The Healer Leaps

When I spoke with Linda Brown, she had recently returned from a trip to Nicaragua. She is well-travelled and fluent in Spanish among other languages, but Nicaragua struck me as being well off the beaten path, even for her. Linda has always preferred to be a participant rather than a mere observer or a distant tourist during her travels. Her command of languages has given her the ability to engage the local population and immerse herself in their culture and traditions. This is one of the best ways to learn about a new culture and its people.

“Tell me about your trip to Nicaragua?” I asked.
“It was an amazing and eye-opening experience for me. Even though I have travelled around the world, this was a completely new adventure,” she said. The team that she travelled with to Nicaragua was comprised of highly-skilled Naturopathic Doctors, nurses and student volunteers who all share the goal of wanting to help the local farming communities in this Central American country. What has always been a driving force for Linda, is her unbridled passion for helping people. You can’t help but think that the people of Ometepe were as lucky to have her as she was fortunate to have been chosen by the team.

“Everyone in North America should have the experience of volunteering in a developing country, even just once. It can’t help but change you – how you see the world, how you see yourself and even how you see the person standing next to you.” The people of Ometepe, an Island in Lake Nicaragua, were also changed by the presence of Linda and her team. The team consisted of three Naturopathic Doctors, Students and Support Staff, totalling 13 people. Linda was altered by the experience through her focus on impacting the lives of those she encountered. The broader lesson here is that in North America we often define wealth by our materialistic possessions. In places like Ometepe, wealth is measured by love, family and giving of yourself in order to help others. People might not have a lot, however, they will always give you what they have.

This spirit of caring for others has been with Linda for much longer than the years she has been a Naturopathic Doctor. She enriches her own spirit by giving her patients the tools of healing: physically, emotionally and psychologically. It is no wonder, then, that when the healer needed healing after being diagnosed with cancer, she was able to use her own spiritual strength as the pillars upon which she could build a path to recovery and healing. “It takes a lot of emotional and mental strength to deal with cancer,” Linda says with the calmness that comes only from her self-confidence. “I’m doing extremely well. I’ve been working very hard on myself and I feel great – even better than I felt before the diagnosis. To date, my Doctors have not found anything else of concern, so I continue to live my life positively. ”

Now, I have always been an advocate of people who strive to become exceptional – to live a life that is more than just mediocre, more than just dollars and cents. Linda Brown is such a person.

When asked, “Who have been your biggest LeapAgents?” Linda responds, “I would say it is a tie between my Dad and my Mum – Dad might have a slight edge. Sadly, he passed away in 2009. He was always the most supportive Father a person could ever have. He provided me with love and guidance, and gave me the foundation I needed to follow my dreams.” So, as it often does, it comes down to what we dream about – where do our passions and focus lie? Linda’s Mum and Dad were her advocates when she was younger and their lessons and support continue to guide her today. They encouraged her to always be exceptional.

“Linda, what is your message to those who want to become LeapAgents themselves?” I asked her.
Her answer was classic Linda Brown: She replied, “I would say, you need to care about people, care about our world and our society, and learn to appreciate the people around you. Make an effort to create positive change, volunteer and resolve to do at least ONE ACTION to make your world a better place.”

With all that she does, playing drums with her band members, attending patients, Volunteering, being a source of positive change and inspiration, I ask her, “How do you want to be identified by others?”
Linda says it best: “…I would like to be identified simply as ….someone who cares a great deal for people, who has worked hard and has made a positive difference in the world.”