“What would life feel like if you didn’t tell yourself that you were ‘behind,’ based on your own or society’s timelines?” — Yasmine Cheyenne, Advocate for Mental Wellness

Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde once said, “Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” Without dreams, we miss countless opportunities to explore, expand our mental horizons, and discover more of who we are due to our indisposition to venture into the unknown.

For all of us, each day is a peregrination to find harmony at home and within ourselves. Learning and relearning to avail, honour, and love ourselves for our “authentic self” is the foundation for transformation. While one of the utmost joys is helping others achieve what they never thought possible, we will never give others our best selves if we do not manage how we think, feel, and live first.

In an age of hyperbolized connectivity, our fundamental individual responsibility is to show up daily, be present, and strive for usefulness versus busyness. We should strive to participate in intentional acts of slowing down by turning off our phones, reading a book, having dinner with family or loved ones, journaling, discovering the outdoors, exploring nature, and quieting our lifestyles with appreciativeness.

Before we add something new to our plates, it would be wise to take something off our plate. Only when we stretch beyond the “status quo” and what is considered “normal” will we discover all we can become.

Never stop believing, learning, asking the question “why,” and being unique.

—Brian Nadon