Kerryn Vaughan - Being impressive vs leaving an impression
It’s easy to want to impress people, but the focus should be more about did I leave an impression that will help the other person.
In this episode I chat about being impressive as opposed to leaving an impression. Too may of us worry about impressing people, or living up to the expectations of others, but what we really should be worried about is whether we left an impression on somebody. And hopefully one that will shift the other person’s life in the right direction.
Kerryn Vaughan - How to build confidence
Building confidence isn’t that hard if we’re willing to take courageous action and put in the effort to improve with practice.
In this episode I chat about the key ingredients to building confidence, and it’s not that hard if you’re willing to take courageous action and put in the effort to improve with practice. So many people say they are lacking in confidence and it paralyses them, so they end up doing nothing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Of course you have to have some basic underpinning skills and knowledge, and then start messy.
We need to look at confidence in relation to our ability to take the next step, rather than our perceived inability to fulfil the big picture. Then we can conquer confidence one tiny action at a time.
If you think you’re lacking confidence, this one’s for you.
Kerryn Vaughan - Celebrating our differences with DISC
If we want to build stronger relationships with those around us, we have to understand others. We can’t assume they are just like us, but they’re not. Let’s look at the four DISC styles to understand a bit more.
In this episode I chat about the four personality types in DISC. There’s the Dominant Driver, the Interactive Influencer, the Steady Supporter and the Conscientious Complier. They are all amazing and they each play such an integral part in the big picture. Which one are you?
Once we understand personality types and what motivates and drives us, we can then do better at building strong and effective relationships. We can also communicate and interact better. We have become disconnected and having this tool in your pocket will help create lasting connections that are valuable and much needed.
Kerryn Vaughan - Flood the world with kindness
In a world that seems to have lost its way, we have the choice to perpetuate harm and meanness, or we can choose to be kind.
In this episode I chat about the fact that humanity is becoming more mean. It’s been bothering me for quite some time as I have not really known what to do about it because the problem seems so big. But, I actually think that flooding the world with kindness is the best place to start.
We often don’t and up or speak up because the perceive the outcome of doing so puts us at too much risk, but by extending kindness, we eliminate that concern and the ripple effect takes hold for the greater good.
Belinda Griffin - The Wheely Serious Project
The Wheely Serious Project was created by a team of 5 to raise awareness for accessibility issues for people reliant on wheels for mobility, and to create accessibility to public spaces where possible.
WE ARE THE WHEELY SERIOUS PROJECT!
But who are we? Where did this idea come from? And what is it all about?
An Engineer (Joshua Wilhelm), a Makeup Artist (Jessika Evans), a Dairy Farmer (Belinda Griffin), a Land Manager (Renee Hutchinson), and a Forester turned Planner (Andrew Stanton), walk into the Gippsland Community Leadership Program. Coming to the program from 5 different walks of life; within a couple of weeks, we were galvanised around an idea to make Gippsland a better place for people who use wheelchairs.
Early in the program, we sat around a table in Meeniyan sharing stories about who we were, what mattered to us, and why we had signed up for the Gippsland Community Leadership Program. Jess's story struck a chord with all of us. As if being a young vibrant entrepreneur wasn't enough, Jess shared the story of how she unexpectedly became a disability advocate.
One of Jess's boys can't do all the things his twin brother can do, because he lives with cerebral palsy. When Jess and her three kids go out she doesn't know if she will need to leave one of her little people out on the footpath, because there is no ramp. Or if he will be stranded at the front of the shop because the aisles are too narrow for his wheelchair to navigate. Or if their family trip to the movies will come to an end before it has even begun because no one thought the lift was a priority to fix.
Jess's story made us all see with fresh eyes how inaccessible many of our amazing Gippsland towns are for people who use wheelchairs. And how this inaccessibility can lead to feelings of being alienated, both from the things and places you want to go, and also from your friends and family. When faced with these barriers day in day out the message for Jess' son is that he and his wheelchair are the problem and that he is stopping his brother and sister from going to the movies. We all saw that the problem is actually a lack of a ramp, the layout of a shop, or the maintenance of facilities. And that the barrier was as likely to be a lack of awareness as it was inaccessible building construction.
So we got researching, with an aim to understand this new world, and see if we could do something, however small, to raise awareness and make things a little easier for Karter. We found Australian standards for accessible design, the benefits of inclusive design for everyone, the financial benefits to businesses from making themselves more accessible, the charter of human rights, disability discrimination and equal opportunity legislation, and a whole heap of resources that had been developed to help property and business owners see what small (medium and large) changes could be made to their business to increase accessibility.
