Dreaming your possibilities
“It was an awesome workshop with a great awakening about myself. I learned a lot.” — Tanya Norman (workshop participant)
Barb Goode, Aaron Johannes, and Shelley Nessman know how to dream. All three know the value of having a vision for the future and a plan about how to get there. “That’s why we came up with ‘Climb Every Mountain – Dreaming your Possibilities’,” says Barb. “We wanted to create a workshop that gives people some time to think about what their gifts and talents are and how they might use them to help other people.”
In October, a National Family Conference was held in Whistler, BC. The conference had over 550 participants and was co-sponsored by the British Columbia Association for Community Living, Canadian Association for Community Living and Family Focus.
Barb and Shelley thought this would be a great place to begin to talk with self-advocates, service providers and family members about what they do well, what they love to do and how to turn those gifts into something that can help the world be a better place.
“We want people to know that they are here for a reason and that doing something you love or are very good at is a perfect way to become a contributor in your community,” says Shelley.
Barb, Aaron and Shelley are passionate about inspiring people to stop focussing on the things they can’t do and to pay attention to the things they love to do.
The workshop was an interactive time with people talking in groups about what they love to do, what they are good at and how they might change the way they do things so they can help others.
Barb and Shelley also created a “wall of abilities” that was covered with words that people could use to describe themselves. Words and phrases like honest, enthusiastic, loves food, funny, makes people feel calm, were chosen by participants who then shared with their table mates the reasons they chose them.
Aaron listened to everyone and turned people’s words into a giant mural at the front of the room. At the end of the session, participants were given the challenge of going out that evening and asking at least two people what they thought their gift or passion was.
The next morning, people gathered again and talked about their experiences of asking their friends and co-workers about their gifts. They recorded their responses on a sheet of paper that asked them to finish the sentences: A mountain I have climbed is…; Something I want to do is….
Everyone’s responses were placed on the mural and the result was a colourful representation of people’s hopes, dreams and plans for the future.
Barb, Shelley and Aaron were inspired by people’s honesty and their willingness to talk about their dreams. “What an amazing experience,” said Aaron.
All three hope to make this presentation to other groups around the province. If you’re interested in creating a workshop like this in your community, please contact Shelley at Shelley.Nessman@gov.bc.ca.
