My last post written about the overview of this blog was originally drafted in February. It's quite remarkable for me to think about how much has happened since then and what the future months (and years) hold.
My work interning with Voices for Rural Resilience is hands-down one of the best decisions I could have made this semester to maintain my mental stability and seek to build my network outside of the classroom. I reflected the other day on why I am not attracted to joining any clubs on campus and instead chose to put my efforts into serving as a board member of the Seward Neighborhood Group. Return on investment in relationships was a big driver. For some reason I feel like network that I can build through the community I live in, versus the one associated with the University, is much more powerful. Maybe it just comes back to this inclination I have towards working with older people. I've noticed that I don't go to hardly any of the social activities organized by the other graduate students, which is partially because I don't want to spend my money on alcohol but also because I feel like my conversations with older people can be more profound. I highly value the life experience and wisdom that comes with age. :)
Since about January I've become obsessed with a podcast that has literally changed my life. I wish I could say that was an overstatement, but it hasn't. I smile when I think about the way my sister has similarly switched into high-gear on all the self-improvement books and resources as I have. The funny thing is that I didn't even feel like I was missing anything until I started listening to them. Or at least I didn't realize that I was seriously underestimating my capacity to have an impact on the world. I've become convinced that the limitations we face in this world all start with our mind. Our mental state controls everything that happens in our life, whether it's approaching things from a growth/abundance or scarcity mindset or having a deeper sense that the universe is taking care of us.
My roommate (aka my adopted older sister) and I had a profound conversation about the power of technology to be used to bring us closer to spirituality. Mindvalley for me, while in no way equated with any kind of religion, has helped me find power in my own thoughts to guide me in the direction I want my life to go.
Every door that opens and closes is a matter of our own choosing. Shit will happen to us and will break our spirit, and good things will not come without serious struggle, and sometimes trauma. But the achievement becomes that much sweeter when we have a powerful narrative of that journey to support it. This train of thought is what motivated me to pursue the design of my own internship through my urban planning program this summer. I knew I would be taking a risk in not just applying for existing positions and accepting what was out there, and that I might not make as much money, but creating my own metrics to evaluate the success of this summer allows for money not to be the biggest determinant in my happiness.
I knew that I wanted to be working on a farm, speaking Spanish, and learning about food systems as it relates to the planning profession. Three weeks after having made the decision, and a handful of emails and one-on-one conversations with people working in this field around the Twin Cities, I'm on my way to developing a project with the Main Street Project, a non-profit that is working to replicate a poultry-centered regenerative agriculture system as part of a bigger plan for a regional food system.
Other things that I prioritized planning for that came from this mindset shift:
- Completing my permaculture certificate this summer
- Committing to a yoga retreat abroad next year with my sister and roommate (and hopefully completing my teaching certification)
- Earning enough money to make my current housing expenses reduce to 30% of my income within a year
I'd like to leave you with one last thought. A you move through the world, just know that you have a much bigger role to play in shaping the possibilities available to you than you realize. Try taking a leap of faith and allowing yourself to be wander to new places. You might be surprised by what you find on the other side of that opportunity.
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