Wendy's Blog
"Respect for the Earth = Self Respect Earth Day 2020"
Earth Day 2020, on 22nd May, was especially poignant this year. As we humans navigate dramatically changed world, where so much that we thought was permanent has become very transient, what remains?
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 24 Apr, 2020.
"Nuytsia floribunda: The Christmas Tree"
My first introduction to Nuytsia floribunda was not a formal one…
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 07 Apr, 2020.
"On 'A Poem for What You Learn Alone'"
Thoughts on being alone, and the treasures that await us there.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 24 Feb, 2020.
"Being with what we have, with thanks to Tennyson's poem "Ulysses""
A thankful reflection on getting older.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 27 Jan, 2020.
"Being Parent: the Best Job of My Life!"
A thankful reflection on parenting, with thanks to Maria Popova’s article.
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 15 Sep, 2019.
"8th Seed of Hope: Be What Gives You Joy"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. I would love to read your comments if you would like to share them in the “comments” area below this Seed.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 30 Jun, 2019.
"Mountains in Life and on Land"
This week I am thinking about the anniversary to be celebrated – on 4th March in 1998, I climbed Mt Aspiring in New Zealand with my beloved.
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 06 Mar, 2019.
"7th Seed of Hope: What would you say to your 18 year old self?"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. I would love to read your comments if you would like to share them in the “comments” area below this Seed.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 01 Jan, 2019.
"Time Leadership Chronicles #1: Catching Up"
Looking beyond “catching up” on lost time in the past, to instead look at what the present might hold for my ability to make a difference.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 24 Dec, 2018.
"Time and love heals..."
Returning to the heart of darkness…to find the light in the love.
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 13 Nov, 2018.
"On Remembrance Day"
A reflection 100 years on from Armistice Day.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 12 Nov, 2018.
"The 'Wendy' Niche"
Our unique niches are often right in front of us!
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 09 Nov, 2018.
"Return to the heart of darkness...to find the light"
A most amazing outcome from the deep darkness of World War II.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 02 Nov, 2018.
"Growing Older ... and Less"
Reflection on losing yet another part of my body…
Read Blog Entry posted on Thursday 01 Nov, 2018.
"There's Killing...and Killing"
A valuable life lesson from a white-faced barn owl.
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 27 Jun, 2018.
"Life’s lessons: Step up, follow your dream, be kind and don’t be scared"
An amazingly positive message from this young woman who died at the age of 36 from cancer. Her burning desire to make a positive difference was achieved with profound success by the example of her life and her passionate final message.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 02 Jun, 2018.
"Leading and Making Decisions from a Deep Place"
After watching the episode of “The Crown” where the queen has to stand up to her uncle about his relationship with Hitler during and after the 2nd world war, and tell him he could not return to Britain, ever, I reflected that there is merit in deeply thought decision-making from a deep place…
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 25 Feb, 2018.
"Speaking Up: from the Inside Out"
Imagine speaking to yourself as you would to someone you love deeply.
— Oriah ‘Mountain Dreamer’ House
It’s taken most of my life to even consider this delightful possibility. When I did eventually summon the courage to anticipate the kindness of this suggestion, and listened to the voices with which I used to speak to myself, I was horrified…
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 18 Feb, 2018.
"We Are One Family!"
A beautiful rendition of poetry and music with a very simple message: beneath the obvious racial and cultural distinctions, we’re all part of the same family.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 06 Jan, 2018.
"We Are Our Stories: Our Stories Are Us"
The stories of our lives and ourselves form an endlessly intertwined journey.
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 12 Dec, 2017.
"Full Moon: Full Potential"
The moon can be a symbol of our emerging potential to make a difference.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 08 Dec, 2017.
"6th Seed of Hope: That which we search for is looking for us, sending out a...call, shining a beacon. If we can be still and awake, if we can find the courage to call out...we will find our way home"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. I would love to read your comments if you would like to share them in the “comments” area below this Seed.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 17 Nov, 2017.
