travel alone (something I’ve always wanted to do). Hope to see you at International Women’s Day!
xo patt