It’s December 17th 2019 as I write this blog post, this year has been a blur of activities and changes. It’s personally been a really big year for me and I’ve taken on a lot of different things this year. Back in January 2019 I was incredibly lost, directionless and anxiety ridden. I used to imagine that by 22/23 I would have my entire life put together, clearly that isn’t the case, and I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error that it’s totally okay not to have everything perfectly panned.
If you would have asked me in January if I would have made some of these significant changes to my life, my answer would probably be to laugh while vigorously shaking my head. Having a type A personality means that I like my entire existence planned out to the dot. In university I scheduled myself minute by minute, especially when I was stressed. I have a hard time with things not going according to plan but I’ve learned to let that go this year, well I’m “learning” to let it go. Volunteering has been a big part of that. Sometimes you walk in and expect the shift to go one way, then have it go the complete other direction. There have been so many dogs that look intimidating and hard to deal with, but you end up having the best walks with them. Sometimes you have to deal with heartbreak and sadness, but you must use these experiences to push your love and care even further. With that being said it’s incredibly important in any profession, particularly a caring profession to take time to care for yourself, talk to others and know that you’re not alone in what you are feeling.
Recently I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, it came as no surprise to me. Having the actual diagnosis was almost a relief to see that my fear and panic was more then just being “silly.” It’s been a weird few months of trying to deal with anxiety, a terrible sickness that has really limited my abilities in the last few weeks due to asthma, and still getting used to being a dog mom. This last year has had so many moments of pure bliss, but was almost full of moments of frustration, and sadness. This is life, and that will never change. It’s been important for me to take a step back this last month and to work on being the person that I can given that day. Somedays I’m full of pep, energy and optimism, but other days I feel heavier, panicked and restless. It’s about learning to adapt and grow with the change.
Lesson from the Shelter: Life will never be planned out to the T, live in the moment, embrace the discomfort and let yourself learn and grow with every moment.
Lessons From the Shelter 