Thank You

Well done to all the candidates who stood and courageously put themselves forward. Congratulations to everyone who was elected.

I have run a positive campaign. I made a conscious decision to focus on selling myself, my values and what I could offer, rather than finding or verbalising faults in my fellow candidates or the previous administration. If I was going to be elected, I wanted it to be on my own merit and credibility. That will always be my approach.

I am incredibly proud of myself, and yet understandably, I am also very disappointed.

As a mental health professional, I can't help but share this side of me. A colleague sent me a beautiful message saying that compassion is having the courage to enter human suffering and the dedication to alleviate it. Today, I am going to do the courageous thing and make space for the emotions I am experiencing.

Emotions, even uncomfortable ones, can sometimes be beautiful. They remind us that we cared, that it mattered to us, and that we were brave enough to put ourselves out there.

Emotions are also a powerful communication tool, and mine are telling me that this isn't necessarily the end of the journey. Perhaps, in time, they will guide me to try again.

I love my job. I help people every day, and I am incredibly grateful for that. But, in equal measure, I know I am not reaching my full potential, and that was one of the reasons I decided to stand.

Having said that, you don't need to be a Tynwald Member to make a difference to your community. There are many ways to contribute, to help others and to create positive change, and I intend to continue doing that.

Thank you for all the kind emails and messages that have been coming my way. Your words of encouragement, support and kindness mean more than you probably realise.

I'm glad to have contributed towards emotional literacy today, and finally, well done to Stephen Broad and Alfred Cannan.