Digging Your Heels In
Rhonda Millikin, now 68, decided long ago to dedicate her life to a career in ecology and ornithology. She hoped to make a difference. So when her government employers refused to support her PhD and then tried to force her out once she returned with research that would change the way birds would be studied, Rhonda dug her heels in.
This story is for anyone needing the courage to stand up for themselves at work.
Standing Up (Even When All Seems Lost)
Susie Russell is an activist for change. When she sees something that’s not right, she stands up. Thirty years ago she saw the logging of old-growth forests and knew it wasn’t right. She has locked on to trees, stood up in Court, campaigned for government change and generally agitated to stop logging ever since.
This story is for anyone needing the courage to stand up for what they believe in, even when all seems lost.
Discovering your self-worth
Tara Parish knows she has much to achieve and that she adds value to her family and her community. But it was not always the case. For years she blamed herself for the violence of her first marriage, for the loss of her infant son, her daughter’s cancer and the collapse of her second marriage.
A story for anyone needing the courage to recognise their self-worth and take charge of their own story.
Challenging the prevailing paradigm
Chels Marshall has overcome poverty and racism to become an internationally renowned scientist. A Gumbaynggir woman, she has embraced her cultural heritage and asked why the Western world sees things differently. Now organisations like the UN are asking the same question and seeking Chels’ expertise to change the global paradigm.
A story for anyone needing the courage to embrace what makes them different and challenge the paradigm that makes that difference wrong.
Doing what you know is right
Dailan Pugh fell in love with the rainforests of Northern NSW over four decades ago. He dreamt of a solitary, off-the-grid life in the bush. A gifted artist, he hoped to use his art to capture and share nature’s beauty. But the rainforests were being logged. Dailon abandoned his dreams and stood up to fight.
A story for anyone needing the courage to do what they know is right, regardless of the personal cost.
Walking through fire
Julie McCabe’s life changed utterly when her husband Al had a sporting accident that left him quadriplegic. With a six-year-old daughter and another on the way, this kindergarten teacher needed to call on all her natural optimism and energy to rebuild a life for her family and find joy again.
A story for anyone needing the courage to make the most of the hand they’ve been dealt, no matter how difficult or unfair.
Stepping off the beaten path
Sebastian Terry stepped away from his “standard blueprint” life at age 25. He wrote a “bucket list” that has led him on a 15-year journey of self-discovery. Forcing himself out of his comfort zone has enabled Seb to know himself and given him the confidence to be that person.
A story for anyone needing the courage to live a life less “ordinary”.
Surrendering to the unknown
Aden Ridgeway is a trailblazer, having once been the only Aboriginal in the Australian Parliament. But it is not his exceptional career that inspires his ex-wife (and my friend) Steph Sims. It is his courage to change and grow when that career came to an end.