WHO I am, WHAT this is and WHY it's happening.
The Origin Story...
Who am I?
Clare here, nice to meet you!
I’m passionate about finding different ways to live and different ways to lead.
To give you some context on the lens through which I see the world, here are some categories I fall into: Athlete, Teacher, Christian, Traveller, Neuroscientist, Student, Bisexual, Optimist, Irish-Canadian, Aunt & Coach.
The list goes on, but we’ll get into that another time!
What is “Open Heart - Open Mind - Open Arms”?
The idea originated in 2018 when I was switching career paths into teaching and had to create a digital portfolio. The project was to build a website that showcased our teaching philosophy, demonstrated our professional development and highlighted our educational competencies.
As I worked on the home page, unsure of what to title it, I searched my pictures to find a background photo…and came across this:
Then this…
And this…
The pose was unintentional, and yet it perfectly embodied the environment I planned to intentionally create for my students. Each picture reminded me of experiences overflowing with joy, connection & learning.
It was then that I realized my ultimate mission was to help my students experience those same feelings.
I wanted my students to feel safe, understood, challenged & confident.
I wanted them to be curious, growth-minded & courageous critical thinkers.
I wanted them to become kind, generous & engaged community leaders.
With that vision in mind, I asked myself - HOW do I create that environment? The answer? With an open heart, open mind & open arms.
So, why now?
While I may no longer be a classroom teacher, I still wholeheartedly believe in the value of using this lens as a framework to approach the world.
I don’t know about you, but to me it seemed easier in high school & university (than adulthood) to keep up with current events, get involved with the community and find groups of people who shared common interests. It was all set up for you - try out for this team, join that club, support this charity, attend that event, live in this dorm, etc.
I’ve been in a school environment most of my life and, let me tell you, I took full advantage of the opportunities these educational institutions provided me:
Being a 3-sport athlete, youth group leader & peer mentor
Organizing leadership retreats, social justice fundraisers, mental health advocacy & educational seminars
Attending tons of events across subjects to support friends & the wider community
These groups and resources facilitated a lot of fulfillment for me.
The pandemic and several major life transitions have shifted me out of that convenient comfort and into a completely new environment and rhythm of life. Despite this new season bringing me tons of growth and a different type of fulfillment, I’ve been feeling disconnected from some of the areas where I used to apply the “Open Heart - Open Mind - Open Arms” philosophy.
This weekly newsletter is my way of reconnecting with my values and recommitting to prioritize them, with the hope of helping others do the same.
So - just as I wanted my students to feel safe, understood, challenged & confident.
Just as I wanted them to be curious, growth-minded & courageous critical thinkers.
And just as I wanted them to become kind, generous & engaged community leaders.
I want all of that for myself and all those I interact with - including you.
I hope you will come along for the journey to see, learn and share together!
LIVE different. LEAD different.
Sincerely,
Clare