Author: Amanda Viviers

These last few weeks I have been feeling an internal stretch.

Maybe it is the fact that I have been on a whole food journey and have cut out processed goods but I kind of think that there is something more than just this.

In fact, I feel like the realignment of ‘my food as fuel theme’ in my health world, has been shifting the clarity of my view for the next season.

It is funny that something as simple as cutting out sugar and junk, has brought clarity to a fog and a energy to stand strong moving towards our future as a family.

I was watching my son this morning playing at the park and I felt these words echoing around my head.

‘Embrace the stretch of the season.’

Embrace it.

I have realised often the stretch in the current season, grows our capacity for the opportunity in the next.

If we lean away and refuse the stretch, the weight of the next responsibility, the courage for the new and the grace for better days becomes so much harder.

As Autumn shifts to Winter, so does our seasons in life.

What is stretching you in this season?

Are you embracing the stretch or refusing it?

Are you allowing the season to grow you or shrink you?

Are you stuck in a season thats gone by and cannot find the grace in this one?

The stretch in my season, is telling myself no, when I want to say yes.

The stretch in my season is working hard, when all I want to do is lie on the couch and sleep.

The stretch in my season is to stop myself from talking bad about someone and believing the best.

The stretch in my season is to pick up my bible and read rather than watch Netflix.

The stretch in my season is to watch a podcast full of great perspective, help and truth, rather than watch the news.

The stretch in my season is to turn on some great music rather than have the news declaring calamity in the background of my morning.

The stretch in my season is to save money, rather than spend. Ready for the new that is coming.

The stretch in my season is to hang out with people who inspire and motivate me to be everything I can be rather than people who complain, moan and bitch.

This is some of my stretch.

Honest, vulnerable but essentially the truest part of me.

How about you?

What is your stretch and are you embracing it?

As we look out on the field of possibility for the new season in our days, what is holding you back from growing?

Most winters I fall in love with tea all over again but this winter more than ever, as I walk the journey towards whole foods and eliminating processed goods out of my families diet, this little bag of chai has become my friend.

I am so excited to announce that Seven Seas Tea is one of the partners for our October Inspire 15 Women’s Creative Retreat. It will be a secret till the delegates receive their bag what tea they will get to sample, but in the mean time check out what they are all about.

Here is some of their fabulous story;

‘The Seven Seas journey began many years ago in Africa when my mother gave me a Mazawatee Tea tin. “You remind me of the little girl in the picture” she said referring to my love of tea. This tin was my first treasured possession and I still have it to this very day.

Fast forward 30 years to a teahouse in Singapore with two inspirational friends and the idea for Seven Seas Tea was born: As a tea drinker in a world of coffee and hipster-baristas I was feeling a little neglected. I wanted to spice things up and make having a cup of tea an unforgettable experience.

After returning home to Margaret River, Western Australia I set about sourcing the tastiest teas I could find from around the globe. Each tea has been carefully selected and blended by hand. I package it with love in the fresh country air with the roar of the mighty Indian Ocean close by.

Seven Seas Tea promises to bring you the flavours of the world in your tea cup. Take a journey of discovery to India, Africa, Asia and beyond. Who knows what you will find there?’

Jump onto their website and say hello to our new friend Cathy and her sweet family from South Western Australia and stock up on some local goodness this winter.

I am inspired by people who creatively bring excellence to the small business community in Western Australia.

This time last week a young homeless man died in my local area. He was the second in the last month and last winter a thirty five year old woman died as she was camping next to a local lake less than five minutes drive from my house.

I have personally always been moved deeply about poverty most of my life. Despite this I am often moved by the stories of those overseas. I am learning the more I fall in love with my local area through an initiative that we have just started called Secrets in the Bay that the need locally is just as moving, if not more present locally than overseas.

It is a complex problem and many would say there is no need for a person to be homeless in Australia due to the governments programs that are available, but the situations are real and the people’s stories are difficult.

My Mum and Her Twin Sister run two really amazing grassroots programs in our local area, one called the SOUL Soup Patrol and also the House of Hope. SOUL Soup Patrol goes out twice a week serving the local homeless and The House of Hope houses pregnant women off the streets. This week they sent out an opportunity to respond to the situation locally and the response for volunteers has been overwhelming.

One of their facebook posts was viewed over 40,000 times and shared over 500 times. Now what they are needing is for people to donate $77 to buy a swag for the people in our local area to stay warm through the cold of winter.

Here are the details below for people to respond immediately by buying a swag:

Name: Servants of United Love Incorporated
BSB: 036074  Acc: 420774

These donations are tax deductible. Please place the reference “Swags” on your deposit. Please email soulsouppatrol@hotmail.com if you want a receipt for the end of financial year tax deductions emailed to you.

I am realising that there is much need in our world, but often it is easier to ignore what is happening in our own backyard and become enamoured with the glamour of helping someone overseas. I am not saying it is bad, I am just asking that we look who is in our everyday and consider how we can help.

Local seriously is my new black?

Could this be a revolution, I hope so.

Let me introduce two of the most formative leaders in my career so far ‘Penny Webb‘ and ‘Kelley Chisholm‘. They have both been my boss, my critic, my friends and after yesterday’s leadership session my Aunties.

In my local church, the way I voluntarily serve is by coordinating a leadership project with Karina Chicote, where we create safe spaces for women under 30 in leadership to grow. We do this through peer mentoring, pastoral care, leadership Q + A’s, resource, books, opportunities, events and conversations, that all intentionally make room for them to lead.

One of the greatest gifts I had as a young leader was women ahead of me that made room. They saw my weakness, they heard my insecurities, they held me accountable to my commitments and they created space.

As a leader, are you creating space for next generation leaders to come and learn?

It is something I believe is greatly missing in the cultures of many organisations. Women lead so differently than men and the need for safe spaces without comparison and competition is imperative. To sit and listen to the hearts of two women who have been involved in leadership, mentoring, not for profits, leading change in huge organisations, bring wisdom and grace was so inspiring.

Kelley was speaking about the current trend of mentoring and she explained it this way. “As women in leadership, its like we all need an Aunty sitting in the background, available for tea, telling us where we could grow, encouraging us with little words filled with grace.” Every woman in leadership needs an Aunty; someone who has their back but will tell you when you have a rip in your pants or green spinach in your teeth.

The session yesterday talked about “Wisdom as a leader on all forms of social media” “Being physically and emotionally strong as a leader”, “Being strong but not bossy”, “Finding your list of leadership ethics that you will not waver on no matter the forum”, “leading in all arenas of life” and so much more.

Women in leadership so often face greater competition than men, so to have a space where no question is avoided and encouragement is deeply engrained in the soft words spoken is such a gift.

The leadership project is only a year and a half old. Karina and I hope that young women would find their place and lead with courage and strength. We don’t come thinking we have all the answers, but are so determined to keep putting ourselves in environments that challenge, stretch and grow us.

I feel so grateful for my leadership Aunties. They have helped me more than they will ever know.

Penny, Kelley and I started this not for profit Kinwomen which is all about encouraging women to start conversations that matter.

It’s actually not that hard to create space for young women to grow and learn, sometimes its as simple as opening your lounge room, turning on the kettle, inviting them in and sitting on the couch.

Speak again soon,