"5 Life Lessons from an Ageing Activist"
A 50-year journey of learning to appreciate my gifts and place them where they can make a difference; and of letting go what doesn’t make a difference.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 24 Jul, 2017.
"5th Seed of Hope: The future belongs to those who show up"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. I would love to read your comments if you would like to share them in the “comments” area below this Seed.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 19 May, 2017.
"Where to now for Christianity?"
Easter has brought some deep reflection on where Christianity is now. Wendy Campbell shares her thoughts.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 17 Apr, 2017.
"It's not always about the way we have done things"
Gustavo Tanaka is a Brazilian author and entrepreneur. Not held back by the way humans have done things in the past, he and his friends are trying to create a new way of living on the planet that’s far more collaborative and harmonious and healthy than we have experienced to date.
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 12 Apr, 2017.
"We were made for these times"
It’s our strength that really matters…says Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 15 Jan, 2017.
"4th Seed of Hope: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence...liberates others"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. I would love to read your comments if you would like to share them in the “comments” area below this Seed.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 09 Jan, 2017.
"The Trump We Had to Have"
In the aftermath of the US elections, I’ve sensed a great split in what we perceive it is to be human.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 19 Nov, 2016.
"Still...Wendy"
After watching the movie “Still Alice”, a loving portrayal of the journey through alzheimer’s, …
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 11 Nov, 2016.
"Our World Waits..."
With the United States presidential elections coming up on 8th November, our world waits on the outcome.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 22 Oct, 2016.
"Resilience: The Still Point"
Thoughts around the saying:
“Except for the point, the still point, there would be no dance, and there is only the dance.“
T.S. Eliot.
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 24 Aug, 2016.
"What happens when our country's leaders are out of touch with the "ordinary" people?"
My thoughts on what our election results are showing us.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 04 Jul, 2016.
"The Pale Blue Dot"
A vision of the human future in space, by Carl Sagan.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 25 Apr, 2016.
"You're not as virtuous as you think you are"
Moral overconfidence turns out to be a very human problem, writes Nitin Nohria, Dean of of Harvard Business School, in the Washington Post
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 22 Jan, 2016.
"To our New Year of 2016: A Perennial Message!"
A reflection on the still-relevant message from Charles Dickens’ book “A Christmas Carol” written in 1843.
From an article by Stephen MacKenzie in the Christmas 2015 edition of The Big Issue in Britain.
In which Mister Dickens and Mister Scrooge explain to Mister Osborne why the POOR, the HUNGRY, the CHILDREN and the HARD-WORKING families of Britain need him to look at Christmas Present and ponder the substance of all spending reviews everywhere…
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 01 Jan, 2016.
"It's a Beautiful Day..."
These words can have many meanings. For example, watch this short video…
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 13 Oct, 2015.
"3rd Seed of Hope: the meaning of life is to know your gift, the purpose of life is to share it"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. I would love to read your comments if you would like to share them in the “comments” area below this Seed. At the end of this “Seed” I have included other quotations and good stories that readers have kindly shared.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 14 Aug, 2015.
"Writers Who Remember Freedom!"
In her award acceptance speech, Ursula Le Guin urges writers to envision alternatives to capitalism. “Writers who remember freedom,” she calls forth. This is a strong call to everyone who creates alternatives to the current paradigm on which our world is based, whether writers, artists, entrepreneurs….
She has a short and powerful message for us all.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 06 Jun, 2015.
"2nd Seed of Hope: Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water,...is by no means a waste of time"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. At the end of this “Seed” I have included other quotations and good stories that readers have kindly shared.
Enjoy all the Seeds of Hope here.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 29 May, 2015.
"1st Seed of Hope: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference"
These Seeds are “germinated” with the hope that they inspire you towards your purpose with kindness. Each Seed is made up of a quotation and a short message to reflect on. At the end of this “Seed” I have included other quotations and good stories that readers have kindly shared.
