Serve Joyfully - Lyris Hazzard-Wilson

Lyris Hazzard- Wilson shares a mother's story of successfully raising three children despite her having financial and academic challenges.

She discusses how important it is to be of service to others and to serve from the heart. Her advice in these challenging times is for people to be plugged into a group as even when you are down and out someone from that positive group will assist you. She also encourages persons to find an organisation or cause to be part of and serve.

Her foundation has been her church and family. She has also reached out to Professors and lecturers at the University of the West Indies - Agriculture Department and Cocoa Research Centre who were always willing to assist her children. The friends that she surrounded herself with were also able to give a helping hand. As she put it she refuses to hate and still sees beauty and good in the world despite all of the challenges that she has been through.

She is  very proud of her children and their accomplishments and encourages persons with reading and writing challenges to find ways to support their  own children so that they can accomplish their dreams.

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Transcript

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson/Serve Joyfully

SPEAKERS

Beverly Foster-Hinds, Lyris Hazzard-Wilson

Beverly Foster-Hinds  00:05

Welcome to the Tune into yourself podcast. This is your host Dr Beverly Foster-Hinds executive and business coach. This programme is for persons who want to make decisions which are in alignment with their true selves and which can take them to the next level in their career business and life. In our first programme, we had the pleasure of speaking with miss Jody Belcon, an educator now based in China. Today we are speaking with her mother, Lyris Hazzard-Wilson, to get a behind the scenes snapshot of one mother who is seeing her children accomplish their dreams. Lyris, how are you doing today?

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  00:53

I'm great and thank you for inviting me on your programme.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  00:58

Great to hear all is well. Lyris, you have three children, and as i said you're watching them accomplish their dreams. When you were a little girl growing up here in Trinidad and Tobago, what were your dreams like? What were your dreams of? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  01:21

I was very fortunate to be a dreamer, because you were allowed to grow up in a surrounding that you have a yard to play in and you could have a dream. So our dream was always a house; building a house; living in a house. You know... the children will come after. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  01:57

Okay so as a child you dreamed of owning your own home?

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  02:00

Yes.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  02:02

Alright. And in terms of what work did you like... what did you see yourself doing as a career, a job? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  02:13

Servicing was always part of our tradition, in the sense of my mother, where my mother worked. So you would have liked to - not work in her work, not to do the things that she did - but serve people. That has been a criteria, or should I say, that is what I've known; to serve people. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  02:44

What do you do currently? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  02:47

Presently I am a messenger at the University of the West Indies and have been there for the past 20 years; 25 years. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  02:59

You know, when you look back on what you dreamed about and in terms of where you are now and where your children are now, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  03:16

Again, you know when we were growing up we had the yard and dreaming. So when I started working at the University of the West Indies I started to dream now for my children. Because there's a place of education where you can you know... I started to dream for my children because they were about five and seven. So I got the opportunity to even dream bigger, not just for myself but for my children. I used the opportunity there while serving students; serving the community in the University of the West Indies, to speak to people for the benefit of my children so that their dreams can come through. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  04:16

Okay, and I mean in speaking, you would have spoken, I guess, to many people. Does any particular conversation stand out for you?

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  04:28

Yes. What I could say is that most of the lecturers and the Head of the Departments that I spoke to, they were impressed by me wanting to get more for my children. Even though some of them let me know that your daughter is weak in English and she needs to read plenty, so I would take that home. Some Lecturers offered to correct papers, also. So I'm giving a lot of credit to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Agriculture in the University of West Indies, and then on to Cocoa Research Centre, where my head of department, all of them had a great part in wanting to... not really wanting but in  helping me achieve that dream. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  05:34

In actually realizing the dreams for your children, what would you say would have been two major limitations that you had to overcome over the period, and how did you do that? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  05:52

Well, finances have always been on a low level for us. But the grace of God, and again, all the people that he put in place, whether it’s the lecturers, whether it was my supervisor in Cocoa Research Centre; the resources were there for me to reach, so that I could assist. So I'm saying that, you know, when you dream, and you have a backing, you must have fellowship with God in order for everything to come together. Because you could dream, but if you don't have that relationship with God,  things are a little more difficult to come together. So you've got to have a relationship with God. So again, that's another avenue where my family or my parish would have assisted in helping me with that struggle. Whether it's financial or just being there for us. The elders in the church, they always played a great part in my children's life. Whether it was coming, collecting them and taking them to church. So that would have helped with some of the finance. I am grateful for, you know, to have that family: St Mary's Tacarigua Anglican Church. That family helped; they had helped fill the gap. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  07:34

