ON THE SHELF STILL LOOKING FOR A RIPPER READ? CHECK OUT THESE NEW RELEASES
Available now wherever good books are sold or go to harpercollins.com.au
OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES
Kelli Hawkins
RRP $32.99
A stunningly tense, pageturning debut for all fans of The Woman in the Window and The Girl on the Train. A gripping thriller about a mother’s grief, peeking behind the facade of a seemingly perfect family and with liberal dashes of Sydney propertyporn. An exciting book you’ll want to read in one sitting.
A HOME LIKE OURS Fiona Lowe
RRP $32.99
A picturesque small town, a cosy community garden, a facade of tolerance and acceptance - but when three women with wildly different loyalties come together, what secrets and lies will be revealed? A timely novel exploring prejudice and privilege, from bestselling Australian author Fiona Lowe.
GIRL IN THE WALLS AJ Gnuse
RRP $29.99
Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her. Eddie calls the same house his home. Eddie is almost a teenager now. He must no longer believe in the girl he sometimes sees from the corner of his eye.
Recently I took part in a leadership program for women called compass.
This program by the Dattner Group offers a range of tools to help women lead authentically, in alignment with their core values, and with a capacity to communicate their deepest sense of purpose. Much of the focus of the program is about self-awareness and self-understanding. Our childhood experiences, the ways we have been parented, our personality traits and our values all influence how we live our lives, and how we lead. Knowing ourselves matters.
Understanding our core values is essential. Individuals and organisations need guiding principles. Rather than being bland and empty statements, values are those deeply held cornerstones that support our authenticity, effectiveness and distinctiveness.
We see values in action in leaders such as Jacinda Ardern, who uses her influence for the greater good – and constantly communicates beliefs of kindness, collaboration, compassion and care to broad groups of people, weaving her core values into her government policies and her day to day conversations and interactions.
Whatever profession we are in, or whatever role we hold in our families or workplaces, we are leaders, we have influence. Being value-driven can enliven our contribution and our impact. Programs such as Compass offer reminders to think carefully about the legacy we are each creating, and to tune into what drives us and to what we find meaningful. Values help us clarify our goals and the choices we make every day. They help us get in touch with the point of our contribution, and our ‘why’.
Do you know ‘your’ why? Do you know the difference you want to make? What do you stand for? Author and optimist Simon Sinek says everyone has a ‘why’. Perhaps because I have engaged in this course, and with another birthday find myself firmly in the afternoon of my life, I am returning often to questions about how I want to measure my life, how I want to use and live my ‘second half’.
There are many writers who say that finding our why is about connecting with what we are passionate about and with what we care deeply about. Finding our why involves using our talents and what we are good at.
Values and meaning are vital to our individual and collective wellbeing.
When we have a sense of our values, a sense of our ‘why’ and purpose, a sense of the future we want, we can use this to guide our choices in the present, our choices today.
Tapping into our purpose is tapping into a compass for our life.
It gives us courage to dare greatly, it motivates us, inspires us, and helps us to bring our energy and our great enthusiasm to making a positive difference.
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