Hello, I am back for a monologue to talk to myself or about myself? :)  

The past few months have been rather interesting, learning at a deeper level about a different way to relate to life experiences. 

The biggest lesson for me is the realisation that in the past I used to spend lots of time meditating in silence and in solace, yet, an equally important (if not more important practice in life) is to carry the meditating mind with ourselves in daily life.  

I often share with us that the greatest meditation is when we embrace every moment of life, and start meditating with life.  In this sense, the chaos of life, or the uncertainty of life is no longer so overwhelming.  Instead, the navigation is undertaken with the guidance of a balanced mind and heart. 

Yet, like all things in life, it is easier said than done.  

This is how we truly change - not just according to ancient wisdom traditions, but also in line with contemporary psychology and brain science. 

When we are committed to understanding the triggers as a gateway of greater self-understanding, we can have the courage to change our perceptions of the external events, situations and people.  

Because as explained in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), our emotions and behaviours are mostly affected by their perceptions of events, not the events themselves.  It is not a situation in and of itself that determines what people feel but rather the way in which they interpret situations rather than by the situations per se. 

For that reason, to challenge our perception takes time and courage.  Both on the mat and off mat, both during meditation and outside mediation, both eyes closed and eyes wide open. 

To meditate or not to meditate is not so much the question.  It is about being aware, being present with all things - the seeming negative, the positive, the good and the bad. That is the true beauty of life. 

"Despite knowing the journey and where it leads, I embrace it. And I welcome every moment of it."- from the movie Arrival

- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/

- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1755738012471029

In this Legal Mind Unwired for March 2021, I wanted to speak to a lawyer who (like myself) was of an international student background.  I am always curious about the journey of other international law students - whether they faced similar struggles at law school and whether they felt challenged when trying to carve out a legal career in Australia.   

So my talented friend Catherine Tan popped in my mind and I am so pleased that she was able to join me today - to share her story. 

Formally an international student from Brunei, Catherine holds a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University and currently practises in commercial litigation and dispute resolution at Macpherson Kelley.  

But being a lawyer was not her top career choice.  In fact, she wanted to be a singer. 

However, she took the wise advice from her father that maybe it is prudent to have a degree and she can pursue her singing career afterwards. So in a moment of intuitive insight, Catherine decided to study law (even though her parents really wanted her to be an accountant).  

Although Australia was not her first preferred country of study, she was offered a partial scholarship to study law in the Monash University.  In a way, it seems that Catherine was called to Australia, and she was guided by an invisible hand of life to become a lawyer. 

Although not overly confident during law school compared to her local peers, Catherine was determined and hardworking as a student.  It is this sense of strong purpose and work ethics that enables her to create a unique legal career for herself - an Australian lawyer with Chinese speaking skill.  In this way, Catherine is able to combine her legal knowledge with her unique personal skill and talent. 

For Catherine, she draws a lot of inspiration and comfort from that brave younger self - who came alone to study in Australia with no family and friends, and who has built a thriving career on her own since then.  On this basis, Catherine has found a creative way of dealing with her own life concerns and build mental resilience.  

Whenever she is stressed or worried about something in the present life, she often imagines having a tri-parties meeting with the self who is 10 years younger, the self who is 10 years older and her present self.  The other two selves are almost like mentors to the present self, cheering her on (what a fun way to self-sooth!) 

"To live life fully and experience it passionately" - this is the key take-away message from Catherine.  By engaging life in such a deep and meaningful way, one can fully express the true talented self.  

Oh, yes, Catherine still sings and performs.  Please pay attention while you walk around the Melbourne CBD, you may catch Catherine singing and busking in the city one day! 

To find out more about Catherine: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinecytan/

As we continue to focus on the well-being of international students, this week I spoke to Catherine Simmonds and Feifei Liao, the two master-minds behind the Australia's leading international students community theatre organisation - Story IS Connection (SIC).  

At the core of SIC is the vision of creating diversity in action through the language of theatre.   Catherine, one of Australia’s leading community cultural development theatre makers, has an amazing ability of translating the ‘lived experiences’ of communities through the language of art.  As the Artistic Director of SIC, Catherine applies her unique creative process ‘Act in Action’ to interact arts with international students' personal experiences.  As such, SIC mobilises international students to connect to their own stories, to each other and to the wider community. 

Over the past 3 years, SIC has produced multiple performances showing distinctive aspects of international students’ lived experiences, including mental health, LGBTIQ+, cultural diversity, employment, and accommodation. These narratives help to bridge the understanding gap between what international students need and what service providers offer, and promote inspire new understandings beyond prejudice, stimulating a richer cultural texture. 

As you will learn from our conversation,  Story IS Connection has gone through a few rounds of transformation in the past few years, which initially started as the Act of Translation Project funded by the City of Melbourne to provide a creative space for students to connect.  The creation of such a project brought many international students together, but more importantly it provided a valuable and rare opportunity for students to explore their inner truth and a more authentic identity.   

As a former international student myself, I wish I had the opportunity to be part of such a creative project back then!   I still remember how touched I felt when I went to watch the first live performance by a group of international students, whose personal stories were weaved seamlessly into one beautiful and moving story about love, joy, success, failure and ultimately, about the diversity of human spirit. Watching that performance felt like embarking on a healing journey for me, I left feeling being transformed and uplifted.   

In addition, SIC empowers and inspire international students to find their sense of self in a foreign country.  The story of Feifei is the perfect example of this.  From an active and passionate participant of the Act of Translation Project, to becoming the co-founder and the Managing Director of SIC, Feifei's passion, dedication and curiosity allowed her to create various initiatives focusing on innovation in mental health, community capacity with a positive social impact.  Did I mention, Feifei is the first intern of Peace Lab?  Yes, we were very lucky to have such a talent on our team!  So I hope you will enjoy this engaging conversation about the amazing creative work these ladies are doing.  

Please make sure you check out the following links to find out more about the projects and them.   

- http://storyisconnection.com/about/ 

- https://www.facebook.com/storyisconnection/ 

To find out more about Catherine Simmonds  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinesimmonds-4487193a/ 

To find out more about Feifei Liao:  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/feifei-liao-59488595/