Please click here if you want to be added to the Seeds of Hope email list.
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 27 May, 2015.
"Ordinary People come to the Fore"
This story is quite inspiring, about ordinary people coming to the rescue of a trapped man.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 08 Aug, 2014.
"What We Observe, We Also Destroy"
Philip Hoare has some thoughts to share on our impact our this planet opt ours.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 28 Jul, 2014.
"Where Life Began"
The ocean is the source of life on our planet and we would be wise to remember that.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 13 Jun, 2014.
"The Questions We Ask"
The questions we ask shape our path.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 13 Jun, 2014.
"When I Die"
After my mother died, my father having died many years ago, I felt in limbo for a while. This lovely video gave me closure on the loss of my parents, as well as a deep commitment to honour the gifts that I have inherited from both of them.
Just for a start, I have my father’s business acumen and my mother’s creativity which for me emerges as a writer.
I have a lot to do yet, and am grateful for the privilege!
Please enjoy:-)
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 06 Jun, 2014.
"The giving of life for the saving of life"
I’ve been reflecting on the story of Easter today. About what makes some people so willing to give of themselves for the good of other living beings, human and non-human.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 18 Apr, 2014.
"Losing is the New Winning"
In her new book, Carol Dweck argues that a willingness to court failure can be a precursor to growth. Dweck holds, persuasively, that successful people are not the ones who cultivate a veneer of perfection, but rather those who understand that failing is part of getting smarter and better.
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 08 Apr, 2014.
"Higher Thoughts"
With Easter approaching, I found these thoughts relevant.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 07 Apr, 2014.
"Having the Courage to Care"
New insights into the positive effects of having the courage to care.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 15 Mar, 2014.
"The Last Anzac and Higher Things in Ordinary Life"
Two articles about living an ordinary life with the wisdom of common humanity.
Read Blog Entry posted on Thursday 23 Jan, 2014.
""Humus...Humble...Human""
“The words humus, humble and human have the same root”
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 26 Oct, 2012.
"It's Self-Esteem Stupid!"
The basis on which all a leader’s resilience rests is self-esteem!
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 13 Jun, 2012.
"On Being Human"
“The Book Thief” – Surviving the Holocaust
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 09 Jun, 2012.
"Living through Big Change"
“Towards a Shared Bright Future”
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 06 Feb, 2012.
"Our Thirst for Fairness"
“At our base level, we are kind creatures”
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 16 Jul, 2011.
"Singing the Same Song"
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 17 Apr, 2011.
"Rhythms of Life"
“The greatest form has no shape.”
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 16 Apr, 2011.
"A Vanished Ocean - a Bit of Perspective!"
“Being thoughtful about our Earth”
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 14 Feb, 2011.
"Which Wolf do You Feed?"
“The Wolf that you give your attention to is the wolf that will lead you to your destiny”
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 01 Feb, 2011.
"What is the "New Leadership" that is Emerging?"
“Leading for the Good of All”
Read Blog Entry posted on Thursday 18 Nov, 2010.
"Wisdom in the Bush"
“We can always learn new ways to be more responsible!”
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 12 Nov, 2010.
"There's Winning ... and there's Winning"
We stayed up last night to watch the finish of the America’s Cup; Team New Zealand racing against Alinghi (Swiss boat with a mostly New Zealand crew and New Zealand skipper).
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 04 Jul, 2007.
"Kindness and Strategic Planning"
Flying home yesterday from Melbourne I pondered on the weekend just gone. After arriving there on Friday evening my brief had been to take the strategic planning sub-committee of the national board through a strategic planning exercise in one day!
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 04 Jul, 2007.
"Social Responsibility and the Tree"
The leaves glistened in the sunlight. I love the way the rustling leaves on our eucalyptus trees catch the light and send it on its sparkling way.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 12 Mar, 2007.
"Inspiration for Breakfast"
This morning I was inspired…
by a lady called Barbara Etter.
