Looking Forward

“There are many things in life we don’t notice or fully appreciate simply because we are too close to view them within a greater context of space and time.” Craig Blacklock begins his essay in this issue of Mandala with this quote and encourages us to see the planet’s future beyond the vicinity and timeframe of our personal lives.  As an illustration of perspective, he shares an image that he captured from a drone that is breathtaking. At the Bakken Center, 2025 is a year in which we plan to view the Center within a greater context of space and time as we celebrate 30 years since our founding in 1995.  

It is time to celebrate what we have accomplished, reflect upon where we are at this moment in time, and envision what’s next.   We will be inviting you to share memories and highlights in the form of stories and pictures that we will share on social media  and in publications throughout the year. If you have something  you are willing to share, please visit z.umn.edu/30YearsOfWellbeing

Empowering people has been a goal of the Center since our inception. Education empowers people, and thousands of students have enrolled in academic courses that have changed the trajectory of their careers and their lives. Our community engagement work focuses on giving people information, skills, and resources to live healthier lives and to enhance their overall wellbeing. Our public facing website – Taking Charge of Your Wellbeing – attracts more than one million unique visitors each year and explicitly nudges people to take charge and become empowered!

There are some fantastic stories of empowerment in this issue of Mandala. The stories of students in the health coaching program are very inspiring. Read about their personal aspirations and how they plan to use health coaching skills to empower the people they are working with. The article about the chronic pain study being conducted by our Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Team is also a story about empowerment. The study is designed to serve people from racial, ethnic, and income groups that are often left out of clinical studies. You will learn how people from the community helped design the study and the ways that participants partner with the study team and give ongoing feedback throughout the study. In the pilot study, more than 80% of participants reported their pain improved and over 95% felt that study staff worked in partnership with them. It is a great description of what empowerment looks like within the context of research. The story on our new series for persons diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers describes a program focused on empowering people to partner with healthcare providers and explore healing options that may improve the management of their symptoms and overall wellbeing. 

We are excited about 2025 and invite you to engage with us through Center programs, events, social media, research, academic courses, and through philanthropy! Philanthropy has always been the engine that fuels innovation for us at the Bakken Center. 

Through the Director’s Strategic Initiatives Fund, we have launched the University of Minnesota NeuroArts Network and will be kicking off Purpose Project 2.0. Our development director Virginia Kaczmarek would love to meet with you to talk about our development priorities and how you can become part of creating the next 30 years. 

May we all find ways to cultivate wellbeing in our lives and communities.