But we are not a regulator, we are not the ramp police, and we don't have the power, or the inclination to go around telling business owners how "bad" they are for renting a shop built before accessible building standards were adopted. We are all part of the community of Gippsland, and we want to work with the amazing members of those communities to understand the barriers limiting wheelchair accessibility. We want to sing the praises of people who have gone out of their way to be an accessible business. We aim to share ideas of what can be done to open up premises to a broader range of customers. We want Karter (and other wheelchair users in Gippsland) to know from the street that they can get inside and buy what that shop is offering because they can see the Wheely Serious Project Sticker.
We hope it goes big, we hope it spreads wide, and we hope that it positively influences the lives of many Gippslanders and visitors to Gippsland. But we will be happy if Karter knows that four strangers heard his mum's story and cared enough to try to make things a little better.
Socials:
FB: The Wheely Serious Project
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Andrea Lane - Floating art and regeneration in Gippsland
Andrea Lane is the co-founder of FLOAT, a floating art space in East Gippsland. She is also an economist who believes in the irrefutably brilliant impact of artists in regional places.
Andrea Lane is an economist who believes in the irrefutably brilliant impact of artists in regional places. She is also the co-founder of FLOAT, an art space in East Gippsland, located on the gorgeous Lake Tyers.
Andrea and the crew at the FLOAT are following their instinct. For art, nature, generosity and fairness, in pursuit of a regenerative region. With the luxury of being (non-indigenous) Elders they feel blessed to be free from bureaucratic fear, and can frugally invest in the things they know are important, stemming from their 20/50+ years of volunteer ‘project management’.
Andrea arrived in Nowa Nowa in 2001 as the Fairfax / Business Review Weekly online national manager … to marry an artist. At that time, the population was 200, and there was no internet.
As Andrea telecommuted for the next 10 years, she discovered a life from which she has never wanted to return.
Despite useful qualifications in economics, information management, community development, and art in public spaces, there were few career options in East Gippsland, and none compared to what art could do to multiply her impact on regional life and the local economy.
FLOAT revealed that regional life was jam packed with potential, particularly with art. But not just art as Andrea knew it. Rather, it was art as life, nature based art, ephemeral and environmental art, and community activation art. Towns were flipped from the poorest to the grooviest. There was an economy to be generated, and a sustainable economy to be built, and so they imagined and created ‘F Incorporated’.
Art trails dotted with wild and backyard fruit - (F)ROUTE.
A thriving maker collective in Bairnsdale - FOUNDRY.
Annual breakfasts for 200 folk, full of Johnsonville peaches – FROUTEVILLE.
An artist-made travel bureau @ Docklands – FROUTELAND.
A floating arts studio offering global arts – FLOAT.
Next up – FLOAT A.I.R. a trail of arts residencies in under-used spaces.
Andrea and her crew believe in the value of local knowledge and know that it has an economic value that has been lost in the bureaucracy. But they are finding lots of friends in the new REGEN GIPPSLAND.
Socials:
Website: http://www.float3909.com/
FB: FLOAT
Insta: FLOAT @float.3909
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Kerryn Vaughan - Never too old
Ageism sucks and this episode is proof that we’re never too old to do something we love or to change our life. Hope it inspires you.
In this episode I chat about the fact that ageism sucks. A lot of people have the narrative that they are too old to start something new or to change jobs, or to change their life.
I share a story about Shirley Newton (see link below), who just held her first art exhibition at 92 years old, and a few other thoughts on this matter.
Hopefully it inspires you to believe in yourself and not let your age stop you, and I also hopes it inspires people in the middle of too young and too old to encourage others to shine their light brightly.
Mentions:
Brock Williams - Running marathons to help others believe
Brock Williams is a 22 year old, 3rd year chiropractic student, who is now running marathons to raise money and awareness for charities, but who also hopes to inspire others to live their best life.
Brock Williams is a 22 year old, 3rd year chiropractic student, who has shifted his life significantly from his days of school yard trouble maker.
Brock was never a great student, and spent most of his later years in school giving the teachers grief.
Brock grew up thinking he would play some form of elite level sport, but it wasn't meant to be, so from the age of 17 he fell into the cycle of coasting through life, not applying much effort to anything, and drank every weekend away.
In an effort to change his life, Brock decided to study chiropractic and make the big move to the city and start fresh.
