Often, There are Good Curveballs in Life!

As this year’s graduates from the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies Program (MA ALS) at SFU embark on their new business careers, it brings back memories of our graduation as BC Notaries.

My own career path took a turn when, in 2004, I did not pass the first round of the six Statutory exams—much to my huge disappointment.

Happily, many negative things that happen in our lives can have positive outcomes. For me it meant redirecting my focus, which turned out to be mediation training; I found I really loved doing mediation.

Over the next 12 months, I attended advanced mediation training. A segment of that education included participation with a trained professional in actual Court mediation sessions. By the following Spring, I had decided mediation was my true calling.

Then the Notary Society called to ask if I had considered rewriting the exams. I hadn’t—I was so happy learning how to be a mediator.

Then my mind started the “what if” game. For so many years I had had a great desire to do Notary work. What if I passed this time? What if I was really meant to be a BC Notary?

And you know, if you don’t try you’ll never know—I didn’t want to wake up in 5 years wishing I had written again.

Studying and the stress and anxiety of writing exams is fun—so why not, I asked myself. The rest Is history now that I have 18 years of successful Notary practice under my belt. Sometimes I call upon mediation skills with clients who are feeling anxious.

Thoughts of being a mediator rarely cross my mind but I do remember wishing I had taken that training when my son and daughter were teenagers! It may or may not have made a difference in our family unit.

The moral of this little story is you never know what you can do until you try.

Most important, it was a life lesson for me…to never give up and never forget that often the negative curveballs in our lives produce positive results.

Good Luck to the 2023 grads and great success and a lot of happy times in your BC Notary career ahead! It will be what you make it! ▲

Notary Kate Manvell has practised in West Vancouver, British Columbia, since 2005.

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NEXT ISSUE Fall 2023

Themes:

Thank you so much to all those who contributed to the Winter 2022 issue of The Scrivener.

Our clients have expressed appreciation for the articles on Personal Planning that became the nudge they needed to stop procrastinating and get their documents in order.

The matter of MAiD is the trendy topic of conversation around dinner tables here and over cups of tea. Canadians did not have that option previously but now we need to think about it and form direction for our families. We must consider our personal thoughts in advance of a decision that could only be made when the need arises.

Article Deadline August 15, 2023

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