Are you a cazy one? Misfit?  Rebel? 

Good, the world needs you.  People probably love you, or hate you…..Good. If you are generating those extreme differences in reaction you are definitely making an impact.  If you are, like me, out to change the world it is no good sitting on the fence. Mediocrity and taking the middle ground doesn’t help. You need to be bold, bright and be gone leaving a trail of constructive havoc in your wake. 

Jack Kerouac, himself an alcoholic depressive, wrote the following tribute to “the crazy ones”…

“Here’s to the crazy ones. the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers. the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of the rules and have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. about the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things, they push the human race forward. and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Am I a rebel, misfit  or troublemaker? Absolutely I am, and I’m even more so when working in cahoots with my good friend Colleen Henerson-Heywood. We do like stirring things up and calling folks to arms. Before I embark on my next campaign however I needed to stand back, take stock, stop chasing my tail and put my ducks in a row.  Easier said than done but that is exactly what I did last night whilst attending an amazing evening of motivational fun and frolics run by Aspire. With the support and inspiration provided by the award-winning Dr Sam Collins and her team, I was yet again spurred into action. I discovered my new “tribe” of like-minded, like-hearted women and together we put the finishing touches to my Heroine’s Quest campaign for 2011. My campaign is no idle threat and I fully intend to deliver on my very public committment which I made in front of 150 people last night. By joining the Aspire Heroine’s Quest programme, I will have access to top quality leadership and coaching support and I will be monitored on a monthly basis to make sure my campaign is a success. So, what is my Campaign?

My Campaign is:            To eradicate the stigma attached to mental illness in general and depression in particular.

Because?                           Everyone deserves a chance.

Why should you care? Because depression is non-discriminatory. Tomorrow it could be you or someone you care about.

Call to action:                  I would like everyone to start talking openly and honestly about mental health issues and experiences of depression. Only in this way will we effect change.

So, there it is in a nutshell, my challenge and campaign for 2011. I hope that some of you will join me on this exciting adventure, or maybe one of your own, so that this time next year we can all say we have made a difference by being a rebel, a misfit or a troublemaker.