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The Gift of Limitations
Do you know what I’ve realised? In my quest to grow as a person and lead myself well, I switched into thinking that limitations were simply a problem that I needed to solve with the right strategy or amount of effort. This wasn’t a conscious thought and my words said the opposite. But deep down, I was trying to eliminate all signs of being fragile. What if those limitations are actually a key to growth and self-leadership? “In my finite life, the mundane has begun to sparkle. The things I love- the things I should love- become clearer, brighter.” Kate Bowler- No Cure For Being Human This is the gift…
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To the women who have gone before me
March- a month to celebrate women and raise awareness of the issues still faced. As I was thinking about what I wanted to write this month, I was suddenly struck by such gratitude for those who have come before me. People have shared stories of incredible women who have forged the way for those to follow. I have read stories to my daughter and heard her amazement at the conditions women lived (and in some cases continue to live) in. We can view our current realities through the perspective of these women in history- both recent and long past. I may not know all of their names or stories but…
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Wrestling with feelings of failure
Two months into the year and it already looks completely different than I thought it would in some ways. I knew that there would be challenges and that income would need to be a higher priority. Launching a new program into schools and youth organisations was difficult last year. It has now become impossible for the near future. The bubble we’ve been living in here in Perth has officially burst and we are dealing with the fuller impact of COVID that others have been living through for a long time. I made a decision that had me wrestling with feelings of failure. The situation My husband came to me to…
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My focus for a new year- 2022
Don’t you wish that a new year actually meant a completely fresh start? We hear so much rhetoric around this. It leaves me feeling disillusioned or like I am failing somehow. The reality is that the challenges I was facing last year didn’t magically disappear when I switched to a new calendar. I am still the same person bringing in the same habits and thinking patterns. The external circumstances haven’t changed and, in fact, are likely to get worse over the coming months. It would be easy to give in to despair and write off setting any goals or intentions. I have a choice whether to stay in victim mode…
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End of year reflections
Are you the kind of person who spends time reflecting and planning at the end of the year? I wasn’t for a long time but have been doing this in one form or another for the past several years. It is a process that I have come to both love and dread. Often, I wait until December or even January to do this but this year I started early. Having seen the benefit of end of year reflections in my own life, I want to share a few thoughts with you. What I am doing this year Before we dig into the benefits, let me share what I am doing…
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How I am dealing with discouragement
I sat at my desk with my laptop open in front of me. The desk hid a box of unsold books and other boxes of resources and gifts for events that hadn’t happened. My microphone lay off to the side reminding me that I had skipped recording a podcast last month. Emails arrived in my inbox with disappointing news of low conference registrations, disengaged leaders and continuing decline in numbers for the organisation. That niggly voice in the back of my mind asked how much longer we could go with my business bringing in so little income. I was ready to shut it all down under the weight of discouragement.…
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What would I change about ‘Stepping Up In Leadership’?
It has been two years since ‘Stepping Up In Leadership’ was released into the world. Two years doesn’t seem like much time in some ways. Then I stop and consider the change in my leadership role, leaving my employment for my own business and a global pandemic hitting. Two years can contain a huge amount of growth, pain, learning and stretching. Earlier this year the audiobook version was released. Reading through each word carefully as I recorded it had me thinking about what would be different if I was to write the book today. What would I change? What hasn’t changed I’ll start with one thing that definitely has not…
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My favourite things this winter
I sit here in a beanie and Oodie, with the heater pulled in close. It has been a very wet and cold (for Perth standards!) winter. My office and house are always cold. I am constantly seeking comfort and warmth. It got me thinking about some of my favourite things over these past few months so I am sharing them with you. I know some of you are roasting in summer weather right now so maybe this list will be a helpful prep list. (Some of the links I will share are affiliate links. This means I get a small commission for purchases made but at no extra cost to…
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A much needed midyear reset
How is it possible that we are halfway through the year already?! I know I’m not the only one saying that right now. We can feel swept along by the fullness of life and not notice the passage of time. Suddenly we become aware of the date and how much of 2021 is behind us. Does that bring up a sense of exhaustion or anxiety in you? For me, I feel the effort that has been expended in these first six months. I look ahead to the amount I still need to do and the projects not yet completed. I need a midyear reset. It would be easy to be…
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What I’ve learned from audiobooks this year
Audiobooks have become a key way that I read books these days. They allow me to pursue growth, understanding or even entertainment while I take care of other demands on my time. I can do housework or drive to my next stop while learning. I know this is true for many people these days. The main downside I have found is that I don’t always stop and reflect on what I am gleaning from the words. So I am taking some time today to reflect on what I have learned from audiobooks so far this year. Maybe you will learn something or be inspired to reflect yourself. These are the…
Encouragement for women in leadership
