We recently connected with Melissa Jandebeur and have shared our conversation below.
Melissa , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my life experiences of loss, hardship, determination, and success while having a giving heart. I lost my dad at the age of 12 and worked to help support my family until we got back in our feet, I was the victim of child sexual abuse, grew up in a small town with few opportunities. I stayed focused in school and activities and nature. My husband and I married during college after he had an accident that left him handicapped. We made a beautiful life together raising our children. Our love of the outdoors led us to start a nonprofit organizing volunteers to keep our waterways litter free and safe. I went in to earn a master’s in clinical mental health and help those with medical trauma and run the nonprofit. My husband recently passed away and I draw on the strength of our love and commitment to continue our nonprofit work and the spirit of giving hope to others.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
During the week I am a therapist seeing clients at my practice Kindred Counseling. My daughter is also a therapist and we have one of the rare mother/daughter teams. We focus on many areas in mental health and focus on medical issues like pain, trauma, allergies as well as anxiety, depression and marital/family issues. In my down time, I run the nonprofit doing site surveys for potential cleanups, organizing volunteers, planning the events and following up with paperwork. I also spend time with my grown children and grandchildren soaking up the moments biking, kayaking, gardening and going to events. What I love about what I do is the connection with others and the community, witnessing the change in others. Just appreciating the beauty that surrounds us.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three areas that most impacted me would be my education, my communication skills, and my determination. My advice would be to trust in yourself and to believe in yourself. You are more powerful and more talented than you believe you are. Also, treat everyone with kindness. Kindness is a door to communicating with others. You never know when someone needs kindness in their life and it makes a huge impact on how you make someone else feel. The goal is for someone to remember your name and smile.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My husband as the most helpful person to help me overcome my challenges. He believed in me when I questioned myself. He challenged me to strive higher, to push myself to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wonderfulwaterways.org
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/wonderfulwaterways/
- Linkedin: https://LinkedIn.com/in/melissa-jandebeur-b3a6a2202
- Other: https://Psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/melissa-ann-jandebeur-bentonville-ar/1210111
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
