Lessons for 2017

2016 is finally ending and what better way to welcome in 2017 than with a post from me!! I hope 2016 was a good year for all of you! If it wasn’t, I hope you will take the lessons learned from the more difficult times and use them to help make 2017 the best year yet for you! That is what I plan to do! Let me explain….

I have spent the last half of this year looking for a job as my previous contract ended at the end of June. I’m not going to lie and tell you that this was an easy time for me but what I hope to do is tell you what I was able to take away from this difficult time. By doing this, I’m hoping some of my lessons can be helpful to you.

Lesson 1: Be honest with yourself and others. For a while I didn’t want to tell people that I was unemployed. I felt like I would be judged and didn’t think I would be able to handle this. I then thought about what I would tell my clients if they were in the same position and realized that the only person judging me was myself. I had to be honest with myself and remind myself that this had nothing to do with me or my skills as a dietitian. (Thank you Ontario government)! I know who I am and what my skills are and thanks to all of you I also know that I have helped many people in my career and love doing it and this has kept me going through looking for new jobs and the rejections that come with it. So to summarize lesson one, know who you are and what you offer both as a person and as a professional/student, so that you can have the self confidence to be that person with everyone rather than worry about their judgments and comments. This leads me to lesson two……..

Lesson 2: Have a genuine support system. This one is more difficult that it sounds as we meet people everywhere and it sometimes takes a lot before we see a person’s true colours! We all have quirks, bad habits and baggage that we bring into relationships and truly caring for someone means accepting them for all of these things and having them accept you for all of yours. It is painful to lose people in your life for whatever reason but with time, the clarity of knowing this was for the best always comes through. If 2016 has taught us anything; it has taught us that life is short and our time is precious and therefore should not be wasted on dwelling on relationships that are not supportive and loving. It is sad and hurtful but will help you feel better about yourself instead of bringing you further down. Life does not have to feel like high school with all of the games people play, be honest and straightforward and expect the same in return! I have amazing friends and family all over the world and make sure they know how much I care about them! I recommend you do the same!

Lesson 3: Believe that everything happens for a reason. It is hard to know why things happen the way they do in life but I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t always know what that reason is. Believing this has helped me get through a lot. Another thing that people say that helps me as well is knowing that G-d only gives people situations that they can handle. We are all survivors of difficult situations and we are stronger for having gone through them. Reminding ourselves of this gives us the strength and courage to get through whatever rough time comes up next.

Lesson 4: Make sure to always be good to yourself. I cannot stress enough the importance of self-care. Learn what relaxes you, makes you happy, makes you laugh and fulfills you. Once you figure these out, schedule time in to make sure you do them daily! This applies to both your professional life and your personal life. Love what you do and do what you love!

I am lucky to now be working part time in a private eating disorder clinic doing what I love to do! Who knows what 2017 will bring but I feel ready for it!!!! Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and support me! I appreciate all of you and wish you everything that you wish yourselves for 2017!!!