Arianna Merritt, MEd | Health Educator & Digital Creator

Singer/Songwriter Ilana Harkavy's Self-Discovery Lessons on Being Comfortable in Your Skin

Today, singer-songwriter Ilana Harkavy is sharing her story, passions, and life lessons with all of us. I’m so grateful Ilana reached out to me by following me on Twitter so I could be introduced to her awesome music and the Just.Girl. project – a fiery musical movement that empowers girls to embrace their passions, be blatantly honest, and take ownership of their individual struggles. After checking out her work, I had to invite her to be a guest speaker at The Self-Discovery Retreat to encourage us all to rise to our platforms & shine!

InterviewsArianna MerrittFebruary 10, 2016insight, persistence, singer, songwriter, talentComment

Psychiatrist Vania Manipod's Self-Discovery Lessons on the Value of Sharing Your Story

Blogging nurtures self-growth; new Southern California psychiatrist Vania Manipod, DO, showcases this. I learned about her blog, Freud & Fashion, a couple months ago through the WordPress blogging community. Vania created her blog while studying for psychiatry, as a therapeutic outlet in her personal and professional development. Her story is a shining example of how blogging can create positive change in a young person’s life. Today, you’ll hear from Vania herself how blogging nurtured her personal and professional growth as a new young mental health practitioner.

Body Image, InterviewsArianna MerrittFebruary 3, 2016blog, community, millennials, new grad, WordPress Comments

Kayley Reed of Wear Your Label's Self-Discovery Lessons on Dealing with Mental Health Stigma

As an entrepreneur and a mental health professional, I know how hard it can be for people to start seeking help because they don’t want to be labeled. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, “60% of people with a mental health problem or illness won’t seek help for fear of being labeled.”

So when one of my blogging friends, Amelia, posted an article on Facebook about two passionate Canadian entrepreneurs, Kyle MacNevin (22) and Kayley Reed (21), who are creating a conversation on mental health through fashion, I was curious to hear their stories and learn more about their company, Wear Your Label.

InterviewsArianna MerrittJanuary 27, 2016entrepreneur, fashion, Mental Health, Role modelComment

Ali Berman of TeenFest 's Self-Discovery Lessons on the Importance of Empowering Youth

Often, we are so consumed with our own lives and want people to help us, we forget to give back. But this perspective can prevent us from looking outward to see how others need help. Through helping others, I have learned, you help yourself.

If you have been a following The Self-Discovery Retreat, you know that one of my missions is to give you all the support you need to shine on your personal platform, whatever that may be! Today, I want to shine light on and give back to a reader, Ali Berman (Co-Founder of TeenFest Canada), who gives tirelessly to her local community (Victoria, BC).

InterviewsArianna MerrittJanuary 22, 2016teenfest Comment

Ian Warner's Self-Discovery Lessons on Making the Transition from Athlete to Entrepreneur

I’m so excited that today, athlete and entrepreneur Ian Warner is empowering us all to #fuelpersistence through sharing his story, passions, and life lessons. Ian reached out to me through Twitter and after connecting with him through email, I had to invite him to share his story on The Self-Disovery Retreat. I love his passion for life and how he created a company with his brother, also a fellow athlete.

Ian Warner grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where he attended the athletic powerhouse, Birchmount Park Collegiate. There he won provincials 8 times and earned himself an athletic scholarship to Iowa State. At Iowa State, he excelled as an entrepreneur by raising $150,000 from an angel investor. The same year as that investment, he became an NCAA All-American and made the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team.

InterviewsArianna MerrittJanuary 15, 2016athletics, Dreams, entrepreneur, Olympics, Sport Comments

Olympian Chandra Crawford's Self-Discovery Lessons on the Power of Inspirational Role Models

Happy New Year! For many of us, January marks the beginning of new goals that we set for ourselves. The start of the new calendar year also marks the countdown for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games happening this summer. Therefore, I thought I would set the year off on the right track for all of us by showcasing a mentor of mine, Chandra Crawford, who has excelled in achieving her goals as a Gold-Medal Canadian Olympian and Founder of the organization, “Fast and Female.” I’m excited that today Chandra is sharing her insights to help us all #fuelpersistence in our personal and professional goals. Chandra is a positive role model, who I am honoured to feature on Arianna’s Random Thoughts. With this interview, my hope is that Chandra will empower us all with some practical strategies for achieving our dreams.

InterviewsArianna MerrittJanuary 8, 2016chandra crawford, goal setting, Olympics, Psychology, Sport Comments

#FuelPersistence

“What are your plans for life after graduation?”

As a student about to leave the school walls and enter the professional world, your obvious answer would be: “Get a job in the field that I studied.”

Life doesn’t go as planned.

During your studies, I bet you never envisioned for yourself that you’d have to move back in with your parents, be struggling financially and/or in serious debt, and couldn’t find a job that requires a degree. After spending countless hours of classwork, extracurricular activities, and paid work, not to mention the yearly tuition to earn your degree, you’ve no guarantee of a job. Sadly, for many graduates today, their dreams for life after higher education turn into this reality.

Celebrate The Tries

November is always a time of reflection for me about the year past, as well as a time of celebration for the gift of life. As you may already know, I was born in November.

This past year, with all its ups and downs, can be summarized in one sentence: I tried my best every day to reach my full potential.

The beauty of life for me is found in the simple moments of our daily lives. So that’s what I’m celebrating this year: the tries.

Body Image, MostPopularArianna MerrittNovember 13, 2015Birthday, celebrate, November Comments

Lydia Criss Mays Shares How Seeing Beautiful Can Restore Confidence From Doubt

Do you ever shy away from sharing anything about yourself with larger audiences?

When starting my journey creating my online platform and sharing my “random thoughts” with a global audience, looking for inspiration I reached out to a well-known educator, author, and entrepreneur to be part of the The Self-Discovery Retreat interview series; she appeared to be really confident as a speaker. However, she wrote back declining, saying: “This probably sounds crazy, but I typically shy away from sharing anything about myself to larger audiences. I purposefully write from a third-person perspective to reflect the voice of humanity.”

InterviewsArianna MerrittNovember 5, 2015 Comments

Rock Your Randomness

What does the word “random” mean to you?

For the past five years, I have been associated with the word “random” due to my blog. Choosing the word by chance years ago to be the core of my blog’s name has truly impacted my journey! Being “random” is really meaningful to me, as this word truly encompasses my journey after graduation.

BloggingArianna MerrittOctober 27, 2015blogging, randomComment

Being Smart, Powerful, & Feminine!

How do we as women stop hiding and embrace our strong, powerful, & feminine selves?

Over great conversations in late August with friends and family, I realized that in some areas I have been “hiding” myself.

One such conversation was with my youngest sister who brought it to my attention that I tend to hide my body under baggy shirts. Due to my athletic background, I have accumulated a lot of hoodies. They are great to wear at a sporting event or on a cold night to relax. However, they are meant to be baggy; when you put on one, they cover up your shape. As a result, wearing one hides your body.

Body Image, Editor's Pick, MostPopular, Most requestedArianna MerrittOctober 23, 2015 Comments

Introducing The Self-Discovery Retreat

I’m in the process of creating this new space with YOU as the focus. The site will still have a beach feel, as well as all the previous articles I have written will be there. The Self-Discovery Retreat will be a collaborative space filled with resources and a supportive community (mentors and peers) to help you rise to your platform and shine – to be a leader! The space will feature my counselling & coaching business, and the central focus will be to help you move forward and achieve your dreams.

Let’s sea where the journey leads. See you at the beach!

BloggingArianna MerrittMay 27, 2015 Comment

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