According to William Cuthbert Faulkner, “If a story is in you, it has to come out” and regardless of whether the story is happy or sad, there’s always something to be learned. “Meg’s Mission” is a story of how a particular individual uses her personal trials and tribulations to inspire growth in the lives of others.
Let’s meet Meg… I met Meg, a 25 year old, bubbly, happy, Aussie (originally from Melbourne, Australia) when she came to Samara beach, Costa Rica to complete her TEFL certificate with Costa Rica TEFL. I was her TEFL teacher trainer and throughout our time in the course, it was evident that Meg wore her heart on her sleeve. She was always very open and vulnerable in our morning reflections and she expressed a side of herself that was concerned with the emotional, psychological, and social well- being of others; in short, their mental health.
Mental health has been on the forefront in a lot of people’s lives. Society tends to stereotype people with mental health issues which causes a lot of people to be afraid or embarrassed to speak up or share their stories. However, this has slowly been changing over time and mental health has become a top trending topic in many conversations worldwide. A number of people have found their voice and are able to help other people suffering from mental health issues by talking about it and helping to erase some of the stigmatism. This has become a mission for Meg,
It all started with a gap year trip to Cambodia where she realized something was not right. One would think that travel is supposed to bring happy, exciting memories but for Meg, it served as the opposite. She expressed that she felt these extreme emotions where she was either on an extreme happiness high or coming down into a low, to the point where even thoughts of suicide were swimming around in her head. Doctors had said to her that it was nothing to worry about but Meg further elaborated that the episodes she had experienced were unlike anything she could explain, as though a light switch was going on and off in her head. Can you imagine how uncomfortable and stressful that could have been? Shortly after, another similar episode occurred and it was then, when Meg sought alternative help and was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Taking accountability for herself and acknowledging that she needed to seek professional help is what pushed Meg into making life- changing decisions but what about the 450 million of the population who aren’t so lucky?
The answer is simple… “Meg’s Mission”. After the tragic suicide of Meg’s friend, she decided to take matters into her own hands and was propelled to launch her very own mental health awareness campaign. Meg’s Mission is a mental health awareness platform that started in January 2018, that advocates for people with mental issues. It is a secured space where people can share their stories of struggle and triumph. The organization is geared towards organizing events to help raise funds and support people with mental difficulties. Having a background in event planning is what inspired Meg to plan her own events.The “mission” is located in Megs’ very own community Melbourne, Australia and since established, she has already hosted 2 successful events.
Her first event was “Self Care Spectacular” which consisted of entertainment and mental health forums. Her second event was a Trivia night. Furthermore, Meg is also part of ‘Headspace’ which is an organization that helps young people between the ages of 12-25 to get back on track and strengthen their ability to manage their mental health. Meg herself has received an abundance of support from Headspace throughout her mental health journey and in return, has raised a significant amount of funds for their cause.
Although Meg has taken some time to travel in and around Central America to learn, teach and volunteer, her mission resumes. She will continue being an advocate and continue helping people suffering from mental issues. She has decided that she will remain in Costa Rica for a few months, then she’ll probably venture to Thailand to teach and eventually, trod her way back to Melbourne, Australia where she can host her next mental health event.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health. If we broke our leg, we would get therapy and work consistently to heal it. So approach mental health the same way by seeking professional help or doing things that make you feel better mentally. Meditating , being creative, journaling, getting enough sleep etc” –
Meg Grover
This marvellous lady’s mission is a beautiful one and a reminder that your consequence is not your destiny. No matter what you are going through, it’s OKAY! There’s always room to reach out, to explore, to discover, to travel and to teach. You are not alone.
Feel free to reach out to meg with any questions about her organization or about her journey. Follow Meg on her Mission @ Meg’s Mission on Facebook and Instagram