But the real catalyst happened last year when Nedd Brockmann ran across Australia. Brock excitedly checked instagram each night when Nedd was doing his recaps, and something shifted inside him. Brock thought this was amazing.
From there, Brock signed up for his first half marathon. He then developed a love for marathons and started noticing a heap of unintentional associated benefits. He was more productive, and more motivated to eat healthy and do more exercise.
Brock then ran a marathon in his own time around his home town of Rosedale, and the pride began to swell.
He then signed up for the great ocean road 60k ultra marathon, got up each morning at 5am to train, and finished the run while at the same time raising $3,500 for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
Brock’s focus is now on his mate Xavier who is fighting cancer, by running from Adelaide to Sale in 16 days this December, averaging 62.5km per day. All money raised will go to the Sony Foundation.
Brock says the purpose of all this isn't self attention, but the belief that he can play a role in people realising their potential. He also says he doesn’t have any god given talents, but wants people to realise that everyone is capable of so much more, and it all comes down to a tiny bit more effort.
Sony Foundation - https://www.sonyfoundation.org/
Starlight - https://www.starlight.org.au/
Socials:
FB: Brock Williams
Insta: Brock Williams @brockwilliams_training
Adelaide to Sale Donate - https://www.sonyfoundation.org/event/brocks-border-run/donate
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Carolyn Apostolou - Creating thriving cultures through wellbeing
Carolyn Apostolou is a health and wellbeing coach for corporate staff and executives, that are transformative, fun and engaging, and full of quick easy wins.
Carolyn Apostolou is a true catalyst for change, dedicated to transforming workplace well-being and inspiring individuals and organisations to reach their full potential. As an accredited coach, mentor, and keynote speaker, Carolyn has spent years empowering leaders and teams and implementing corporate wellness programs that foster a thriving culture of success.
Drawing from her extensive experience as a teacher, school leader and education advisor to prestigious institutions, including the International Baccalaureate and the Victorian Department of Education, Carolyn brings a wealth of expertise to her work. She is a well-regarded corporate health and wellness coach. Her qualifications in psychology, training, neurolinguistic processing, timeline therapy, and hypnosis allow her to use proven techniques to help staff and executives manage stress, avoid burnout, implement healthy boundaries and reclaim their vitality and productivity.
Carolyn specialises in empowering staff and senior executives to champion corporate wellbeing and create an organisational culture where all employees feel seen, heard and valued, which results in enhanced staff retention and productivity, better teamwork and collaboration and a flourishing company culture.
Her proven training programs are transformative, fun and engaging and packed full of quick and easy wins to inspire and ignite success.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Carolyn is a devoted mother of four, demonstrating firsthand the
ability to integrate work and family life harmoniously.
Socials:
LinkedIn: Carolyn Apostolou
Insta: Carolyn | Corporate Wellness Coach @inspired2nurture
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Ian Handasyde - How to become a novel author
Ian Handasyde is a series author, writing novels that are filled with adventure and a thrill at every corner. Writing under the pseudonym of James Hand, he has 8 books under his belt and still more to come.
James Hand is a series author, but life didn’t start out like that. Ian Handasyde (real name) spent most of his life as a Primary school teacher, and musician. His cover band Turn It Up can still be found entertaining crowds throughout the leafy Melbourne suburbs.
Ian eventually found his way into film making. Having written a number of scripts (Feature and Shorts), he decided to dip his toe in the water and develop and produce one of his feature scripts, ‘Zyco Rock’, a futuristic, anti-drug teen film.
Although ‘Zyco Rock’ was shown at a number of festivals around the world, it didn’t catch the eye of major distributers, causing Ian to lose a lot of money. However, a later Short Film, “Just Friends” was accepted and shown at Cannes Film Festival.
Receiving that shot in the arm of confidence, Ian decided to turn one of his feature scripts into a book ‘Luina’, using the pseudonym James Hand. With the finish of ‘Luina’, Ian (we’ll call him James from here) pondered… “So, what happens to Beth Duncan?”, the lead character in the novel.
James drew up a rough outline and set to creating the series. To date, 4 books have been published: ‘Luina’, ‘The Fit Girl (Part 1)’, ‘The Fit Girl (Part 2)’, and ‘Shh, Secret Girl’.
Each novel leading straight into the next, is based on the continuing adventure of Beth Duncan… and boy does she have some adventures!
To date, James has written 8 books, with the next one ‘London Bound' set to be published October this year.
