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Trust the engineer

We often do things in our everyday that we have blindly trusted someone we will never meet.

When we step in a car, we trust the engineers that made it’s engine.

When we sit on a bus, we trust the driver and his mechanic.

When we fly on a plane, we trust the pilots and his staff.

We often trust many people who we have never met.

However one of the greatest responses people give me when I say that I am trusting God for something, is this ‘How can you trust someone you have never met?’

My response is, ‘He’s proven faithful so many times.’

Like the years I thought I would never be a Mum. Trusted Him, proven faithful.

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Like the years I have watched my friends go through deep, dark tunnels of sadness, when they have come through to the otherside: faithful.

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This weekend my dear friend Annie will watch her first daughter Hannah be married. I am so grateful that I am here in New Zealand for this beautiful moment. Tunnel for Annie is however, her dear husband Craig died two years ago suddenly.

She never dreamed that this day in her families life would be quite like it has turned out.

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This photo here is of my dearest friend Annie in the green and her two daughters on the ends of the photo and one bridesmaid sitting to her right.

The engineer has not finished the story yet. He is at work in the midst of this picture.

Can’t you see it?

I can.

Amanda

Ps- if you are in a tunnel right now, hang on and trust the engineer.

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time

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Somedays we feel like we have all the time in the world and then suddenly we are shocked by the clock and finiteness.

We flew through Sydney this week for one day. Twenty four little hours and we chose to hang out with our friends. Max and Judah who are born two weeks apart ripped their shirts off in a cafe and did only what boys can do well; explored.

Moments captured.

Moments enjoyed.

My friend from Ireland posted this yesterday and it got me really thinking

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Are we truly aware of the moments that pass us daily?

Are we present to those who are around us who will not be always there?

This week I have also spent time with friends who I only get to see briefly when I am in New Zealand but they are the deepest of friends with whom we share such fond memories.

We have cried, laughed and sat silent with each other this week soaking in moments that seem all too fleeting in this stage of our lives.

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This Christmas do not take time for granted. Although some moments drag and others speed along unnoticed, take time to embrace every moment with those who you love.

I have become so much more aware of the fragility of life lately and I am making it my mission to celebrate with those I love every moment I have.

Christmas is not just about money and food and presents.

It’s about time.

The time we take to breathe in our loved ones and breathe out our thankful hearts at their presence in our lives.

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meraki

pelicans

One thing that often holds me back from truly expressing my unique self is trust. I can falter at really putting my heart and soul into something with a team of people out of fear that I will be misunderstood, that I will mess up the friendship.

My trust has been broken creatively, with friends who I embarked on projects with, organisations that I had thought I would forever be a part of, myself, failure, doubt and also insecurity.

In the past I have tried to control situations creatively to feel like I won’t be taken advantage of, out of fear or my own issues.

To be able to put our whole self into something though we need to let go of control. We need to fly free, we need to fly in formation with others creatively allowing whatever needs to happen to occur.

I think the most productive people are great at working in a team and put their whole heart and soul into the project, but at the right time let go of the controls.

Are you a team leader, but struggle to empower people creatively?

Do you love the thought of working creatively in a team, but then try to control the outcome?

“I have come to accept the feeling of not knowing where I am going. And I have trained myself to love it. Because it is only when we are suspended in mid-air with no landing in sight, that we force our wings to unravel and alas begin our flight. And as we fly, we still may not know where we are going to. But the miracle is in the unfolding of the wings. You may not know where you’re going, but you know that so long as you spread your wings, the winds will carry you.” C Joy Bell.

What a fabulous quote.

I was walking the beach this morning and one of my favourite parts of walking the beach is watching the flocks of pelican’s fly in formation to their island home. They are huge, wild birds on their own, but when they fly in formation they are formiddable.

I cannot see them without taking a breath and being inspired.

I found a word this morning also that I was also ruminating on as I watched the flock of birds;

meraki [may-rah-kee] (adjective)

This is a word that modern Greeks often use to describe doing something with soul, creativity, or love — when you put “something of yourself” into what you’re doing, whatever it may be. Meraki is often used to describe cooking or preparing a meal, but it can also mean arranging a room, choosing decorations, or setting an elegant table.

How do we put our everything into a creative pursuit, but at the same time not forcing or  controlling the outcome?

How do we passionately carry our ideas, yet let go at the point of submission and bring forth the best?

I believe the power of team is the answer.

Flying free in the slipstream of the strength that a team of people flying in formation brings.

When you collaborate, consult, submit, work with others, it can be frustrating because often you have to lay down your idea, for the development of a new one for the power of the team.

