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,

One week, one day and a few hours since having my last drop of Coke Zero…

The funny thing is even when I have dieted before I have thought that Pepsi Max, Diet Coke and Coke Zero were my friends.

You know a quick fake sugar fix.

A refreshing zing of caffeine.

I got to the point where I was a diet soft drink addict, who desperately needed a fix at 3pm each day.

This last week of eating whole foods has been shadowed with the pain of withdrawing from something that has been a big part of my daily life.

Your crutch may not be soft drinks but we all have something that undoes us in the midst of meltdown.

On this side of ‘one week aspartame free’ I am realising it is so much more about discipline than anything more.

When I tell my body no, even though everything in me wants to say yes, it makes me so aware that yes I can do hard things.

Even though all week I have longed for a flat white, I have chosen long black.

When I went to a premiere of a movie and everyone was eating icey ice and popcorn, I chose a small bag of nuts.

It’s not actually about what we do, its about what we personally need to discipline in our lives and see change come slowly.

I have been thinking this week, as energy has come flooding back into my days and my jeans have been getting looser.

‘You, Amanda, can do hard things.’

There are seasons when I just haven’t been able to get serious about this area of my life but I am choosing to make hard decisions in my everyday to see the benefits across every part of my life.

I have had many weak days this week, but every day I chose to fill my body with healthy, nutritious foods, the less I crave the manufactured and processed foods that I used to fuel myself with.

10 days in,

I am honestly so inspired to actually achieve the goals I set at the beginning of this year.

How about you?

What hard things do you need to face?

Determined,