Navigating the Journey Ahead - Gabrielle's journey of finding, having and giving Hope (Part Two)
- Blossoming and Blooming
- Aug 1, 2021
- 8 min read
In part one of Gabrielle’s interview, Gabrielle shared that she started working as research administrator which led to her promotion to research assistant, a role that she had hoped to do. Since starting this role, Gabrielle has started her Master’s Degree and so much more so shared her journey towards this.
After graduating and starting your career, what was this next stage of your life like?
“I loved working within brain science but I started to think maybe psychiatry was for me and maybe all of these people were right that I should do medicine. I actually applied to medicine, did the UKCAT and got my personal statement, knowing that medicine was not for me. I didn’t get in and was actually so relieved because I knew it wasn't for me, the main role of a psychiatrist is to send you to a psychologist or prescribe medication but I knew that prescribing medication was not my purpose but rather to give a solution beyond that; I knew that my responsibility was to teach people the power of their mind. My undergraduate dissertation was on the placebo effect and your mind can heal you, scientifically your mind can heal you, this is not Christian language, this is from scientific papers.”
“I remember sitting down with my sister brainstorming the pros and cons of going down different paths. I was enjoying my job but I knew that I needed to think about what was next for me. There were times where I was so stressed by the thoughts of what should happen next, it almost felt like every moment you are just stuck with that thought , especially in your twenties the ‘what next’ question arrives almost every year, it is all the time.”
In those uncertain moments, how did you get past the ‘what next’ question?
“That question is haunting so I was thinking and thinking and thinking about it. My mum noticed and told me to be still, which is such an important key in life. We can get caught up in other people's opinions, what we know about life and what we can see that our minds become so busy. Being still is so important for clarity. We often look for God in the big signs, proclamations and prophets but God is in those small moments when you are meditating on Him and His word. If your mind is too busy, you will miss those moments where He will drop something and not be able to hear clearly.”
“In that moment I said that I was going to take it easy, be still and listen to what God is saying. I then found psychological sciences and I had no idea that this degree even existed. To become a clinical psychologist you have to have a psychology degree that is accredited by the BPS. Psychological sciences is a Master’s that gives you that accreditation in a year so it is known as a conversion course. After applying to UCL, I got in and decided to do it part time alongside working.”
Having completed a degree before the pandemic, to currently completing one throughout lockdowns, what advice would you give students who are studying during this time?
“It is difficult when you can’t see your lecturers or have peer support. My advice would be to use the modes that there are such as using Microsoft teams to catch up with your peers. Try as best as possible to build some kind of relationships over the internet with people so you can take care of each other, it might be you who can help someone else in that moment or someone else can help you. Reach out when you need help and do not leave it too late. You don’t have to struggle by yourself or think there is no option for you because there is always an option. Your mental health will always come first and everyone is more understanding so you don’t have to suffer, there are people who are willing to help you and every university has a support system in place.”
Passionate about science and finding solutions for mental health, how have you incorporated this into the The Hope Gene?
“Something that I observed from a young age is that people have something that they are compassionate towards. For me, I have always looked at the mind of humans and thought I am sure God didn’t intend for us to be anxious, suffer with addictions or to have struggles in our mind. God is not looking down saying this is what I want because this is not how he created us to be. I think the battle in the mind is the main one, it is the one target that if you get someone's mind you’ve gotten their whole life. You can hurt someone physically and they will find a way to continue life but if you mentally disturb somebody that is their whole life gone. In uni I chose modules which allowed me to learn about mental health conditions including schizophrenia and bipolar. It is interesting from a scientific perspective because they often started off the lecture with 'we don’t really know but this is what we do know'. People often don’t know the mechanisms behind mental health disorders and there are many things about the medications that we still don’t know. For example, it’s still debated as to why antidepressants take weeks to benefit people and often, the first medication prescribed doesn’t help people at all so a lot of trial and error takes place. It’s such a multifaceted field and it’s definitely not a one-size fits all situation but I think that places of uncertainty is where God comes into things. ”
“The bible talks about your mind so much. The Hope Gene actually came into my heart in 2017 and it was just a name. Many common mental health problems either start because of hopelessness or cause hopelessness. The whole premise behind The Hope Gene is that hope is a gene we all possess. In our body we all have different cells and the DNA in almost all of them are the same. What makes an eye cell different from a heart cell is that the cells express different genes or DNA. Similarly, hope is a gene we all have but we need to express it. Hope is a tangible thing that exists for everybody but it needs to become real to us in the same way that genes are expressed into protein, hope needs to become so evident that it’s fruits are seen in our lives. That’s how science weaves into it.”