The ninth, ‘Olympics' I will start later this year. Yes, Beth goes to the Olympics as an 800m runner!
James writes all his manuscripts freehand and prefers to write at the beach. His family travels to Palm Cove every year for 2-4 weeks, and with his outline, James sits on a chair on the beach, takes out his folder and lets his imagination run wild.
Socials:
Insta: James Hand @jameshandauthor
You Tube: James Hand Author @jameshandauthor
Band - Turn It Up : www.turnitup.biz
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Nathan Cassar - From bullied introvert to extroverted entertainer
Nathan Cassar is an award winning MC and entertainer, living the happy life of an extrovert, but as a child, Nathan was a bullied introvert. Everything changed when Nathan went on a cruise ship and discovered his true love.
From schoolyard-bullied introvert to extraverted entertainer extraordinaire, Nathan has a lot of unique insights on overcoming adversity, all the world being a stage, and the entertainment industry.
Nathan has become an award-winning Master of Ceremonies with over a decade of experience, including as a former Entertainment Host with Princess Cruises. Based in Sydney, Australia, Nathan specialises in bringing energy and excitement to every event he emcees, from weddings to festivals, gala evenings to award nights, and charity events to trivia – he really does it all!
Nathan’s dynamic stage presence, charming smile, and professional attitude have earned him a reputation for being able to elevate any event to the next level and create truly unforgettable live event experiences.
Nathan also created an anti-bullying program when he was in his high school years which was associated and sponsored by the Wests Tigers.
Socials:
Website: https://nathancassar.com.au/
LinkedIn: Nathan Cassar - Master of Ceremonies
FB: Nathan Cassar - Master of Ceremonies
Insta: @nathancassar_mc https://www.instagram.com/nathancassar_mc/
Youtube: Nathan Cassar: Master of Ceremonies
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Mridula Minasvi - Activating grassroots social change
Mridula Minasvi is a dedicated and passionate grassroots activist and community organiser, striving to advance gender equality, social justice, and civic space through digital innovation.
Mridula Minasvi is a passionate grassroots activist and community organiser, who truly believes in the power of people to create positive social change. She is particularly thrilled to be a feminist activist, challenging oppressive patriarchal norms and sparking innovative ideas for achieving gender justice. Her work as a fascinating artist and digital media practitioner allows her to promote democratic values, advocate for data justice and digital rights, and share powerful stories of freedom and social justice.
Mridula is the founder of Gabiasplice, an online platform aiming to create resources that ensure that quality education for international curriculums is delivered equally around the globe.
She is also the founder of The Plantterra, an organisation created to make a difference by educating individuals and encouraging them to take on the role of saving the environment through events, social media content and via an app that is currently under development.
Being a technology enthusiast, gives Mridula a platform for striving to advance gender equality, social justice, and civic space through digital innovation, while ensuring individual privacy and freedom. As a dedicated climate change activist, Mridula is committed to promoting inclusive and responsible business practices and urging governments and businesses alike to take action on this urgent global issue.
Mridula’s aspiration is to become a doctor, and as well as academics, she also has a creative side with a love for drawing, painting, and crafting. Additionally, Mridula is a dedicated athlete.
Socials:
LinkedIn: Mridula Manisva R K
LinkedIn: The Plantterra
Insta: The Plantterra @theplantterra
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Brett Ashby - Creating intuitive art through movement
Brett Ashby is a multidisciplinary, award winning artist who uses a skateboard and surfboard to paint auras as well as capturing the vibrations and energy within the time and space he is creating in.
Brett Ashby is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, presenter, and author from Naarm, Australia. Ashby’s art practice includes sculpture, performance, installation, painting, music, and major public commissions, framing Ashby as a prodigious figure in the contemporary art world.
Ashby is recognisable for his unique methods of practice employing a skateboard or surfboard as a tool to paint aura. His work is linked through a poetic and intuitive sensitivity to the expressive potential of space, light, colour, context, and materials.
Ashby is the Director of the short film ‘The One I Love’, which received Best Short Film awards in 2023 from countries such as Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, and Russia and was awarded Best Inspirational Film at the 8 & Halfilm Awards.
Capturing the vibrations and energy within the time and space he is creating in, the colours in his art align with positive psychology, art therapy, and faith and offer healing properties.
His work is in various collections worldwide, including Berlin, Texas, Cape Town, Edinburgh, Geneva, Sri Lanka, London, Paris, New York, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Tennessee, and many parts of Australasia.
