Grace Bedward
Tell us a little bit about yourself
Well hello there! I’m Grace, a fun loving twenty–something, who is way too invested in my pets lives, a chronic lover of a boogie/live music, perpetual slammer of all types of doors (car, microwave, bathroom), advocate of a cheeky wine and sucker for some sun and a dip in the ocean (with sunscreen of course). I fill my weekdays as an Occupational Therapist working in forensic mental health and provide support to young people in the juvenile justice system. My weekends are preferably filled with good vibes, good people and good adventures, split between my two homes.
What inspires you?
People inspire me. People who I have the privilege of knowing and people who I know about. People who are effortlessly themselves and people who are learning to except themselves. People who are doing their best to overcome adversity and people who support them to do that. People who are equally badass and considerate. People who are skilled and teach/share that skill. People who are thoughtful. People who are open minded and people who encourage others to open their minds.
People who seek to understand and people who share this understanding as learning’s for others. People can be pretty rad if you give them the chance.
Where is your favourite place you have travelled & why?
Ooof, that is a hard question. I don’t know if I could pick a favourite place I have travelled, but the most recent place I travelled was Japan early this year for snow season. A little over a dozen of my friends and I spent 2 weeks travelling around Japan eating, drinking (miss you grapple chu-hais) and getting around the slopes. It was way too much fun and reality bit hard when I came home.
Who has had the most influence on the person you are today?
My family and my friends that have turned into family, have certainly had the most influence on me. Corny? Yes. Untrue? No. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by the people in my life, who support me in all I do and to continue to influence me to be the best version of myself.
What are 3 things you’re passionate about and why?
Balance - Finding that sweet spot can be really tricky and I am a sucker for feeling like I have to do everything all the time and it tends to catch up with me very quickly. One of my favourite quotes is “I thought the brain was the greatest organ in the body and then I realised who was telling me this”. Often we internally fight with ourselves about what the things we want, need and have to do based on other opinions or ideals of health, work, relationships, ect, rather than trying to understand our own needs and being kind to ourselves. Take the day off and then work more effectively tomorrow, prioritise time for yourself to rest and be more present with your friends and family next time, eat the chocolate and know that sweet goodness went straight to the heart.
Relationships - My relationships near or far, are something that I have always worked really hard on and value in my life. My relationships help me to grow as a person, to slow me down when I need it, they challenge me to think differently and help me understand compassion from many different perspectives. I am very fortunate to have many special relationships in my life.
Learning and growth – Learning and growing is kind of everything right? I love learning new things whether its facts about the world or something new about myself or others. I heard this quote recently (yes, I like quotes) that said “I am actively learning how I can best respect people .“I believe that learning is a privilege and that quote sums up learning and growth for me.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Goodness, younger Grace could have done with some advice but it is unlikely she would have listened.
My main advice would be to understand that the way people behave or treat you is far more a reflection of them than it is of you, something I still abide by today. I would also tell her to stay curious and keep asking why.
Where is your happy place?
I have many happy places, I think it is dependent on my mood or needs at a given time. I equally love being active and being lazy, so whether it is having a shower in my gloriously spacious shower, playing a game of touch football, laying on the couch talking smack with my housemate after a long day or going on an adventure on the weekend with some friends; these are all equally my happy places.
Tell us something that has made you smile recently
I recently re-discovered the Dixie Chick’s cover of ‘Landslide’ (no contest, better than the original), so obviously I was belting it out on the drive home from work the other day and when stopped at the lights I look over to see this lady looking at me. She started laughing and gave me a big thumbs up. I was so embarrassed but also thought it was so hilarious and we both just kind of sat there waiting for the lights to change, laughing at me.