After Gabrielle expressed the meaning behind The Hope Gene, we found out how it went from an idea to the online platform and shop it is today.
“My initial idea was to write a book that would be about science, mental health and God all mixed together. Then time went by and I would write down different ideas that I wanted to do. Then lockdown happened.”
“I always loved drawing and music but put things to one side because of things like work. I saw that people were using procreate and drawing on their iPads so I wanted to try that. I was decorating my room and I wanted prints for my room. I saw that prints were so expensive so I thought maybe I could make some and maybe sell them so they were more affordable. So I got the iPad and Apple pen and slowly but surely I started. The Hope Gene thing that I've had in my heart and mind for years fitted in so although The Hope Gene didn't start as an idea of prints or an Instagram page, it made sense for it to start as this. My main goal for the prints was to provide people with visual reminders of hope, the goodness of God and His promises. I wanted them to be uplifting and give people a shop where they could purchase custom prints at an affordable price. A major goal was to provide frames for the prints as I wanted people to be able to see the print, sitting in the frame, as soon as they opened the package. I also wanted them to be as giftable as possible for others to share words of encouragement with their loved ones.”
What have been some of your highlights since sharing The Hope Gene and what do you hope to do with it?
“One of the best things has been seeing other people encouraging other people. Being in lockdown where you can’t really see anyone, having some kind of interaction with people has been nice.”
“The prints were not a part of the plan to begin with so my ultimate plan is for it to be a charity or trust. I would like for it to be multifaceted, on one arm I want to provide therapy services, on another arm I want it to be a charity which helps both the mentally unwell and those caring for them. I’d love to improve the mental health care provision in places like the Caribbean and see the view towards sufferers change.”
What would your encouragement be to someone who has a vision but is hesitant as they may not know where to start or how people will perceive it or if they have the right equipment?
“First of all, I would say know that everything you need is already inside of you; it’s about you maturing in it and the time coming. God will never ask or place something on your heart that is beyond your capability and capacity so you have to know that even if it is not for now, it is within you and placed inside of you and will come up in due season. You don’t have to look elsewhere for things or look in other people for things, God will supply everything you need for the vision and everything that you need is already in you.”
“I would also say be careful. We need destiny helpers, people who will come and help us get to where we need to get to. God often uses people in our life to bring us to the next stage in our life but there is also the fact that not everybody is a destiny helper. Not everybody is meant to be in the vision so you have to be really discerning about who you’re supposed to meet, who you’re supposed to walk with, who is supposed to mentor you and who you’re supposed to share the vision with. The last thing you want to do is share things and be discouraged by people who don’t fully get it. Regardless of anything you are going to have small minded people that portray their smallmindedness onto you. You are going to have friends that don’t understand or support you but you have to be careful with how much you share. I hardly shared the idea of The Hope Gene because the season and time had not come, so you have to not get ahead of yourself and share too much.”
“I would also say to write down a lot because when you see things happening your faith will be boosted for the next step. Try as much as you can to keep a track of the journey because looking back on where you began is a way for you to see where you started and know that if God can bring you this far, He can surely take you through the rest of the journey.”
We truly hope you have been blessed by Gabrielle's testimonies. From navigating life after university, to starting her own business during a pandemic, we are not only inspired but grateful to Gabrielle for giving us the opportunity to share her story. Follow our social media pages and join our mailing list to receive updates as we have an exciting announcement coming up with The Hope Gene.
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Want to read more? Check out our previous blogs below.
Navigating the Journey Ahead-Gabrielle's journey of finding, having and giving hope (Part One), explores Gabrielle's journey to and from university.
To read this blog and the related resources click here
Navigating the Journey Ahead- How Rianna's faith in God helped her pursue a career in Law, shares Rianna's story on pursuing her aspiration of becoming a Solicitor. This blog post not only shows how God ordered her steps but includes many helpful takeaways for anyone who is navigating life.
To read this blog and the related resources click here.
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