Alyse Dietz (MA with ABA Concentration) shares what her experience at MSP has meant.
There are often times in life when we as humans feel compelled to keep going, pushing, working, achieving, and most importantly, to make sure that we are doing all of those things at the same time, going 100 miles per hour. We have been conditioned to believe that we can never do enough, achieve enough, work hard enough or be resilient enough. And even if no one has explicitly said those things to us, we all have ways to access platforms that will, in one way or another, convey that message to us. Now, I am not trying to say that having goals, working hard, and being resilient are not traits that we should want to embody. However, I am trying to say that we cannot carry the weight of all of those things at once.
Before beginning my journey at MSP, I was that person. Trying to do and balance all things perfectly for fear of failure. This was, of course, until all of the trials and tribulations and things I held onto in my life began to get so heavy that I simply could no longer hold onto them. Feeling as though I had hit rock bottom, I enrolled at MSP to try and rediscover something that I had been so passionate about; the study of Psychology. And while I have most definitely rediscovered that, I have also discovered things that have changed my outlook on life.
The community at MSP has taught me that I can be an achiever, a hard worker, and resilient by completing one simple task; slowing down. Sometimes it amazes me how the simplest answer can be the most challenging yet eye-opening thing to discover. I realized that in the game of catch and release in life, it is most important to hold onto the moments of simple joys because often, these things are lighter to hold onto anyways. I have reignited my creativity because I was provided an outlet that is appreciative of something other than those simply moving at 100 miles per hour. So, in the face of a society that has tried to convince me of many things, being a part of the MSP community means the opportunity for me to feel as though I am enough.