Read Blog Entry posted on Thursday 01 Mar, 2007.
"It's Your Intangibles that Matter!"
“When you buy a business today, on average 71% of what you are paying for is intangible,” says Ramesh Thomas, principal executive officer at India’s largest branding company, Equitor Management Consulting. “Twenty-five years ago that was only 18%.”
Read Blog Entry posted on Wednesday 24 Jan, 2007.
"Social Responsibility and Ethics in Real Life"
“Kenny – A Knight in Shining Overalls”
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 30 Dec, 2006.
"Is this Responsible?"
The Yangtze river dolphin has been declared extinct – Washington Post
Does this matter?
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 15 Dec, 2006.
"Acting on Conscience"
“Acting on Conscience – - How Can We Responsibly Mix Law, Religion and Politics?” by Frank Brennan
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 13 Nov, 2006.
"Space Race - Is the Finish Line Kindness or Armageddon?"
While watching a special show on the “Space Race” I pondered on the experiences of the astronauts who left our earth for a time. Although the Russians and Americans were deeply competitive about getting the first man on the moon, the asronauts themselves were focussed on doing the best they could in a very alien environment.
Read Blog Entry posted on Thursday 02 Nov, 2006.
"Corporate Social Responsibility in Action!"
There is an organisation, a global organisation, let’s call it CSR, which operates entirely outside the “normal” monetary world. It was set up by volunteers because they saw a need for what it delivers. They don’t get paid, they will never get paid. In money – no money is involved in any of CSR’s transactions. And yet they watch over the way that CSR works. They watch closely and carefully that the way it was set up to operate, the ethics and values that are held dear, are upheld with almost religious fervour.
Read Blog Entry posted on Friday 27 Oct, 2006.
"As We Can, We Help Others"
At a recent speech from Jillian Broadbent, director of BT Australia, Jillian outlined her approach to work and life.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 16 Oct, 2006.
"The Ring of Power - Ultimately It's Only Kindness that Matters"
I wonder what JRR Tolkein’s vision was for his trilogy, and what part did the ring play in it? Did it symbolise wealth? Could he see where the economic miracle would take us after his death?
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 25 Sep, 2006.
"There's Always a Choice!"
Last night we watched the Fremantle Dockers play the Sydney Swans in the Aussie Rules semi finals. Although the game was played on the Swans’ home ground and they are a stronger team than the Dockers, “our” team played galantly (even the commentators said so) until the end of the third quarter. They gave it all of their very best!
Read Blog Entry posted on Sunday 24 Sep, 2006.
"MASH and the Art of Kindness"
Last night my husband Rob and I watched the first 2 episodes of “MASH”. As well as nostalgically reminding us of 1969 when we first met, it really came home to me how Hawkeye and Trapper fiercely protect the values that they hold dear – kindness and fairness to others, especially those who are not able to stand up for themselves. They protect those values for the entire army camp, despite appearing to play the fool. And those values centre on kindness and respect for others.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 23 Sep, 2006.
"The Key to Organisational Happiness is Kindness"
This morning I was reading in the Australian Financial Review (25th August 2006) about Johann Goethe (1749-1832), a “fully rounded man of the world: poet, novelist and practical statesman, traveller and businessman.” The article was written by Paul Monk, managing director of Austhink Consulting, in response to a new book about Goethe, “Love, Life, Goethe: How to be Happy in an Imperfect World” by John Armstrong.
Read Blog Entry posted on Saturday 23 Sep, 2006.
"The Leader as Inspiring Coach: Applied Appreciative Inquiry"
Last Friday I delivered the last of three sessions for this course at the University of Western Australia Extension.
Read Blog Entry posted on Monday 14 Aug, 2006.
"Passages - Grass Roots Social Responsibility"
One of the biggest projects run by my Rotary Club (Perth, WA) is Passages, a resource centre for homeless young people.
Read Blog Entry posted on Tuesday 01 Aug, 2006.