The night after my book launch – I am sitting in a cafe in Melbourne reflecting on what it meant to me.
Laying Bare the Power of You is my attempt at helping others to appreciate and realise their own brilliance – what they have to offer in the world.
And a big part of the message is ‘get out of your own way’. Dr Laura Hougaz (Relationships Manager Foyer Partnerships, Education First Youth Foyers) works with homeless youth – now her work is awe inspiring – she is really making a difference. And she asked me what I would say to a teenage girl sitting on the street – homeless – what message could I give her. It is a great question and struck me as all the more powerful given my incredibly privileged, middle class position – what would I know of the desperation, fear, struggles of a young woman who has no home, maybe no hope. It was humbling. I just wrote a book on self-empowerment – there are hundreds of things I could say – but suddenly, they all sounded trite – cliche even.
To the young woman sitting on the street, homeless, I would say: “You matter” and believe it from the bottom of my heart.
So when I thought about this evening, the one thing that really struck home for me was the unconditional support from those that were in front of me – my friends. They were there to support me in a moment when I was laying myself bare.
And it occurred to me that we can’t do this on our own – it is not just about us. To find and stand in our own power we need a network of caring people – who see the brilliance in us and believe in us – who are absolutely convinced that we matter.
I am overwhelmingly grateful for your belief and support. Thank you xx
PS – A huge thank you to Vicki McDermid (shown here with me). She is the Partner for Diversity and Inclusion at Pitcher Partners and hosted my launch. Vicki is one powerful lady!!
