Tonight I will be attending the 12th Annual Shakti Awards Gala with my dearest friend/confidant/assistant/ and my ONLY right hand.....Cat Power. And one of my other dearest friends Suzanne Ajula:) I am honored and humbled to be one of the nominees for the Shakti Award of the year, for the most influential and resilient woman in business in our community! so pls wish me luck:) sooooooooooooo excited :):):) A lot of people use big or important sounding words to describe themselves all the time. Proud, tough, strong. But when it comes to survival and truly rising to the occasion the word Resilient is often never used. We should probably ask ourselves why that is? Well, there are a lot of people who are proud and tough and strong. These are qualities that every human can possess. But it takes a very special kind of person to be “Resilient.’ The definition of the word is the ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like. One can become strong from such road blocks that all of us face in life but to recover readily and be truly oneself again is an accomplishment that is to be revered and admired. Enter: Mitra Castano. Mitra has lived the kind of life that would make for an incredible Hollywood movie. To be honest it might actually make for several good blockbusters but for her its just life. When Mitra came to Canada with her family in the 80’s they did not know English nor did they know how they were to make a life here. She and her family escaped from Iran when Mitra was a young girl. Leaving behind their belongings and the turmoil that the country was experiencing at that time wasn’t an easy decision but it was the best decision in order to maintain a proper quality of living. They rebuilt a life for themselves here in Canada and became an inspiration to anyone who heard their story and that may be suffering from the struggles or trials of life we are all faced with. Through persistence and hard work Mitra and her family thrived in Canada and continue to contribute a positive and caring attitude to those in their community. It is this experience that taught her to be Strong. Having always been an active and physically fit person Mitra took an interest in Martial Arts after enrolling her two children in a school when they were young. Not being the type of person to sit on the bench Mitra too joined and began practicing Martial Arts. Unfortunately, the school closed and to some people this would mean the end of their training. For most people. Mitra decided that if there was not school to train in then they would simply train in her garage. From this act of confidence grew a haven where people in our community have been coming for seven years to learn, teach, and thrive through the discipline of Martial Arts. Triunity has seen its share of ups and downs in seven years. Changing disciplines, new instructors, financial valleys, and competing schools. Through all of these challenges, remaining at the center of it all with a smile on her face and a positive, life affirming attitude stood Mitra Castano. Always the fighter Mitra rebounded from every set back and gained more confidence in her abilities as a business owner and most importantly a woman in a man’s game. Because of these trials Mitra learned to be tough. One of the most beautiful things to come out of the Triunity Martial Arts Studios organization is the life lessons we give to people that they take with them for the rest of their lives. Through our children’s programs we give our youth the tools to be confident, respectful, and fulfilled members of society. They come into the school unsure and shy and leave with a sense of purpose and dignity that are finite tools in order to be successful in their future. It is quite a remarkable thing to watch our kids grow and change right before our very eyes. From shy white belts to confident black belts, our kids truly embody the spirit of Martial Arts that Mitra and Triunity have afforded them. Mitra also takes the safety of the women in our community personally and has aided in teaching countless women the skills that are needed to walk our streets and feel secure. Being the only female director in the world of the Jim Wagner Reality Based Self Defense system Mitra selflessly gives her time to numerous organizations in the area including the BC Muslim Society and the BC Pageant Organization, The Surrey School board, The Beta Sigma PHI (Surrey Area Council Conclave 2013), and the New Directions for New Canadians Organization. She also offers women the chance to take in the information they need to ensure they do not find them selves in a life threatening situation. She does this out of pure purpose because in her mind it is Mitra’s job to make sure that our women feel safe. This has taught Mitra to be Proud of her accomplishments. As everyone that knows her or even sits down and talks with her for five minutes can absorb Mitra Castano is a strong, tough and proud woman. It is through life experience that has given her these tools to impart the kind of lessons that she feels are important for everyone who crosses the Triunity path. She gives a little part of her strength to those who need it most and that is a quality that is to truly be commended. However, once again these qualities are something that all of us can learn through trial. But for one to possess resiliency that is something that cannot be taught. This is a quality that we are born with. To be knocked on your heels and to get back up and say “Is that all you’ve got?” is something that is in one’s heart. To represent the Resilience Award there is no one better nominee than Mitra Castano. There is no better representative for the women in our community to look up to than Mitra Castano. She was born with qualities that are sorely lacking in humanity today and if more people were like her we would be a far stronger society. She is all heart. She is a role model for young women. She is deserving of the 2014 Shakti Resilience Award. She is Mitra Castano.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 19:00:51 +0000
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