Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Morris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jennifer , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

So, math is my least favorite subject. In fact, for full transparency I’m just not so great at it. In my early academia I was nearing one of my college graduations and the very last class I needed to take was this advanced math course. I’ve always done very well in other courses but since I’m fully aware of my challenges with math I decided to take that class as a sole class because I was positive that I would need extra help. At the time I had a small child, a full-time job, and my plate was just fuller than I would’ve liked it to be. Even with the additional help I just couldn’t grasp it with confidence. I was barely passing with a very low C teetering near a D. Since the final exam is 30% of letter grade I had convinced myself that I wasn’t going to show up for the final exam and I would just have to retake the course at a later time. Doing this would have shifted all the plans I had for myself including my graduation date, and the start dates into my new program of interest. My professor who just happened to be walking by overheard myself and another classmate discussing that we were not going to bother coming to the final exam and it would just be a waste of time. As I was leaving class my professor said I heard you say you aren’t coming to the exam. I said yes that’s true. I’m just going to retake the course in the fall thank you for all you’ve done but I am just not going to come. She ignored everything I said and we talked for another minute or so and as I was leaving she said “great so i’ll see you on Tuesday”. I truly had no intentions showing up, and if something simple as not finding parking that day would have sent me back home. I ended up showing up that day after-all. The exam was as difficult as I thought it would be and I was feeling very insecure about how well I had done. Fast forward to a few weeks later the grades were posted and I ended up getting a passing grade. I was ecstatic! Words couldn’t describe how I felt at that moment. I saw her again a few weeks later at graduation. I shook her hand as I was crossing the stage and she simply smiled & winked at me. Until this day I have no clue what grade I actually got on that final exam. I’ll never know if she helped me out, or if I actually was better at math than I thought. That was one of the most gratifying moments of my life. This by far is something that I will always be forever grateful of. If I hadn’t taken it I know that my life would have been different. The single most kindest thing someone has ever done for me in my life was believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Now, I could’ve easily underestimated myself. I will never know but that moment fueled me and gave me the motivation to go on and do great things.

Jennifer , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am in the mental health industry and there’s no doubt that I belong in this field. I had a professor once tell me that everyone in this particular field was hand picked and sent from a special place. I thought what he said was humorous at the time but now I believe it to be true. I have always been a pretty good problem solver. I am a person who believes that we are never out of options. We might just need to adjust our perspectives but the options are endless. I love helping people solve their problems or even just to help them identify if there is a problem that actually exists. I approach every problem with the solution in mind. I like to teach or help people do the same. So like Albert Einstein said, “ It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”. I believe one of the easiest things we can do as people is to just stay stagnant. We all know that we will see little results in most things that are way too comfortable. I’m proud of many things but most importantly my self-discipline and self-motivation. All of those things are inside jobs, I’m responsible for getting all of the things that I want and need. I really need my clients to understand how responsible we are for the lives we live despite all the things that they may have encountered along the way.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that blaming others is just not helpful. We could all point the finger or have the urge to hold someone responsible for mishaps. The reality is it takes a lot of energy to hold a grudge against someone. Forgiveness is such a big deal and I always ask people to ask themselves if this way of living has been helpful for you? The answer is almost always No! Being angry takes up so much space inside and it is a definite hindrance. If you hold on to things that do not serve you it could really blur your vision. I could spend all day on this topic but it’s just important to realize that your job is to live your life to the fullest. If you are expecting an apology from someone, and if they actually gave it to you would it even be enough. Ask yourself how much of their apology would actually change your thought process. In addition, would the apology erase what they’ve already done? Absolutely not. When you’re still trying to figure out life it often seems like it is so much easier to just blame someone else. For example, I see a lot of people blame their parents for many things. It could very well be the parents fault but what is your personal plan of action to overcome that way of thinking?

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

One of the most important things that I had to learn to embrace is that everyone just wants to be heard. Everyone deserves to be heard. It doesn’t really matter if we totally agree with something or not. The art of just listening is powerful. I think managing a team is simplified when you stick to core values of the organization and business model. I always refer back to the mission statement when implementing a task or even for general discussions. It is a reminder that we all signed up to serve the same mission. I have just come to the acceptance or realization that we all have to learn to accept the season. It can’t rain all day every day. It’s important to learn the lesson in the season you’re in and if you have to, learn how to be happy when it rains. Change occurs often within organizations; it is inevitable, and it is not something that should be internalized. I never take things personal cause it’s not about me. I value my individualism and singularity meaning I am never afraid to speak up or advocate for the betterment of the company and any team, committee, or something I am involved in. The morale changes often but I’m consistent and that definitely helps.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mindcabana.com
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jennifer-morris-los-angeles-ca/1017914

Image Credits

canva, free stock photos,