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Top of the World

Some people might complain about the rain, or the traffic, or whatever it is that most people complain about on a daily basis. But on this Tuesday morning, there is absolutely nothing that could get me down! And let me tell you, I had a long commute this morning in the pouring rain! So what makes me so special? Well nothing really, I am just feeling centered and well-balanced. I had a weekend to relax, I put my phone away, I only checked my emails once a day (weird since on a usual day I check them about every 10-15 mins).  It was the mini-vacation that I needed to recharge my batteries and refocus.  It wasn’t until I took a break that I realized how long it had been, since I really took some time off. I was able to breathe in some crisp mountain air, and get some much-needed mental rest.

As a PhD student in Health Sciences, we are constantly bombarded with messages of living healthy, well-balanced, and taking care of our own mental health. Sometimes I think that there could be nothing further than the truth. The expectations are high, from ourselves and from others. It seems that we are always competing with our peers for funding, for recognition, for publications, for grants, and so much more. We are constantly told that we are to learn to work together, we are to be more multidisciplinary – even trans-disciplinary ideally BUT we must also make sure that we are putting as much effort into jump starting our own careers. It sounds like mixed messages? You bet, because it is.  I am not sure if this is because academia is truly shifting to a more collaborative, grassroots, constructionist paradigm or because it simply sounds more appealing to the outside world.  Either way, this is something that many of us recognize in our daily interactions, lost in the messages we receive and the realities that we face. As the up and coming generation of researchers I see this as our opportunity to finally make the change  that we all recognize.

As one of my Professors said the other day “Dealing with the Institution is like trying to business with a grandparent” – they are out of date, the policies are old, and they are inflexible! One step at a time, one petition a week, and meeting after meeting I hope that I am able to make a small contribution to this evolving community.

This is an exciting time, and I am looking forward to the challenges that I will be facing in the near future as well as the pressing challenges later this morning, this afternoon, and for the rest of the week. To those of you feeling a little off your game – TAKE A BREAK – you need it! I sure did, and I couldn’t be feeling better!

 

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