I am a writer. I write what I remember. I write what I feel. Remembering Anne, our faithfully departed on All Hallows’ Eve.

Confidence is a skill. A slow burning, long lasting skill. One you develop over time with practice, patience and persistence. In the lead up to the Women in Leadership Summit 2019, I thought I would share my thoughts on the quality and the dance of confidence.

Unexpectedly coming face to face with the broken child within me. A piece about body image, shame, acceptance and walking proud.

A good guide is a subtle guide. One who will make suggestions but allow you to make the call about what you explore. One who steps back at the right time to let you experience the place you have chosen. Writing about guided meditations and the subtle guide.

I had no idea I was such a FOMO! That I had such a fear of missing out! But it is true. I hate missing out on a gathering, party, drink, film or conversation. Musing about the fear of missing out, in order to come to terms with this fear and let it go.

So, this is an invitation to anyone inspired to join me to try one plant-based meal a day, or do a week of meat-free dinners, if you don’t already. You don’t have to become fanatical about things or make sweeping changes to your life. But we can all make a difference even through some of the small changes we make in our lives. Let’s make a difference to our health and the health of the planet.

What is there not to like about the word ‘grace’ and what it is reminding us? To walk through life, gently holding grace in the palm of your hand. To reach out with grace. For grace to be what greets people first. In every interaction. In every situation. To live with grace. To die with grace. To be remembered with grace.

It is not as the idiom states. It is not ‘time that heals all wounds’. We aren’t passive participants in our recovery. It isn’t time which heals, it is life. Living our life is what heals the wounds, both physically and emotionally.

With only eight days to go of Blogtober after today, I thought it might be nice to write about the number eight. Although what ended up coming out was not what I originally intended. Oh well. Giving in to writing about being eight.

With nine days to go of Blogtober, I thought it might be time to honour my dear friend and his love of camping and dogs! Thanks for giving me the okay to use you as inspiration. Writing about resisting the things we love.

Life is not a race. We aren’t all in our set lanes competing with each other. Comparing our times and performances and place. A caution about comparison.

Sharing my journey of falling for ‘The Jerk’. No matter how I have resisted he has got me! He has won me over. And look out, if you haven’t fallen for him already, you will find his laugh adorable, his elf-like features appealing, his ideas and words life changing. It is absurd to call him a jerk, but I have.

I am so very grateful for my friends. I am who I am because of their love, trust and honesty. My dearest friends, you bring the colour into my life. Thank you.

‘The best-laid plans of mice and men/Go oft awry’ Robert Burns, 1785. How correct he was. How correct he is. Writing about the willingness to start over in the face of disappointment in life.

When people leave this earth, they leave a gift behind. For us to enjoy. Something for us to hold onto. To remember them by. For us to have them in our hearts. Nearby.

Most of us are living a fast food version of life. Maybe it is time to take some time. To savour life. To be with life. For a while. Taking time to write about slow cooking our lives.

I have a deep connection to my dear friend Lisa, and it is because of her I am, what my family now call me, a ‘blogzombie’! When Lisa came up with the brilliant idea to do a post together halfway through Blogtober, if we were still going with it, I loved it. And here we are. Writing freely. Like our friendship. Bouncing off each other. Seeing what comes next. This piece is about friendship, and synergies with my writing buddy.

Yesterday I watched a young woman show herself and the rest of the world what she is made of. I watched her lift everyone around her as she ran the 10km run of the Melbourne Marathon. We were all awe struck, proud and inspired. Writing about hope and inspiration, and an amazing young woman.

Who we are is determined by who walked before us, and who walks before us and within us. The generations past are here in the present. Writing about how we carry inside us the thousands who have walked before us. We carry them in our hearts and souls.

As we age, the rough edges of our youth soften. Smoothed by life experiences, knowledge gathered, life and loss. Writing about wisdom and growing up. Being at peace with getting older.

A shout out to all those mums out there. The mums doing their thing. Sacrificing a little or a lot of themselves in more ways than one. Unapologetically selfless. You know who you are. I’ve got a message for you.

Today, the 10th day of October is a birthday festival. Three of my closest friends are celebrating their birthdays today. So I thought it might be kind of cute to write them a birthday blog. I bet they’ve never gotten one of those before. Featuring one of the worst limericks ever written.

Nine days into Blogtober, I thought it might be funny to get inside my husband’s head and share what I think I would hear! A little tongue in cheek piece.

Ever since I was a young teenager I have been fascinated by Aromatherapy. I love the potion-like characteristics of the essential oils: the tiny dark-glassed bottles they come in, their potency and their delicate nature. Exploring the power of our sense of smell.

A tribute to the person who gave me my love of stories and storytelling. Of moral tales, talking animals and fairytales. Of memories, personal triumphs and of love.

Writing about the ridiculousness of feeling like daylight savings has robbed me of an hour of my life. My irrationality driven by Blogtober -I need all the hours of the day!

We all have something to forgive, or someone. And often the person to forgive is ourselves. The journey to forgiveness can be a long winding road with obstacles born from our unwillingness to release the person from the offending act. Learning the art of forgiveness takes practice.

Exploring what happens to us in life as we grow. Thinking deeply about why our joy diminishes, dilutes, becomes elusive or unnoticeable. Sharing how to rediscover the joy in the layers of your life.

I have been thinking a lot about the heart lately. What it does. What it symbolises. What moves mine. With an unusual flutter now and then, mine tends to draw attention when I get too wrapped up in the world. Intrigued by what makes our heart swell with emotion, alongside our tears, is the inspiration for this piece.

We live well planned lives. It is pretty much mapped out way in advance. There isn’t room for uncertainty. There isn’t tolerance for uncertainty. Certainty is king. Maybe it is time to make room for uncertainty and sit with it for a while.

The first of October marks day one of Rocktober, a month of celebrating rock music. It also marks day one of Blogtober. Both of these things I hadn’t heard of before. And to be honest, I still don’t know much about either of them. Other than the fact that Blogtober is about taking on the challenge to write a blog post every day for 31 days, and I am doing it. Crazy, I hear you say? I know.