On words and heart work

[This post was originally posted on Togethr.ca]

I’m a words person.

Cards are my favourite part of presents and I love receiving books with inscriptions on the front cover. On bad and good days, I go back to emails, posts or letters; and on really good or really bad days, phone calls are the way to go. Words are timeless and always soothing.

Three years ago, I was preparing for a short internship in Malawi. While friends were taking 3-month graduation trips backpacking across Europe or Asia, my dream trip was 3-months in the warm heart of Africa. The Sunday before I left for Malawi, my church gave me a large package bursting with letters – one for every day that I would be away. And surely, I made a point to read each letter that was written. The letters contained words of encouragement, recipes for Filipino food, photos and even a poem – which was probably the first and last time I would have a poem written for me. These letters kept me grounded and every night was a reminder that someone was rooting for me. Some letters made me laugh, others left me thinking, and all made my heart happy.

In the quest to be better, to grow and to find my heart work, change has always been necessary, with comfort largely thrown out the window. In the journey of moving from “I’ve always wanted to…” to “I am…”, decisions have to be made that will both warm and stop your heart.

My bold steps over the years has taken me to places close by such as Ottawa and Connecticut, and also to places far away such as Singapore and now, Tanzania. However, people and change are not the recipe for romantic success stories. Chasing dreams is never glamorous, but doing work that makes you feel alive is.

Change can be equally a primer for days that are so successful that you’ll be dancing to Carly Rae Jepson at your desk, and days so miserable that you’ll be lying on your bedroom floor questioning why you’re here in the first place. It’s in these times that words strung together to form a simple message will have effects greater than intended.

As June rolls around and turns the cool winds into warm summer breezes, many other transitions will also take place. High school students nervously off to university, university graduates confidently taking on full-time careers, and working professionals bravely tackling a new work environment.

We all know someone who has or will be making a physical and/or professional leap of faith. My challenge to you is to mail / email / text / call / skype one person and let them know that you think they’re awesome. Whether their journey started two years ago or will begin just as the season changes, a Sarah Peck or Amber Rae drawing, or even a simple “I was just thinking about you” scribbled on a postcard, is a guaranteed recipe for a smile (note: please feel free to copy those exact words, for multiple use).

I’m a words person.

I’ve received a handful of packages, letters and gifts while in Tanzania and the days when I received those packages became, if they already weren’t, dance-at-my-desk days. Therefore, for you and for the leaps of faith that you’ve taken, if you email me your mailing address, I’ll be more than happy to send a postcard over from Tanzania.