Mr Pilisi explains that the context behind his research topic stems from his interest in our lived experiences as Pacific people and how our worldview shapes the way we selflessly serve in different areas of our lives.  

"My research question is asking New Zealand born Pacific people, is it selfish to look after yourself? We often place our energy, resources, love and time into various areas and from a strength based point of view, we do it with the collective in mind because we are community driven and family driven.  

"Serving our families and communities is our superpower, but it can be easy to forget about yourself and filling your own cup. So my interest in this topic comes from personal experiences of wanting to be useful for my family and communities but at times finding myself stretched." 

Reflecting on his topic, Mr Pilisi hopes to spotlight the importance of self-care and normalising conversations about burnout.  

"I'm essentially asking the awkward question of what our relationship is with ourselves and figuring out ways in which we can advocate or suggest smarter and better ways of living. 

"My early ideas around this is trying to create a framework of how we might understand wellbeing, selflessness, selfishness and how we might avoid burnout; in the same means, potentially use that as a way to create a self-assessment tool." 

Mr Pilisi says the PMA Knowledge Hub has been a key support for him throughout his studies.  

"The support I have received from the PMA Knowledge Hub has been incredible. When looking to undertake postgraduate study, there's a lot to consider and I am especially grateful for the financial support from the Knowledge Hub; it is one less thing for me to worry about knowing that one side of the journey has been taken care of. 

"I'm very thankful for the opportunities afforded to me and see it as a responsibility to sow and put energy into doing my best to work with Pacific people but also champion the ways forward via this research."