Links to work:
His short film success here
‘Inner Essence’ Docklands for Renew.
‘Gods' here
Press Kit here
Socials:
Website: http://www.brettashby.com/
LinkedIn: Brett Ashby
FB: Brett Ashby
Insta: Brett Ashby @brettashbyartist
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Kerryn Vaughan - The power of influence
In this episode, I explain my Influence Scale model, and take a look at how we can lead people through empowerment, rather than by coercion.
In a recent leadership workshop, I asked participants to make a list of characteristics that great leaders might possess. One word that came up was ‘convincing’. This prompted me to talk about my Influence Scale model, where the word ‘influence’ is challenged regarding the negative and positive intent that aligns to this word.
In the episode, I explain the Influence Scale, and how we can lead people through empowerment, rather than by coercion, and create a world that focuses on the greater good beyond ourselves.
Bessie Kay - From approval to authenticity
Bessie kay is no stranger to the public world of TV and theatre, but for most of her life she was a stranger to herself. After realising a major change needed to happen, Bessie put in the hard work to transform herself.
Bessie Kay is a TV Presenter, Producer & Marketing Director, with 20 years experience working in the entertainment and media industries. Bessie started her career as a performer in the Australian musical theatre industry and eventually making her way into Australian TV, both on screen and behind the scenes.
Her most 'noteworthy' TV credits include Presenting Australia's Best Houses, Luxury Homes Revealed and Open Homes Australia (all Channel 9Life), and also producing within Open Homes Australia. Bessie is currently the Integration Producer for Khnah Ong's Wild Food, airing Sunday's 8:30pm on SBS Food.
Bessie’s love is working within dynamic teams in creative industries, and this focus has driven her through her professional life.
However, 4 years ago Bessie reached the point where she had to make some significant changes and improvements to her emotional health and sense of identity.
After years of working in demanding industries in different jobs and with different roles, she struggled to really know who she was, and to see the power in true self acceptance.
4 years into this (everyday evolving) journey, Bessie’s aim each day is to try and show up as her whole and healed self. Some days are much better than others, but each day is a commitment to learning, growing and enjoying the process!
Through sharing her passion for music, dance, media and community, Bessie uses her value pillars of creativity with integrity, as a springboard for encouraging others on their journey of self discovery and finding joy.
Socials:
Website: bessiekay.com
LinkedIn: Bessie Kay
Insta: Bessie Kay @bessiekay
FB: Bessie Kay
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Kerryn Vaughan - Connecting through open conversations
This episode challenges how we store emotions, and how differing realities can cause us to carry these perceptions long into adult life without ever realising they exist.
This weekend I went away with my sister to Byron Bay Yoga Centre for a long weekend retreat. While there was some element of self care replenishment, we also hoped it would give us a great opportunity to get away from everyday life to connect on a deeper level. That certainly happened.
But what else happened was a realisation that two worlds can collide in the exact same space and the outcome can be two completely different perspectives and realities. We all know that, and on a surface level that’s ok, but what happens with our buried emotions? Do we suddenly release them with the acknowledgement that realities are vastly conflicting? Or do we hold them deep down until they make us sick, or until we consciously confront them?
This episode looks at how open honest conversation can lead not only to deeper connection, but also to healing.
Evie Wilson - Empowering women and girls to dream big
Evie Wilson is a mindset coach, focused on empowering women and girls to step into their dreams and authenticity. Her Hype Club, Clubhouse and Dance Dance Dopamine events create a space for fun, exploration and authenticity.
Evie Wilson is a mindset coach, positivity rebel, dream chasing guide, group space enthusiast and podcast host of the podcast Wildly Positive. She is also a mother to two small girls, a marriage celebrant and feminist, always.
As a mindset coach, Evie creates spaces for women to open their minds to lush, audacious dreams for their lives, pairing it with the essential mindset work required to fully step into making these dreams their new realities.
Her favourite ways to do this are within group spaces such as her monthly, in person small community event Hype Club and her fast growing girls empowerment sessions, Clubhouse.
Evie is also the creator of Dance Dance Dopamine, where women can experience the full joy of dance without all the stress and anxiety of dressing to impress.
Positivity, joy and connection are the pillars Evie builds her life and work on, and she fully believes in guiding women and girls on how their wild and bold positivity can truly change their lives, championing them to strive for more and to forever take up more space.
