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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN -- A key to success on the other puzzles, I'm trying to solve, will always be persistence, positivity and belief that all the pieces are on the table


I have been taking the time to learn about myself. However, as I near my 44th birthday, I'm still a complex puzzle that requires patience, long-suffering and stick-to-it-iveness to figure out.

Totem In The Mist
We are not born with an operating manual and, adding to the challenge, are the countless influences of all the other humans around us who are also trying to figure out how to best optimize their operations as well.

It really set in on me when one of my children was having challenges balancing their emotional response, to a disappointment; euphemism for having a melt down.

It was becoming increasingly clear that I did not have the necessary skills to de-escalate the situation as I would have liked. The last thing I wanted was for a counsellor much later in life to uncover this particular event as the root of "the problem."

Understanding how to get the best performance out of our minds and bodies is a process of trial and error.

I've learned over the past several years that I need to stay busy. It's why I have such a difficult time taking a break and actually vacating on my vacation. Resting my mind is not easy. It is always processing something and so that is why I find my job as an MLA so fulfilling - there is no lack of issues and ideas to let my mind process.

However, it is not healthy to just be constantly working. Even though I have an insanely high capacity, I get tired, and exhaustion negatively affects the volume and quality of my work. Additionally, I become emotionally vulnerable. So, finding a balance and adopting techniques that allows me to keep my mind processing, while vacating my work, is important.


Thankfully I have my family.

They keep me running and challenge me with situations that I learn I'm ill-prepared to deal with. In addition, over the recent holiday season I found another outlet. I started solving puzzles of another kind. As it turns out "Totem Pole in the Mist" is ridiculously difficult. Like life, none of the pieces are standard and all the colours lack definition.

Finally, after investing many hours of processing, I finally pieced together the full picture — a solid reminder that a key to success on the other puzzles I'm trying to solve will always be persistence, positivity and belief that all the pieces are on the table.

Adam Olsen (SȾHENEP) loves his job as a provincial MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. He was first elected in May 2017, and is currently the interim leader of the BC Green Party.

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.
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