 Especially with what's happening right now, you have a lot of people undergoing a lot of financial strain, a lot of emotional strain; you have a lot of people losing their jobs and stuff like that. If you had to give a little piece of wisdom that you might have learned over the years, having effectively sort of managed with financial constraints, what would that piece of advice be? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  08:16

Well, I would like to say that you must be connected. You've got to be connected to a group. Well, most likely, it has to be your church group. You got to be involved in the giving of yourself. So even when you are in need, you wouldn't even understand you're in need, because you're giving so much of yourself that it will just come without you even knowing it's coming. But giving of yourself; you need to get a group and work with people. Because working with people is the connection to fill the gap that when those things come, like whether you lose your job, as long as you're working with a group, even though you lose your job because as a group, you are going to be part of that group and your loss will not be as great as if you're not working with a group of people. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  09:27

What I'm hearing you saying there is that relationships really count. Relationships count. If it is you looked at along the way as you talk a lot about... and you mentioned your education. You talked about the people in UWI, with you talking to them and they helping you, wherever it be correcting and telling you what the child needs, and you  listened to them. You know, what would you say is your... because a lot of people say education is the only way for them to move ahead etc. Looking back at your own personal life, what do you think really drove you to know for a fact that education is a way to move forward?

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  10:26

I work among researchers in Cocoa Research Centre, and if you think about the pods or the cocoa bean; The cocoa bean could grow right? But if they don't do research on why it is the beans can get productive, or why it is something is attacking the cocoa beans, it will not be great. So the University had opened my eyes to see where and how far the children could go. Even in the sense of helping other people; not just for financial gain, but when you are educated, the strength is more. You could do a lot more. I remember telling you from the beginning that it was a lot about service. That is where I see why education is very, very important.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  11:44

If you had to talk about - you know you would have encountered, as on any journey, you would have encountered difficulties along the way. What strengths - I know you spoke about your belief in god - but what strengths would you say that you've had that have helped you so far on the journey? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  12:03

I refuse to not love. I refuse to say that a lot of things are happening and it's all bad. It is not all bad. You have to see the world as a beautiful place. So that is my inspiration in going through all these troubles; there is a rainbow at the end of the tunnel. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  12:29

And is there any other strengths? Any other thing that you think would have helped you so far in your journey? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  12:34

And there it is. When you clean a place, you look back and you smile. It's the same thing with your children; when you look at how they are serving and going in the path that is pleasing to the Lord, you're going to be a very, very happy person. So I am grateful for my children; for continuing to look at serving in a greater capacity. So I get strength out of that. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  13:15

Seeing them bloom...? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  13:17

Yes and I just want to add on that it's not just my children. I would have spoken to a lot of children who went to the university and primary schools and secondary school, and most are doing well. So it is a joy to see the ones that you touch base with, they are doing well.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  13:46

In terms of challenges that you would have faced; how did you overcome it? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  13:52

Wow this is a beautiful question because I have a challenge of remembering. I tried to go to school. Even as an adult, I went to evening classes... and the fear is there and it is real where the schoolwork is concerned for me - it's still there.  It's still there, so you haven't been able to overcome that as yet? I could say halfway, because I could read in front of a lot of people. Hundreds of people, I could read in front of. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  14:39

Right, okay good. 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  14:41

Okay, and again, I give thanks to my parish that I was given the opportunities to do the readings on some Sundays to the congregation. So I’m grateful for that, you know. For that other part where writing is concerned, you know, there's still a challenge. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  15:08

Many people, they believe, you know, you talk about that challenge. How would you say that... you know, you talk about the reading; you talked about you still having the challenge with the writing. yet you have children who have graduated  from University, and stuff like that. How were you able to help those children? I know you spoke about the university people helping, but how were you able to personally help them, along with providing them with that additional support through other persons?