Socials:
Website: https://eviewilson.com.au/
FB: Evie Wilson - Marriage Celebrant + Mindset Coach
Insta: Evie Wilson @__eviewilson
Insta: Gippsland Celebrant @eviewilson_celebrant
Mentions:
Beautiful You Coaching Academy
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Simon Alexander Ong - Energizing every moment
Simon Alexander Ong is a personal development entrepreneur, coach and public speaker. He is also the author of the bestselling book ‘Energise - Making the Most of Every Moment’, and passionately advocates the power of stepping into your future self.
Simon Alexander Ong is a personal development entrepreneur, coach and public speaker. His clients are from all walks of life but they share one trait; they all believe that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself. His work has seen him invited onto Sky News and BBC to be interviewed, while Barclays featured him in a nationwide campaign asking him questions on how families could embrace better lifestyle habits.
His insights have seen him featured in HuffPost, Forbes, Virgin and the Guardian. He also regularly speaks at organisations (these have included Salesforce, Microsoft, EY, Adobe and Unilever) and keynotes public events and conferences across the globe.
His debut book Energize was published by Penguin in April 2022 and became an instant bestseller. It also received endorsements from the likes of New York Times bestselling authors Simon Sinek, Marie Forleo and Dr Marshall Goldsmith.
Socials:
Website: https://www.simonalexanderong.com/
LinkedIn: Simon Alexander Ong
Insta: Simon Alexander Ong @simonalexandero
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Tim Bye - Making candles with pride
Tim Bye is the proud creator of The Gay Farmer Candles. After being bullied and harassed in the workplace, Tim made a formal complaint but it wasn’t upheld. Broken, he developed severe mental health issues and making candles was his salvation.
Tim Bye is The Gay Farmer, and also the proud creator of The Gay Farmer Candles.
In 2016, Tim was working in the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne, and was bullied, harassed and discriminated against in the workplace, simply for being gay. He was then terminated after complaining about the treatment he was receiving from the manager.
Tim hoped WorkSafe Vic would help, but sadly they didn’t. This led to Tim’s mental health declining badly, and he now suffers with severe mental health issues.
In 2022, Tim’s niece visited and told Tim about how she made candles, and how it was relaxing and a great creative outlet. Recognising his own creative spark, Tim wanted to try this in the hope that his mental health would improve. He started making candles for his friend, Molly Irvine to raise money for her to compete in a World Championship Triathlon event.
Falling in love with candle making, Tim now makes 100% Soy Candles in drink ware, so the candle jars have a second use and people get something other than a jar they would ordinarily throw out.
Socials:
Website: https://thegayfarmer.com.au/
Insta: The Gay Farmer Candles @thegayfarmeraus
Mentions:
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
Laura Robinson - Legging it with Laura
Laura Robinson had been trying to lose weight and feel good about her body image for 25 years, but to no avail. What changed everything, was a promise she made to walk every day for one whole year.
At the end of 2021, Laura set herself a a massive challenge…. Go for a walk everyday for a year! At the time she honestly thought she would last a week, or maybe a month tops. There were a few reasons for the challenge but one of the biggest ones was listening to someone who had lost a massive amount of weight, describe how they could finally be happy now they are living in a thinner body.
Laura had heard this before, but this time she reflected and realised she was already happy. She had a wonderful family, a great job and a wonderful life… she was just frustrated that she had been trying to change her body every day for at least 25 years and nothing had ever worked.
It was in that moment of reflection that Laura realised she had been doing so much damage to her body and her mind while striving for something that really in the grand scheme of things didn’t matter. She needed to be kind to herself like she would be to her family or best mate! What really mattered was that her 3 kids had a great role model that didn’t obsess over their weight and could keep up with how busy they were. Ultimately the decision to walk every day was for the kids, but she also needed to fit it in around them and was working almost full time.
The more walking Laura did, the better she felt physically, but she also felt better emotionally and mentally. Within the first few weeks she discovered so many more amazing benefits and became acutely aware how much her mindset was changing. She also realised that of all the people she was following on social media, not one of them was like her. While there was extreme dieting or extreme fitness models, and loads of weight loss surgery accounts, nobody was taking a gentle approach.
Laura decided that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ so began sharing her journey on Instagram. The community that has grown from this experience has kept Laura inspired to continue encouraging and inspiring people to be as kind as they can be to themselves, and to spread kindness across the whole community in the hope of making this world a more loving and nurturing one.
Socials:
Insta: Laura Robinson @legging_it_with_laura
Enjoy the visual here on Youtube
