“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.”-Wayne Dyer

My definition and understanding of well-being is mostly guided by the desire to lead a life of purpose. Being well requires one to mindfully examine themselves in regards to the behaviors that they engage in and how those behaviors align with their values and play a role in the overall journey of their life. It also involves taking time within oneself to reflect on where you have come from, why you are here, and what you are going to do about it. I see every decision I make as creating an additional step in my journey and creating the story of who I am, and therefore see well-being as a significant part of that.

In order to live this life of purpose, there are ways that we must navigate the world and decisions that we make to inform our experiences. For instance, well-being requires an understanding of when we should say “no” to others so that we can practice self-care and complete current responsibilities without over-comitting ourselves to new experiences. With the recent increase in conversations about well-being at Mason, I have been had time to critically reflect on how I define well being and the role that it plays in my life. In particular, I have been making the connections between leadership and well-being so that I can continue to grow both personally and professionally.

I have not always held well-being as a priority, especially in regards to physical health. With everything else going on each day, it is something that I simply thought I could add in if I had the time. I have learned through a variety of experiences that this commitment is not that easy, and that experiences with it are not linear. After training for and completing my first 5K in February 2015, I have realized that maintaining my physical health can have a huge impact on my body, mind, and spirit. I generally had more energy to give to the work I am doing and I felt more confident in myself as I completed my work. I noticed a measurable difference in my day-to-day interactions and my ability to work on a team when my body was taken care of. Due to busy schedules and competing priorities, I have not done a great job at maintaining this motivation. I realize that it is something that I need to include in my priorities in the future and will need to make time for intentionally, instead of simply waiting for it.

As someone who struggles with a psychological disability, navigating my emotions is a very important part of my understanding of self and leadership abilities. Learning how to use well-being practices to inventory my emotions has been an integral part of both my personal and professional growth. With this, I have learned that well-being has a very different meaning for different people. Yoga, meditation, and other traditional “mindfulness” practices are not my go-to for personal wellness. Instead, I write spoken word poetry, go out with friends, try something new, or simply veg out watching Netflix. These are all valid forms of well-being practices that should be honored and appreciated by the individual engaging in the activity.

Much of my understanding of well-being developed during my time in the Mindful Living Living Learning Community (LLC). In this community, I learned how to use mindfulness to develop my understanding of self and how I show up in the world around me. Using tools of reflection and creativity has allowed me to truly reflect on my personal strengths and use them to my advantage. By living in a community in which I was surrounded by individuals working to create more mindful lifestyles for themselves and others, I was able to focus on the ways in which I was caring for myself and use new tools to prioritize my well-being.

I have been able to use the lessons learned from living in the Mindful Living LLC in the work that I am doing for LEAD. During the Fall 2014 semester, I served for a second time on the Leadership Mason Conference Planning Committee. The theme of the conference was “Thriving Together: Well-Being and Leadership.” I worked with several students and faculty/staff members that each represented a different area on campus as we tried to figure out the structure of the conference. One of the primary ideas that I supported was called “Play 45 #FitHappens,” which was a unique opportunity in the middle of the day that had a physical element to it. Some of the activities included:

• Creative Corner (Art)
• Zumba
• School Yard Games
• Yoga

Working on the conference was a fantastic opportunity to take what I have been learning about well-being and teach it to other students and staff members on campus. During the day, I also hosted a session called “Gratitude with Attitude” with my fellow LC, Sreehima Gadamsetty. This session focused on the importance of gratitude in a team setting and how showing thanks to others can be an important part of leadership development for yourself.

Well-being is an integral part of any leadership journey because it allows us to operate through purpose and meaning as we navigate our experiences. Self-care is one of the first steps to caring for a community, and I have learned how to allow time for myself to re-energize and re-focus in support of a mission.