Luminate Wellness: Jenn Cusick

Life is so busy. As I’ve gotten older, I realize what an honour it is when someone gives the gift of their time and full presence. It’s probably the greatest gift one can ever give. It’s both extremely valuable, and free. Feeling gratitude for the amazing people in my life who take the time to engage with me in thoughtful, invigorating conversation. Connection that feels electric, where the awareness of time gets lost in the present moment. ... What do you want for the holidays? What are you giving to others?

One of my current work projects is supporting a branch of CMHA to distill their core values & create a strategic plan. It’s been an honour to work with this wonderful team. The topic of core values us something I’ve been passionate about for a long time, both for individuals and for businesses and organizations. Clarity on what we value can keep us from losing ourselves in this confusing world. ... We can lean on our core values to guide our choices in this life. I quit my job in 2014, to pursue my dream of being a mental health trainer, educator, and consultant. It’s honestly been the hardest (yet most fulfilling) thing I’ve ever done. I wanted to quit a zillion times, but I’m just a bit too tenacious to actually give up. A few times I got distracted by shiny things. I got stuck in a some club-de-sacs for a couple years . There were times we didn’t know if the bills would get paid & honestly I really questioned if I was doing the right thing. I struggled with finding my special sauce that I could bring to this world, because I wasn’t sure if what I was offering was enough. I see now that all of this was all apart of my journey I’m grateful that through it all I had a clear sense of my personal core values & the values I had for the business I was building. Though I did get distracted and struggled to trust myself sometimes, they did ultimately guide me. They brought me to this place I’m at now. Now, I get so many requests for service that I might have to start thinking about hiring support. I really encourage you to consider your own personal core values. If you’re a leader of an agency, do you have clear, meaningful core values that everyone knows? (Check out Susan David’s work. She’s is an expert on emotions and core values.) If you want support with this, feel free to reach out to me.

This quote came up from a colleague in a meeting today, and I love it! We tend to see ourselves as complex, but we can put other people into binary categories of good and badwicked or noble. But the truth is that every single one of us is a mixture of both. We ALL have a shadow side. ... Life is too complex to relegate people to one side or the other. That’s not to say that we don’t hold ourselves and others accountable for our actions, especially when people are hurt, abused or oppressed. People must be held accountable. We just need to see people as complex, rather than one dimensional. Our world just needs a heck of a lot more compassion, self-compassion, acceptance, tolerance, and grace-along with more justice, and firm actionable accountability. So the next time the thought so and so is a good person, or so in so is a bad person enters your head, I encourage you to challenge your thought. Instead call out the character trait or behaviour that you either appreciate, or have a problem with. Then try to understand what life experience brought them to this place, and might be motivating their behaviour. Don’t put anyone on pedestals, because no one can maintain that kind of ridiculous pressure. Everyone will screw up at some point. And recognize that very few people in the world would classify themselves as the villain of the story, though their behaviour might make us think otherwise. Challenge the use of the word good and bad with yourself too. And for those of us who are parents, let’s replace using the words good and bad with more meaningful, complex words. Our kids deserve better than this. What are your thought on this?

Embedded in each of us is an innate desire to flourish. But so often we find ourselves living in conditions that zap our self-determination and keep us stuck and stagnant. Science tells us that intrinsic motivation is the stickiest kind of motivation. When we feel lit up, and purposeful about something something simply because we love it, we are more apt to stick with it. Motivation that is based on extrinsic rewards never sticks or creates lasting change. This is a topic I... share about a lot. It's been a huge part of my work in mental health. When I work with mental health and substance use practitioners, I teach about how we can create an ecology that supports self-determination for the people we serve. On Wednesday I'm going to be delivering a free workshop for business owners and entrepreneurs through @cfsouthfraser. We will be taking the topic of self-determination and motivation, and applying it to the workplace. (This theory is honestly applicable with pretty much any demographic!) Here is the link to register: https://chilliwackeconomicresourcenetwork.com//self-dete/ If you are a team leader/manager and you want to create a strong motivating culture in your workplacethis workshop is perfect for you! If you don't have a team yet, that's ok. It will still be applicable in some way. You will get to learn more about self-determination and how it impacts on your own life and business. And you can tuck some ideas away for when your business grows and you do get to build your own team! *This illustration is by @drawing_change and was created for the BC Peer Support Training Curriculum. (Click link in my bio to learn more about that training.)

Every time I start a new writing project (big or small), it feels chaotic and uncomfortable. Sometimes I find that discomfort fun, but most of the time I really dislike it. But it’s a necessary part of the creative process. I have been reflecting on creativity, uncertainty, and emotions a lot over these past few years. ... Though life is always uncertain, this 18 months has made this uncertainty even scarier. Most of us have lots of big emotions about it. I really believe that learning to increase our tolerance for uncertainty, and becoming emotionally agile is the key to well-being AND creativity. I’m excited to be delivering a free workshop on Friday for Workforce Connectiona project of @cfsouthfraser There’s a link in my bio to register. Also, the second slide is from an article (linked in bio) about creativity. Beau Lotto’s work (from Lab of Misfits) on perception, uncertainty, and creativity is . I’ve learned so much. Check out the Lab of Misfits page, and read his book Deviate.

This illustration is by @drawing_change for the trauma-informed care module in the BC Peer Support training I had the honour of writing. This comes from SAMHSA’s guidelines for trauma-informed care guidelines. It is essential that all agencies, school, and businesses serve people (staff) with a trauma-informed approach. ... 1 in 5 people are personally affected by trauma-that means in any given workplace, or classroom many people are dealing with trauma. Being trauma-informed doesn’t mean that we counsel people through their trauma-(that’s for trauma therapists to do). It DOES mean that we understand the pervasiveness of trauma and the affect it has on the nervous system. Safety, transparency, and choice are some principles of trauma-informed care. We must intentionally choose actions that prevent retraumatizationn. When someone is retraumatized, the body often feels just like it did when the traumatic experience first occurred. Since it’s mental health week/month, it’s important that we all learn some of these principles so that we can create safe spaces to work and learn. There’s so much more to say about this topic. It’s something I often write about, and I work with organizations to share this information with their staff. If you want me to share more about trauma-informed care here-let me know!

