When I have to deal with something that has an outcome, I wonder what value that is to me. I would like to hope that everything happens for a reason and that it is contributing to my library of lived experiences. That library can provide wisdom, knowledge and insight how things may turn out.

As a mentor and more importantly as a grief mentor tapping into what my library has to offer is important as it will drive the outcomes that I might expect. The past weeks I have had to check out a number of lived experiences for a writing project that I am doing. I must say that it was emotionally draining to say the least. Some of those experiences went back to when I was growing up. What I came to realize is that how things evolved were similar to how they evolved today. Drawing on my lived experiences resulted in similar outcomes today.

Where I find it most beneficial is when I am working with someone who is struggling with their mental health or navigating their grief journey. When I can tap into my library as I have had lived experience that I have stored in my library it helps us generate positive outcomes for my benefit but more importantly for the person I am working with. I don’t always have material I in my library but in most cases I usually do. One thing I have noticed is that lived experience is very beneficial while working in the health sector especially as a grief mentor.

Lived experience is crucial because it provides firsthand knowledge, nuance, and practical insights that statistics or academic expertise alone cannot offer. It is essential for informing effective policy, healthcare, and research by highlighting what actually matters to people. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10579645/#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20report%2C%202022%20The,across%20all%20sectors%20(World%20Health%20Organization%2C%202022).

This article is true in that having the practical experience is critical versus having only the academic knowledge. I notice that a lot when I am mentoring whether it be grief mentoring or not.

The next time something significant or not happens to you, remember to see where you are going to catalogue it in your library. Being able to catalogue it and then locate it when it comes time to use it again will help you better understand the value of lived experience and how you might use it. Your library of lived experiences – helping shape your future and how you deal with it.