A year of service means so much more than living in a new city, making new friends, and surviving off of a living stipend. A year of service is also a year of challenging yourself in lots of new ways: challenging yourself to learn a new skill every day, and to actually put that skill into action to help people, challenging yourself to constantly stay motivated, even when the going gets tough, or challenging yourself to recognize when you’ve made a mistake, to then forgive yourself and learn from it.  A year of service might mean challenging yourself to always be open to new experiences, and to gratefully accept them when they are offered.  Additionally, it could mean challenging yourself to always stay present and in the moment, recognizing and appreciating all the little things.

For as long as I could remember, I was planning ahead - planning my next day, my next week, even planning out my next year. I was comfortable doing this. I felt in control of my life. I was so used to planning that when things went against my expectations, I got nervous. I felt anxious not being in control over what my next move was. Part of the reason I joined the National Health Corps was to challenge myself to become more open to change, and to be more adaptable when things don’t go as planned. I never thought that I would be moving 1,200 miles away from home, but just two months after sending in my application that’s exactly what I did. I was terrified, excited, and beyond anxious as I said goodbye to the comfort of what I knew, and said hello to a year of challenges ahead of me.

I didn’t change overnight. For months I struggled with not knowing what was coming next. Where was I going after the service year was over? What did I want to get a job in? The uncertainty was never ending, and I struggled to cope with it. My Program Director would comment on how quickly I moved to plan ahead, and how often I would ask questions about things that would eventually answer themselves. She challenged me to stay present and to focus on the “here and now.” At first it was uncomfortable, not being able to think about the questions that were lingering in my head, but eventually I began to enjoy it. I began to enjoy the challenge of living in the moment and of not having to plan. When I would catch myself thinking about my next big life change, I would set that thought aside and focus on the client sitting in my office. When my mind started wandering and thoughts of jobs and graduate school lingered, I refocused on the tasks at hand. I was able to complete referrals more quickly, became more focused at my host site, and better able to multi-task and stay busy. I was able to schedule more appointments and get more people enrolled in the Prescription Assistance Program, thus serving a greater number of clients. By practicing workplace mindfulness, I was instantly able to serve more efficiently, all because my brain was only concerned with one thing: what am I doing right now?

This has been a year of challenge for me. Not only did my host site, fellow Corps members, and program director challenge me to grow, but I even challenged myself to develop as a stronger person. I challenged myself to move outside my comfort zone and stop worrying so much about the details. I challenged myself to take a moment before asking questions, because the answers might just fall in my lap. This taught me the valuable skill of patience. By challenging myself this year, I feel much more prepared to move onto the next step. Even though I’m not quite sure what that next step is yet, I’m not scared. Not knowing what’s happening after this service year no longer worries me. Joining this program was an unplanned decision, and it has shown me that taking opportunities as they come can lead to amazing people and amazing experiences.

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This blog post was written by NHC Florida member Kelcey Lamphere.

Kelcey serves at River Region Human Services as a Patient Navigator.