That’s where the flight of the pelican comes in.

When they fly together, they expend less energy and are able to go to new places, that they would never be able to go to by themselves.

There are creative opportunities that are available to you, that you will never achieve their heights or depths without the power of team.

Without the wings of another, you will not reach the places creatively you are called to.

So, my big thought today is;

Put your everything into your creative pursuit but let go of the controls and allow people in to work together on the project.

Lay down your pride

Open yourself to new opportunities and feedback

Fly in formation.

Amanda

PS- I have had over 125 people download the application form for the Creative Internship and am looking at creative ways to find placements for the people that apply. So please get involved, I really want to hear your dreams and passions and maybe we can collaborate on something together in the future.

 

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discover your brave self!

Brave

Creativity is not for the faint hearted.

I don’t believe creativity is a personality type, a preference, a gift or a disposition.

I believe creativity is a skill, a culture of ones life, where we open our hearts and lives to innovation and inspiration.

The only reason some people are more creative than their neighbours, is they take time to position themselves in a stance to receive and be inspired with creative ideas and opportunities.

Fear so often holds us back from expressing the fullness of our potential.

Fear of being disliked, fear that our produce won’t be good enough.

Afraid of our imperfections.

I love this quote from Alan Ada;

“Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You cannot get there by bus, only by hard work, risking and by not quite knowing what you are doing. What you will discover will be wonderful.”

What new opportunity do you need to put your brave undies on for?

What have you always wished to do, but have been paralysed in fear?

Maybe an internship opportunity like this? Creative Internship

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or maybe committing to a project like this? Inspire 14 is all about committing to something everyday for the year of two thousand and fourteen.

#inspire14

What is it that you are afraid to do?

Conquer it.

Conquer yourself.

Commit!

See you tomorrow

Amanda

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the fear of…

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The day I gave birth to my son was not a day full of beauty and glowing moments of peace and wonder, it was scary, it was overwhelming, it was out of control.

I started the day quite simply, rolling over and seeing my husband and smiling, so grateful for the blessings that had been bestowed. Then it all went out of hand from there. Like completely cray cray.

I leaned over to my husband and a massive splash of water proceeded to break. I squealed a little as I thought I had wet the bed, but it turned out that my waters had well and truly broken.

My husband jumped quickly and grabbed our hospital bag. He had rehearsed our trip to the hospital and was prepared for the mad dash there. His GPS was set, his heart was nervous, he was ready for this significant change in our lives. I stopped him on the way out of the house though and said ‘I need to go to the coffee shop!’ He was like ‘You are crazy why?’ I said ‘I know it’s going to be a long day, so I need a coffee and some breakfast otherwise I am not going to make it through the birth’.

My Mr knew that when I had my mind set on something he could never convince me otherwise, so there we found ourselves waiting at ‘the dome’, me in the car writing my blog post (I had committed to writing everyday that year) and him shaking his head and hands as he asked for two fierce flat whites to go.

Commitment.

When I said I was going to write every day for 366 days of that year. I did.

Was it easy, no.

Were there days that I struggled, yes.

But I did it.

The rest of my first little one’s birth day wasn’t as smooth as expected. He came two weeks early, as we ran into the hospital I threw up every bit of the coffee and wrap I had eaten in haste for sustenance and strength.

We were then sent home, to wait for the contractions to beat.

When we got home, we forgot that a tiler had been booked to finish our bathroom renovation.

So I huffed and puffed in my room and a few feet away a complete stranger fixed our bathroom so our baby could have a room to bathe when he came home.

Awkward, yes.

We went back to the hospital late that night and were quickly rushed in for an emergency Caesarean, because a cord was around my little man’s neck and every contraction constricted him to a point of heart slowing down and near death.

Chaotic, yes.

Crazy, yes.

Not how I imagined, of course.

Beautiful beyond measure however? indeed.

Commitment is a very unpopular word these days.

It is easy to say yes to something, when it is exciting and overwhelming and green.

It is hard to follow through on your word, when those days get difficult and you are unable to face the fears of your heart.

What are you afraid of enduring to see your dreams truly be realised?

Face that fear of commitment and decide to see something significant through to the end.

Is it writing every day?

Is it painting every day?

Then join me in #inspire14 and do something everyday for the year 2014

Is it saying yes to that relationship you are fearful of?

Is it moving your family to a new space to start again?

Commit to it.

You will never regret committing, but you will always regret not.

Maybe this internship is something you want to commit to? Creative Internship

All my love

Amanda