What does one comedian, two speakers, three Mexican singers and a politician all have in common?

We all headed to Channel Country recently to celebrate several hundred women from the surrounding 200,000km2 of land.

These ladies live in trying conditions; navigating isolation, flood, drought, flies and family. And yet they do it all with good grace and great humour.

Many I spoke to drove over 12 hours to attend the event, all the while juggling kids, calling in at properties, and volunteering where they could.

I spoke about legacy, not so much in what we do, but the courage, enthusiasm and hope we bring to each day, and the invitation to become a version of ourselves we can’t see yet.

While I can’t say I’ve lived on a remote station, I do know what it’s like to:

• manage a family alone,
• have a livelihood dramatically impacted by weather, and
• battle my mind in the hope of a more comfortable future.

And I know those battles continue to shape my results or my character along the way.

My words – both written and spoken are merely a trigger to pause, reflect and celebrate the magic in the mundane and remind you that your work does not go unnoticed nor unappreciated.

Like Carolyn Mandersloot, comedian and Death Doula, a woman who has worked 30 years in palliative care and chooses to devote her life to making people laugh and feel comfortable, regardless of the circumstances.

And Alice Mabin, intrepid photographer who is as happy driving a semi trailer as she is riding in a droving team or operating her many drones to conjure the exact image she sees in her mind.

Or Deb Frecklington who remembers everyone by name, is disarmingly funny, can tell a yarn and bake a chocolate cake, all the while amending and navigating legislation so that it is meaningful to the people she represents.

Or Jo Capp who runs events by day and and raises funds for her charity Hope Horizons after hours, to ensure that families navigating the fraught road of cancer her family has walked, can be supported and nurtured along the way.

Or young attendees like Beth who recently “made some good decisions” in her cattle trading and now has to decide what to do next as her partner moves away to work.

Or matriarch Nell, who left her home in South Africa in the 60’s to live in a town with fewer than 100 people and still marvels at the scenery with genuine fond attachment to the land.

These are just some of the many stories I gathered in my travels. Paradoxically, I speak on “shaping impact,” all the while being surrounded by women who shape me in the process.

Now that is truly humbling.

PS.  Have you checked out my new Postscript website yet? 
Shout out to Dorin Blaga from Upward Consulting for his fabulous work.  (If you’re looking to capture and preserve a moment or milestone – or know someone who is, check it out).