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  15:46

By reaching out to friends, very good friends, who were capable in that education field. So I am very grateful for that. I had a lot of - from since the children were growing up, from first year to second year - some good people who, you know, they would have known some of my struggles where the education is concerned. And they have assisted from since the children were in primary school until they were in university. In whatever way they could have, they have helped. They gave my children the attention that I could not have given them.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  16:36

I remember when I interviewed Jody, she said that she was living your dreams. I thought that was interesting. 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  16:46

Yes. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  16:50

What do you make of that statement? You're in agreement with that statement? How do you see that statement? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  16:57

So one thing everybody knows about me is that I'm a dreamer. And I always speak that this is what the children are going to do; I always speak about it even before they become it. Jody wanted to be a marine biologist, and I saw where she would be an excellent teacher. But I couldn't tell her that. So I bought a friend's daughter, for her to help the daughter with her lessons. And there it is: Jody started off giving lessons, which we would say is serving. That's what we call it, serving. I asked her to serve and she responded, and still is responding. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  17:48

I mean, you talk big on serving and service. If you had to describe that in your own words. I mean, people might say, well okay, I know what service is. But if I asked you to describe it in your own words, how would you describe that, how would you describe service? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  18:08

Service is that which gives you a smile on your face. When you can smile. As I could use that example, again: when you clean a place and you look back and you see the beauty of what you have done. So, in other words, you got to do it 100%. You got to do it from your heart. Anything you do, if you do it from inside, it is guaranteed that you will be pleased with yourself for a very long time. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  18:42

Now, you would have made many important decisions. I mean, you gave an example there with the children. When you are making important decisions, how do you tune into yourself to know that you are making the right decision? Do you usually follow your head, your heart, your gut, all three? What do you do? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  19:06

I pray. And before I was connected to church, we would have said that something inside of you tells you, until you got involved in Bible class and you understand that it was the Spirit that was speaking to you, you are able to hear more now, because you are able to understand. Serving comes from inside, and to serve others, is to make God happy. So whatever comes from inside has to be from God. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  19:48

You've met many young people and you interact with them. But not during this COVID time so much, but regularly in the past and in the future, when COVID is over. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future you will be interacting with people again; with young persons again. If it is you meet a young person and they're unsure of which direction to go in; what to do. What advice would you give that young person?

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  20:19

From examples of my family, my sister's family, and friends' family around: everybody young is serving in church, being involved in groups. Being involved, whether it's in community. For me, the key is being in a positive surrounding, in a positive project. You've got to find something; you've got to find something to be involved in. Whether it is a cricket team, whether it's a football team... but you got to find something positive to be involved with. Because it takes a whole village. It doesn't take just two persons: your mother and father. It takes a whole village. So you need a surrounding of positive people around you. And there it is - that energy will be able to transfer to even a weak link. If you are weak, somebody in that positive group is going to assist you too, which is what happened to me. I was always surrounded by positive people. So even though I was weak in my writing and my reading and spelling, I was able to rise above that. So I'm saying that not being strong in that department does not deter you from reaching the stars. Because that is where I feel I have reached now; I feel like I'm reaching to the stars. So I will advise any young person to get connected. Get connected to some positive groups and they will be guided. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  22:32

I think that is so important: being connected to a positive group and moving forward with that group. And just a final question: you've said several times, that you're a dreamer. You know, many people, they have dreams, but they never put anything into action. What do you think helped you to put things into action, to make the dreams become a reality? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  23:09

Wow. I had a word for it. I can't remember the word right now, but I have a word for it. I always had faith. So it wasn't just a dream in the night. The dream continued in the day, and I had faith that it would succeed. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  23:37

You had the belief? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  23:39

Yes.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  23:40

Yeah. You had the belief at what it is you... you know. There's the famous quote: what the mind of man believes, he can achieve, you know, you can achieve it. So once you believe it, you can achieve it. Any other words that you would like to say? 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  24:04

I just want to thank God for the opportunity to have put people in place so that you will be able to climb with a little assistance, and grow. And I wish that a lot of people will reach out to other young people, mothers, especially mothers, single mothers. Help them; give them that assistance to go up that stairs, that is there for them to climb. 

Beverly Foster-Hinds  24:42

Lyris, I'd like to thank you so much for being a part of Tune into yourself. 

Lyris Hazzard-Wilson  24:51

Dr. Beverly, it is my pleasure having this interview with you. And I want to thank you for even being a part of my children's lives from birth, till now. So I thank you very much for your service.

Beverly Foster-Hinds  25:09

You're most welcome. In this episode, Lyris emphasized the importance of service, serving from the heart, and implored young people to get connected. Whether it is to a church group or some type of Sporting Club. Please leave a review. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

@uplinksolutionstt.