Thanks to everyone who has started following this blog recently (and also to those who have stayed on board for longer). I restarted blogging slightly over a year ago, to try to organise some of my own thoughts, and find my own voice again, but it’s also lovely to know that even one person out there may find this journey of mine helpful for their own journey.
My criteria for making a change has always had quite a low bar. I work on extremely ambitious issues in international development and global health (end poverty, inequality and needless suffering; end preventable deaths and unnecessary suffering), but my own criteria for action and advocacy is that if it helps even one person out there, it’s been a worthwhile effort.
Perhaps my philosophy and ethos is that every life and person really counts.
There’s a lot of data out there to prove that helping others is also the greatest gift to oneself. I notice it every time I speak with some of my mentees, or can try to be helpful to someone who reaches out for advice or help.
And most of the time, something that costs me just a few minutes, and making a few connections, may be exactly what someone else needed to unlock a door, or at least to rebuild their confidence to keep trying.
In these times, it feels difficult to find and feel happiness. Many of my friends have been complaining that there’s little to look forward to, and many people in the world face loss, illness, existential crises and mental health issues. Some of these issues affect every one of us, and many people around us. I definitely feel this at times too, although I consider myself extremely lucky, and have in the years learned and keep using many tools that keep me resilient.
I’m writing this post as a reminder that giving back, helping others, and trying to do something good, is so key to one’s own happiness.
But at other times it’s also important to take care not only of others, but also of oneself. Asking yourself:
What am I using my time on? Is it making me feel worse, or better?
Do I feel like I am in control of my life, or caged in (sometimes a golden cage!), or passively pushed or floating along?
Am I surrounding myself and in contact with people I love and appreciate, and who care for me and inspire me?
Am I ensuring that I have a healthy body, and healthy mind?
I recently read an article about an immensely popular course by a psychologist working at Yale, who started sharing online lectures on Youtube, targeting her students and young people with evidence-based advice for how to keep balanced and healthy during Covid19. I listened to one of these lectures to try to think of ways to support my own children (youth being the hardest hit cohort especially with mental health issues during Covid19), but realised that many of these lessons apply to all of us.
One of the lessons in the lecture is to take time to reflect. It may be painful at times. But it’s necessary to ensure you stay healthy.
These were my reflections today. Thanks for following this journey, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, feedback, or would simply like to share your thoughts. It’s a way to give back, and central to happiness.
Katri Bertram 