Author: Amanda Viviers

Place: Milkd

Poison: Long Mac

Favourite Things: Thinking about the conference I have just walked away from…

Today I attended a world wide leadership summit, where 70,000 leaders around the world are sitting watching video cast of leadership teaching and inspiration. Here in Perth, there would have been maybe 500 people sitting receiving teaching from the worlds best in leadership training.

The last session was an interview with Bono (u2), an address to leaders about world poverty and the AIDS crisis, and I am numb. I can’t say I am a U2 groupie, so for those who have bono fatigue stop right now and go to www.bonofatigue.com and get over yourself.

For the rest of you, here are my simple reflections on the interview. I love their music, no I’m not going to their concert, not because I didn’t want too, just wasn’t a financial priority at the time when tickets went on sale. Anyway, despite the mockers and the die hard fans, wow this man has something to say.

Not just something to say, but a passion that dwells so deep, it threatens to cause a tsnuami of poverty relief, due to the deep purpose that is set in his heart.

I am not a christian who is jumping on the Bono band wagon, because he reads and digests scripture. I am deeply moved by what he has said, ‘Celebrity is just a currency, and I have decided to use mine to eradicate poverty’.

I sat in this big auditorium, full of leaders and I said to God, My God, ‘What is it lord that one person like me can do…’

What is it that you can do, because we have the potential for this generation to eradicate poverty, AIDS, the gulf between the first and third world. We actually do have power, the power we have is a voice to make a difference one child, one life, one dollar at a time.

What I loved from his interview was this statement ‘The part of the Lord’s prayer that moves me the most is “On earth as it is in heaven”…’

Me too, I don’t want to wait till heaven to find the source of life. I want to help bring it to earth as it is in heaven.

Another thing that struck me that he said was ‘I am nothing special, I am just strategic. I use the influence I have as a strategy’

Some more amazing, thought provoking statements…

Grace turns our world upside down

Love thy neighbour is not a request its a commandment

2003 scriptural versus talk about the poor, only one speaks about judgement, and that relates to the poor also, so why is the church so often judging sexual issues, moral issues, instead of just loving the poor.

Stop asking God to bless what your doing, find what God is doing, it’s already blessed.

hmmm

So what if you have Bono fatigue, he’s actually doing something.

What are you doing?

A

 

Place: My Office

Poison: Diet Coke

Favourite Things: My white watch!

Last night chatting with friends, we had a big discussion on what actually is your heart? I know sounds very deep, but I found also very intriguing.

See we all get so busy with the external that it is so easy to loose track of the internal in our lives. When someone says ‘put your heart into it’ or ‘my heart is broken’ or ‘be still my beating heart’, what exactly do we really mean?

Heart means far more than emotions or feelings. James Houston says ‘The centre of those qualities that make us human…the innermost part of human personality’. That’s what I believe your and my heart is.

See I think the internal, the realm of our heart is way more important than anything, the external focused world relys upon. I don’t think we should be lead by our hearts, but without checking the condition of our heart, it is so hard to open yourself to new and exciting parts of your destiny. How easy is it to live with a heart that is shut down by fear. Our external emotions are merely an outward expression of a deeper reality.

The heart does not respond to principles and programs; it seeks not to be efficient, but seeks passion, art, poetry, music, beauty, mystery, joy…The list goes on and on.

These are what rouse the heart, male and female alike. Its just the way we respond to them that differs. Indeed they are the language that must be spoken if one wishes to communicate with the heart.

For me I don’t want to be heart driven, (emotional and inconsistent) but I don’t want to be disengaged throughout my life either. The problem I have found in my life is I am either lead by love or lead by fear. It is fear of rejection and fear of mistrust that has created so many scars in my heart realm.

Creativity, life, moments, kindness, love, are all captured by the heart.

A vulnerable but satisfying place to dwell.

BIG HEARTED PEOPLE, MAKE THE WORLD A JOY!

heartfelt

A

 

Place: My Office

Poison: Water

Favourite Things: I’m not sure…

G K Chesterton once wrote ‘An adventure is by its nature a thing that comes to us. It is a thing that chooses us, not a thing we choose.’

I so believe that life is an adventure and this quote makes me smile. I am smiling because so often I find myself in places and around things that I would never have chosen for myself.

Is your life an adventure?

If its not, open your eyes to the spontaneous and the creative surrounding you, and unravel a new plotline of deep proportions.

Alice wasn’t looking for Wonderland. Lucy wasn’t looking for the cupboard that led to Narnia. I know these are fairytales, but for me I never dreamed of living the life that I am living, and sometimes it frustrates me, but I choose to see it all as a wild, extravagant adventure. Even when I double book myself, loose my keys and run out of petrol. Life is an adventure, its all about how you see it and what you do with what is thrown at you.

Just had a great catch up with two of my lovely, adorable staff, and I have come away thinking, wow this thing called life is such an adventure. Most of the time we really have no idea what we are doing, but we are trying our darndest to keep the ball in play and not trip over in the process.

Live a life of adventure, its got nothing to do with exotic locations and movie star set, its got everything to do with the everyday randomness of life and how you respond to it.

Going out to coffee tonight, drive a different way, smile at a stranger, pay for someone’s petrol just because you can.

I just did!

Here’s to more laughter, more intimacy, more  beauty, more anticipation.

Here’s to the adventure!

AMP

Place: Milkd

Poison: Long Mac

Favourite Things: Tunes in the background…

I am on a bit of a health kick at the moment. I think the thought of turning a new decade brings that out in most of us. So walking, weighing and measuring are taking up some of my thought content.

Ps- the guy accross from me in the cafe just got his breakfast, took one mouthful and then let out a big, mmmm, and then a sigh. My interpretation: a guy, who misses his mums cooked breakies!!

Anyway, random diversion…So last night lying in bed I was thinking about what measurements are used for our happiness? What is a measurement for success? What is our measurement of rich versus poor?

See with weight, with size, with capacity, we have measurements- when cooking I have measurements to make sure I stick to the recipe and my bank has monetary measurements of how much I have in my bank account…

When it comes to happiness and success however there are no real measurements. With no boundaries, or measures it is hard to plan and move forward. Yet I am not sure at this stage of my life what measures my happiness. I am not sure what measures my success. I am not sure what measures whether I am rich or poor in a heart context not just financially.

One of my favourite thoughts ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!’

What takes my breath away? Do I allow society to provide the measure of my happiness? Do I allow culture to create the boundaries of my success?

See I am beginning to take stock of what is worth fighting for and what is not. A passionate young lass, I often find myself emotionally engaged in battles that in turn affect the measure of my happiness, success and life, yet in the bigger scheme of things they mean basically squat!

Sooooo, I have no answers on what measures happiness, maybe you do…But its a good journey to start on.

What defines your happiness? I know what society and culture says should ‘money, love, position etc etc’ But what really does measure and define mine?

Tell me your thoughts I am really interested to know…

Perplexed

A