I’m excited that today, singer/songwriter Robyn Dell’Unto, is “Speaking From the Heart”, and sharing her experiences with all of us. Not only does Robyn sing and write songs, she also teaches young people to do the same. Founded by Robyn Dell'Unto in September 2011, ‘A Song Of My Own’ is a unique and interactive songwriting workshop designed to support children and youth in their exploration of music and song. Over 200 original songshave been written and recorded during A Song Of My Own workshops since the program’s inception. After hearing about the work that Robyn does, I had to invite her to take part in this series. Thank you, Robyn, for the beautiful work you are doing!

Ever wondered how writing and reflection can inspire you to excel in your life? I'm excited that today, Michelle Ward, is speaking from the heart and sharing her experiences with all of us. I am really inspired by Michelle's vision and passion, so I asked her to be part of this series; she is a mentor to me. I spent the early part of my twenties reflecting on what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Jen Saunders is the creator of Wild Sister Magazine  and the Wild Sisterhood . She’s a tie-dye wearing daydream believer, writer and spirit junkie. Jen's got so much love for women who own their power, smile at themselves and believe that happiness is a choice – so if that's you, give her a wave at any one of her online homes (Facebook, Twitter) so you can connect! I am really inspired by Jen's vision and the Wild Sister Community so I asked her to be part of this series as she is a mentor to me. 

Elizabeth McKenzie is a  twenty-something speech pathologist + life coach (and kinesiologist in training) from Australia. Her home on the interwebs is Your Highest Self  where she helps women rock their life with confidence, passion and purpose, showing them how to make that seemingly impossible dream life a reality. She is also the creator of Bringing Sexy Back Bootcamp, an ecourse to help women get their mojo back, speak their truth and learn the skills necessary to create a life they’ve chosen for themselves.

This quote in my last post  gathered quite a few responses, “Passion is positive anger; it is anger harnessed into constructive action. For example, you feel angry that someone or something you care about has been harmed in some way; therefore, you resolve to do everything in your power to prevent such injustice from happening again. This is an example of anger harnessed to bring about positive change.” Readers and job seekers wanted advice to harness their energy into turning their dreams into reality, valuing themselves, and not losing hope.

I'm really excited that today, Robyn Hussa Farrell is “Speaking From the Heart” and sharing her experiences with all of us. Robyn is the Founder and CEO of Mental Fitness, Inc. (formerly NORMAL), an award-winning arts and education organization that teaches about eating disorders, mental health, and healthy coping through arts and media programs.  When Robyn approached me in early August to tell me about her exciting news, I had to spread the message; I invited her to be part of this series.  I have known Robyn for a couple of years now, and I am a strong supporter of her work.  Even though we live in different countries, we have similar passions. You can read her full bio here or see her "Profile of Perseverance" interview. 

Rachel MacDonald is a Life and Blog Coach, Co-author of Spirited: Soulful Lessons on Clarity, Connection + Coming Home (to You), and creator of In Spaces Between from Australia. Problogger deemed her one of the "Top 15 Bloggers to Watch in 2013" and through one-on-one coaching, online programs and speaking events, Rachel is on a mission to move women into their magnificence by empowering them to dream bigger, slice through fears and limiting beliefs, connect back up to their true selves, and own their greatness. I am really inspired by Rachel's vision and passion, so I asked her to be part of this series.

Anna Runyan, MBA, is a Blogger, Career Coach, Professor, and Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton in San Diego. Anna started her blog, Classycareergirl.com, in March 2010 to document what she was learning during business school and on the job. She quickly found that what she was learning was helping other young professionals as well. After just a few months, Classycareergirl.com was named one of the top 50 up and coming HR blogs for career development. Anna writes her blog as her “passion project” and loves helping others nail interviews and find fulfilling careers. Her growing blog now receives over 200,000 page views/month and her Get Ahead Community has grown to over 30 professional women. I was introduced to Anna after finding out about a blogging teleseminar she hosted. I listened in and realized that we share similar stories so I had to reach out and connect with her.

This story is becoming far too prevalent in my generation not to share. The common reality of new graduates in this struggling economy is that many thousands of these individuals will be without work in their chosen field.  I wish this wasn’t the case.

However, this situation isn’t isolated to only Canada; it is happening in countries across the world.  My generation, “Generation Y,” is now being called, “Generation Jobless.” Even the name makes us feel powerless and at a position of inferiority to others.

Many young adults feel that they are overeducated and unemployed.  This belief comes as a result of applying for jobs after they graduate.  They are not hired because they are inexperienced for the jobs they would like to pursue but overqualified for the jobs they will get.

In my personal life, I have been challenged with staying true to myself on many occasions and levels.  “Staying True to Myself” means that I keep my values, beliefs, idiosynchasies, morals, etc. and do not change them for anyone else.

The world constantly wants to change you.  However, you know what you want and need to be strong enough not to be swayed.

“You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.” – John Mason

I have written about this before for my post “Am I Really Free to Be Me?” where I discuss people’s comments about me.