Leaders Listen Deeply: Her Excellency Ms Sam Mostyn, the new Governor General of Australia spoke about her new role and what she believes is essential to a good leader. A lot of her time is spent connecting with everyday Australians and she believes that listening deeply is one of the most important things for leaders to do. I found it encouraging to know that her primary desire is to listen and share the insights of everyday Australians with the Prime Minister. Our democratic process can be incredibly powerful. I was also deeply encouraged because the student leaders have already expressed a desire to do this.  

      Leaders Persist: Dayne Zorko, former captain and current superstar of the Brisbane Lions, shared his story about how he got into this team. The level of resilience and persistence Dayne showed to get into this team was astounding. I often look at professional athletes and feel inspired by what our bodies can achieve. What inspired me, listening to Dayne, was the sheer level of grit and determination that an athlete needs to possess. His advice was to focus on your goals, especially when times are hard, you have an injury or you don't achieve what you want, to keep focus, plan and try again. The level of commitment and dedication to his dreams is inspiring. 

      Leaders Overcome: I found Kasey Rainbow's (an artist and author) honesty and vulnerability encouraging. She teared up at the start of her session, and admitted it was hard for her to speak to so many people. The students broke out clapping in support. She took a breath and composed herself. She then proceeded to tell us about why she had said yes and a bit of her story. She wanted to encourage a young generation. What I took away from her session was how powerful it can be to overcome your barriers. Giving that presentation was not easy for her, but she did it and that fact alone was inspiring. We should be gentle with ourselves when we have obstacles to overcome but that shouldn't inhibit us from saying yes to things that are scary or intimating. Success comes by putting yourself out there. Everyone is special! If we share with others we can inspire, encourage, and support them too. 

      Leaders Fall Forward: Todd Hazelwood, a Supercars driver spoke about how surviving the tough days is so important. That you sometimes need to get creative to achieve your dreams. In an industry that needs a lot of financial backing Todd's family didn't have enough to get him to the professional level. He became his own fundraising champion. As someone who needs to fundraise, I found comfort in the fact I have so little to attain in comparison to what he had to fundraise! If you would like to donate to the Chaplaincy service, please send me an email and I can forward you the link.  

Have a great week,

Chappy Astrid