Tag: life
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Finding My Voice
What’s something you’ve done that you never thought you could? As a child, I was shy and sensitive. I didn’t particularly enjoy being the centre of attention. I was more comfortable observing what was happening around me than drawing attention to myself. I certainly never imagined that I would spend much of my adult life…
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The Problem May Be the Same, But I’m Not
How do you manage stress? Stress is an inevitable part of life. I’ve learned that managing stress isn’t necessarily about eliminating the things that cause it. Sometimes it’s about finding a better way to live with them. Over the years, I’ve developed three simple practices that help me: Walk it off. Sleep on it. Talk…
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Conversations I Keep Having
If you could go back in time and give your younger self advice,what would it be? If I could go back in time and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to spend less time thinking about the past, unless it helps you move forward. I’ve spent far too much time…
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A Hope That Has Survived
What’s something you’ve done that your past self would be proud of? I have always been an idealist. I hold strong convictions about life and I try to embody them in the way I live. Sometimes my idealism has been a little naive. At other times, my convictions needed time and experience to mature. But…
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The University I Never Visited
What’s the best online course you’ve ever taken? Years ago, I completed a Master of Professional Education and Training through Deakin University in Victoria, about a thousand kilometres from where I lived. To this day, I have never set foot on the campus. Not for an intensive, not even for graduation. But it was one…
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The Man Behind the Music
Which celebrity would you love to meet, and what would you talk about? I would love to meet Peter Gabriel. Not because he is famous, but because there are three things about him that have stayed with me over the years. The first is his music. I loved his 1986 album So, particularly the song…
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Namibia: Where Life Flourishes Against the Odds
What’s a country that’s at the top of your bucket list? I’m not really a bucket list person. I don’t have a list of countries that I’m determined to visit before I die. But every now and then, a country captures my imagination. Namibia is one of those places. I’m not entirely sure why, but…
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Writing for Discovery
What are your strategies for SEO? SEO is one of those things I understand in principle but have never really thought about in relation to my blog. In my professional life, we certainly use it. We want to connect people who have particular needs with the services we provide. It makes good sense. But my…
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The Advice I Wish I’d Taken
What’s one thing you know now that would havesaved your younger self a lot of pain? If I could go back and give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to get some good financial advice early in life. We’ve lived a rather unconventional life. For most of our married life, we’ve…
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More Than Memories
What’s the best way to meet new people while traveling? We’re the kind of people who are more interested in ongoing relationships than casual ones. So when I think about meeting people while travelling, I’m less interested in how many people we meet than in what happens afterwards. In recent years, we have increasingly travelled…
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Leave Room for Grace
What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by? “Leave room for grace” is one of the personal philosophies I try to live by. As the principal of a university college, I regularly find myself dealing with complicated situations. Young adults make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes come from immaturity or naivety. Sometimes from irresponsibility. Sometimes…
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First get oriented. Then wander.
What’s the best way to explore a new city? People often say that the best way to explore a new city is simply to wander. I admire people who can do that. I’m not really one of them. When I arrive somewhere new, I like to get a cognitive map in my head. I want…
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Very Small, But Never More Alive
What’s a moment in your life that made you feel truly alive? This is me in my happy place, standing on an ice floe in the Southern Ocean. It was day one of our expedition to Antarctica. The air was cold, but not unbearably so. Around us, ice, ocean and sky seemed to stretch forever.…
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If I Had One Wish
The genie grants you a wish. What is it? If a genie appeared and offered me one wish, I don’t think I’d need much time to decide. I’d give the wish away. I already have enough. I’ve lived a fortunate life. Of course there are things I could wish were different, but I don’t feel…
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The Long Mirror
Which relationship has taught you the most about yourself? Marriage is a long mirror. It involves the slow discovery of who you are through decades of shared life. You learn your habits, blind spots, strengths and loyalties. You also discover the difference between loving someone in theory and adjusting your life around another person in…
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My Anti-Life-Hacks
What are some life hacks that you practice? Most life hacks are designed to make life easier. Mine often do the opposite. I don’t have a bin in my office. This occasionally surprises people, especially new cleaners. It isn’t an oversight. It is deliberate. If I want to throw something away, I have to get…
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Karma and Grace
Do you believe in karma? I don’t believe in karma, but I do believe in justice and grace. I don’t mean justice in a simple, tidy sense where good people are rewarded and bad people eventually get what is coming to them. Life is far messier than that. I have seen good people suffer and…
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The Truest Thing I Know
How do you write what people actually want to read? I don’t try to write what people want to read. That might sound strange. After all, if you are going to write something and put it out into the world, you hope that somebody will want to read it. I certainly do. It is satisfying…
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Dadirri
What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? Years ago, my wife and I were driving home from a weekend away when we stopped at an art gallery and café. I saw a painting I liked and bought it immediately. That was very unusual for me. Normally I would think carefully about something like that.…
