This is my response to a blog post written by one of my fellow MALAT students. The original post can be found at: http://lorikreflecting.blogspot.ca

I think that there are many of us who will be blogging about the residency and how we all had to come to trust the process. As was evident in the final day, when we reflected on our time by writing words on rocks, we relied heavily on each other help get us through. There is something very tacit (a new word in my vocabulary!) about the empathy we feel to others in a situation similar to ours and how we are comforted by knowing that others understand what we are going through. Like you, I also have a friend who has completed an RRU degree and did two residencies. She has told me more than once, as I lamented about the amount of work I needed to do while others were going to the beach/ lake/ pool and sipping wine/ beer/ margaritas, that it will be worth it in the end. This has been an immense help since the end seems a very long way off right now.

There were many times when cracks of doubt began to appear and the ‘imposter syndrome’ crept into my psyche. I clearly remember sitting around the table on one of the first days and listening to the instructors speak about learning theories, theorists and assignments and expectations. The feeling in the pit of my stomach, that I was in a situation I had no business being in became almost unbearable. I felt like an imposter, someone who had no business being there and wondering when I would be found out. This led me to an article in Forbes magazine on just that subject. I felt much better after reading the following section:

“Impostor Syndrome is the domain of the high achiever. Those who set the bar low are rarely it’s victim. So if you are relating to what I’m sharing, then pat yourself on the back because it’s a sure sign that you aren’t ready to settled into the ranks of mediocrity. Rather, you’re likely to be a person who aims high and is committed to giving your very best to whatever endeavour you set your sights upon. A noble aim to be sure.” (retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome/)

Yes! I reminded myself, I did start this because I wanted to better myself and achieve something that I knew was going to be hard and not always easy. I was able to pull myself out of the rut i was in and keep going, but I am not sure it would have been as easy if there had not been others around who were vocal about their similar feelings.

This is not a case of schadenfreude, a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people, but one of empathy, the ability to experience the feelings of another person (http://www.merriam-webster.com).
We all need each other and I hope we continue to look to each other for help, support, laughter and funny youtube videos. Because not everyone understands what we are doing here. Like my friend who asked me if this program was to learn about using the SMART board in the classroom. Yes, I replied. Exactly.