I had the most beneficial work placement back in December that I could have ever asked for. I spent three weeks interning at Macdonald Youth Services (MYS). They work hard to give youth a better life and to help prepare them for the "real" world and the harsh realities that come with it.
I enjoyed my time with them so much that I am continuing to volunteer with them. The youth that MYS helps are people that have had their voice taken from them because society has written them off. I want to help MYS give these youth their voice back. Everyone has something to say, it's a matter of getting people to listen.
Through MYS I will be working with their program coordinators to be able to tell the youth's stories. You can find these stories on the MYS website coming in February.
I hope that everyone will Take A Moment to read these stories as they deserve to be heard.
Next week I will be starting my first work placement. I'm excited to be going and gaining all the experiences the job has to offer. This will be my first job experience working in the field of communications. I've been studying creative communications for a year and a half now and I couldn't be more excited to put the skills I've learned to use.
I want to thank all of my instructors who have helped me and pushed me to be better than myself. I appreciate all that you all have done for me.
I know some people who are not willing to get job experience unless it's paid. The problem with that is that without experience you can't get a job. So take the experience where you can. Paid or not. There is always room to learn and expand your skills.
So don't sit back and wait for the "right" job to come to you. Go out and get the experience to better prepare you for the job you want an deserve.
If you had the opportunity to save someone's life, would you?
Approximately every minute of everyday, someone in Canada needs blood. In fact, according to a recent poll, 52% of Canadians say they, or a family member, have needed blood or blood products for surgery or for medical treatment.
Donating blood is, in my opinion, one of the greatest random acts of kindness a person can do. When a person donates blood, they don't know who they are helping or why that person needs their blood. All the donor knows is that they are doing something that is helping to save a life.
Again I ask, if you had the opportunity to save someone's life, would you? Would you take that hour out of your day?
For more information on how you can save a life please visit Canadian Blood Services or call 1-888-2-DONATE to book an appointment.
Life. It has this amazing way of getting in your way when you need to get things done. Life just happens and there's not much we can do about it.
Over the past few weeks it has felt almost impossible to stay in control. Not only was there my school work to worry about, there were the things going on in my everyday life that felt too hard to handle.
I wanted to just give up. Say goodbye to everything and just not deal with it any more.
That would be ok right?
Would any one really care?
Life can get overwhelming most of the time. I think of it as a test. A test that takes us to the limits, but proves that we will not go over the edge. That our limits are limitless. That it's possible for us to do anything that we set our minds to.
This does not mean that we will not struggle. That struggle is a part of life. The life we want to so easily give up on sometimes or ask for a do over. Sadly there are no do overs in life. We make a mistake and it's up to us to fix it and learn from it.
Courtesy of Google
If only real life was as easy as "The Game of Life."
But the truth is, real life is hard and we need to work hard for everything we do. We can't just expect someone to make life easy for us.
So Take A Moment to step back and consider what life is really throwing at you. "Everything happens for a reason" right?
Today I visited Siloam Mission for a group class assignment. My group and I were given a tour of the building and got to see first hand what Siloam Mission has to offer its patrons.
It was amazing to see everything they do to help those in need. I never knew that Siloam Mission gave its patrons clothing and toiletries, or that they have a donated weight room for physical rehabilitation, or that they help their patrons make a resume to help them find a job. i always thought of Siloam Mission as a place for people to sleep and get a healthy meal.
I feel pretty naive having not known this before. But I'm sure I'm not alone.
Siloam Mission is always looking for volunteers and donations. Siloam Mission accepts clothing, bedding, toiletries, shoes, and much more as donations. These donations help to better serve their patrons and Siloam Mission's mission.
So Take A Moment to help out. Volunteer your time, or donate your gently used items to an organization that could put them to good use. Not only will you be doing a good deed, you'll be helping to make someone's life better.
At one point this is what we all thought bullying was. That it would never grow from this. Bullying used to be something parents could handle and help their kids through.
Sadly this isn't the case. Whether you're the one being bullied or the parent who's child is being bullied, you all feel alone, isolated.
When bullying took to social media, it felt like there was no escape. You were constantly trapped by the negativity, harassment, and the photos and videos. There was no way to shut it off.
Courtesy of Google
The disappointing truth is that it took the losing of someone's life before cyberbullying was taken seriously.
After the untimely death of Amanda Todd, the Canadian Government set out to pass Bill 18. Yesterday, October 10, 2013, Bill 18 passed as a law in Manitoba.
It's sad to think about the world we live in today, were a law against bullying needs to be passed. To me it should be common sense that intentionally hurting someone is wrong. Yet, there are so many people who thrive off of the tormenting of others.
I would like all my readers to Take A Moment out of their day, everyday, and be kind to someone. You just might save their life.
Opportunity, I've heard time and time again that it only comes but once in a lifetime.
I've come to learn that this isn't true.
Opportunity comes when you least expect it and when you need it most.
Through the Creative Communications program, I've been given the greatest opportunity I could ever ask for.
I'm being given the opportunity to learn. The opportunity to gain experience. But most importantly, I'm being given the opportunity to grow. I couldn't be more thankful for the strength and courage this program has given me.
Sure I may get frustrated by it and feel as though giving up may be the best thing. But then I stop and think about where I was just a year ago to where I am now. It's something that I'll never take for granted.
So Take A Moment to appreciate ALL the opportunities that life has given you. Believe me, you've been given more than one.