Join me for a free two-session workshop provided to you by the Chilliwack Economic Resource Network & @cfsouthfraser Uncertainty is always present, but it’s been so EXTRA over the past 18 months. In this workshop we will talk about the discomfort of uncertainty, and the impact it has on our well-being. We will talk about emotional agility and creating more tolerance for uncertainty. ... Because the thing is that creativity and innovation cannot exist without uncertainty. https://chilliwackeconomicresourcenetwork.com//uncertaint/

nyone else feel more weary than usual? I’ve certainly had ebbs and flows of energy and drive over this last 18 months, but right now I’m feeling the need to cocoon a little. I’m all about knitting, comfort food, and watching comedies. I think a positive side effect of Covid is that it’s made us more aware of our need for rest. And because we are all in this together, we are more apt to be supportive of each other. Living through a pandemic is no small feat. ... Before covid happened we all still had really hard moments, and long after it’s over, we will all still face our own battles and demons. It’s my hope that I will remember that I need rest, and that though I might feel alone at times-I’m not alone. Same goes for you rest when you need it, and even before you need it don’t expect perfection from yourself-it’s ok to mess up, or underperform if you need to spend days being frivolous with your time, do it let your home be messy for a spell-it’s ok remember that you’re not alone-others have walked a similar path it’s ok to ask for help no one person, no matter who you are, can change the world singlehandedly. Though it’s necessary that we all fight for change, it’s also important to rest and rejuvenate. When we let some things go with the intention of rest, it can be incredibly nourishing. When we let them go because we are lost in the muck of despair-it’s not good, and could mean that our mental health is suffering It’s important that we get real with ourselves and our emotions, so that we can tell the difference between the need for rest, and sinking into a dark place. How can you tell the difference between the two (letting things go out of the need for rest, or because of despair)? Are you able to articulate your emotions? Do you feel big feelings, or numbness? Do you not do things out of intention/choice, avoidance, or apathy? Do you practice self-compassion? (In other words, are you tender and kind to yourself when you are struggling?) Are you still able to hold onto hope-a belief in possibility? How are you feeling at this stage of the pandemic? What can you do to support yourself?

I’m excited to be offering a few workshops for Community Futures South Fraser & Self Employment Program! The first one is August 19 & 26th on the topic of Preventing from Burnout: Prioritizing Wellness. My self-employment journey began with support from Community Futures! It’s amazing to come full circle. My workshop is apart of the Chilliwack Economic Resource Network. Workforce Connection: The Power of People, a collaborative new workshop series that will run from July t...o November is now open for registration. The goal is to develop and facilitate strategies to assist and support local Chilliwack businesses in their economic recovery, building economic confidence, and bringing the Chilliwack community together to create and support a local movement. There are many great offerings! Check it out! All of them are free. https://chilliwackeconomicresourcenetwork.com/ #chilliwackeconimicresource #supportlocalbc #supportlocalchilliwack #chilliwacktogether #chilliwacklife #downtownchilliwack #shopsmallchilliwack #bettertogetherbc #economicfunding #economicrecovery #chilliwacksmallbusiness #chilliwackbusiness #chilliwackbuzz #businesssupport #onlinelearning #workshopexperts #workforceconnection

The training I wrote launched today! https://peerconnectbc.ca (Here are the 16 modules) https://peerconnectbc.ca/courses/test-course-2/... I got to be apart of the official launch party. I got to talk about the importance of having and knowing core values & they fuel our WHY (and glorious purpose), and can be an antidote against mindlessness, bias, and the status quo. This has been an extraordinary opportunity, and I’m so grateful for the people I’ve gotten to work with along the way. It’s been life-changing. This illustration of the Core Values was done by Sam Bradd from Drawing Change and I think it’s spectacular!!! I also launched a new website yesterday. Check it out! www.luminatewellness.online

May we foster this emotional safety in our families. Posted @withregram @holisticallygrace Before we can experience connection, we need to feel safe. Saf...ety in relationships are not a given. It builds through time, interactions, trial and error, taking risks and learning when we hurt/hurt others. A first for emotional safety: not rushing. You don’t have to share your most vulnerable moments to create connection. Start small, dip your toes, give yourself time to enjoy the build up. How do you know when you are emotionally safe? HT Holisticallygrace #untigering #PeacefulParenting #GentleParenting #RespectfulParenting #ConsciousParenting #DecolonizingParenting #AsianParenting #AsianAmerican #AsianMentalHealth

I like to use the word wholeness in my work. Raise your hand it you ever struggle with perfection! I certainly have, and I’ve seen many people I’ve worked with also struggle with it. ... But perfection is not attainable. We will just keep ourselves wound tight if we expect perfection. What if we choose a paradigm shift, and accept the fact that imperfection comes with the territory of being human? No one is perfect. You are not alone. What if we let go of unconscious contracts that hold us up to an unattainable standard? And they keep us closed to seeing new perspective, and defensive if someone calls us out? What if we realize that we will mess up, and we offer ourselves kindness and self-compassion when we do? What if we keep ourselves accountable and open to learning when we mess up, and remind ourselves that no one is ever perfect? The irony is that accepting our brokenness actually makes us more whole.

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be complicated. At any given time look around and notice new things (sights, sounds, smells).