Join us on an inspiring journey of hope. As a recent participant on Healing Your Life at Quest, Sharni is starting to rekindle hope on her journey to recovery from burnout. Sharni shares her story to show that hope and healing are possible with the right tools and strategies, and to encourage others to donate in support of people on low incomes to be able to attend a program with us.
Thank you for creating this amazing place where the ripple effects of Petrea King’s dream and vision are simply immeasurable. I know my family are already feeling the ripple effects of me tapping back into my long buried ‘first nature’. It feels good to be ‘home’.
I came to Quest as I recognised I was, and had been for a long time, living in complete burnout and survival mode. I was having some parenting issues but wasn’t looking after myself. This led to some health issues and I was on a downhill spiral and isolating myself.
I realised that I couldn’t control or help anyone else’s experience unless I helped my own.
Quest was honestly the most beautiful week of my life. I felt so supported, validated, seen and heard and made so many wonderful connections that I’d been missing due to isolating myself.
“I experienced a feeling of ‘home’ in myself that I had not felt for so long. For me, the week was filled with laughter, surprisingly – and that was relating and being among authentic people. ”
I learned techniques to take better care of myself and really bonded with others from this authentic, vulnerable place. The food, the nurturing environment, the knowledgeable and downright brilliant facilitators – need I go on.
A sense of awe, wonder and connection
On the last evening, a couple of the women I met and I decided we wanted to stand barefoot at the site of the song lines that run through the Quest for Life Centre as there was a stunning full moon that night.
Lance, Senior Support on the program, had told us to look for the cross on one of the trees so we’d know when we were there.
As we stood in that spot, bare foot on the grass reflecting on a beautiful week of healing, I thought it would be fitting to take a photo of the full moon, joking that photos of the moon never quite do the moon justice.
After I snapped, I noticed the cross lines and the stunning moon while standing there with new friends at the end of our week together, and I felt connected to something much bigger. Something I had not felt for a long, long time.
Since being home, I’ve incorporated the “coming to my senses” yoga nidra and more mindful walks in nature into my routine. I set up a private Facebook group for our program participant group and have been keeping that going. Keeping our crew connected has been meaningful for me and hopefully everyone else, too.
If anyone else was thinking about going to a Quest for Life program, I’d say “Don’t hesitate. It was the best decision I’ve made in recent years. When I’m finding life hard, which I still do, I think back to that safe, nurturing environment where every feeling was welcomed and my heart feels happy, the friendships, and the skills and words of wisdom from the excellent staff will stay with me.”
Sharni shares her story as part of Quest’s 2023 Christmas Appeal. Donations provide transformative care for those who have experienced trauma.
Please help to give people like Sharni hope and healing by donating to Quest’s 2023 Christmas Appeal.
