This week is National Reconciliation Week here in Australia (May 27 – June 3). It’s one of those times where duality shows up in its rawest form—truth and harm, courage and beauty, all side by side. And it’s a lot to hold.
The Gift of Acknowledging, Without Needing to Fix
I was asked to do an Acknowledgement of Country at a school event on Sorry Day. I love to acknowledge this beautiful country, this place that has held and fed and shaped me. And I’ve come to understand that this land isn’t just naturally human-friendly—it’s been cultivated that way for tens of thousands of years through the wisdom and stewardship of First Nations people. That’s humbling. And awe-inspiring.
But when I stepped further into the truth—not just the beauty but also the hurt, the loss, the deliberate disconnection enforced by policies of forced removal and assimilation—I noticed how easily my chest tightened. Sadness. Regret. Vulnerability. And then… something more. Naming the courage and brilliance and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples didn’t erase the pain—but it softened the edges. It made space for hope. Not the flimsy kind, but a grounded hope rooted in reality. In the wish that we might walk forward together, messy and uneven, toward a future that’s more just and kind for everyone.
A Paradox We Need to Keep Practicing
The work of reconciliation—like any real growth—asks us to live inside paradox. To sit with what doesn’t fit neatly. To say yes, and… again and again.
Yes, it’s confronting to see the world differently.
Yes, it’s hard to hold space for pain that isn’t yours.
Yes, it’s messy to try and stay open when you’re not sure how.
And also: it’s liberating. Expanding. Humanising.
The more I’ve leaned into listening to First Nations voices, the more I’ve begun to hear the quieter, more marginalised parts of myself too. The parts that were trained to obey perfectionism, to control outcomes, to perform certainty. And slowly, those voices have softened. I’m learning to begin with curiosity, silence, and respectful connection. That’s enough.
We get free together—not by pretending we’re the same, but by letting difference be. Because that tension? That awkwardness? It’s a sign you’re in a real place. And that’s where transformation lives.
What’s Your Way In?
We all bring our own strengths to this work.
I’m a listener. That’s my starting point.
A colleague of mine? She talks and talks, because that’s how she understands the world.
Another friend gets his hands into the soil, tending land with care and reverence.
All of these ways are needed. None of them is sufficient alone. That’s the paradox, again. You are one part of a great, ongoing work. And your part—done honestly and gently—is enough for now.
So, how do you lean into healing work where you are?
For white Australians, the invitation to step up is present and pressing.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, I see your grace and grit, your ancestral power and ongoing enoughness.
For others around the world, I gently ask: what is your racial positionality? What is your history and context? How does that shape your capacity and your responsibility?
If that question makes you squirm—good. That discomfort is data. And you don’t need to rush to soothe it. You can stay with it, just long enough to find your next good move.
For your curious mind
What if growth doesn’t begin with answers, but with the courage to sit with something unresolved? What becomes possible when you don’t need to be right, but choose to stay?
For your connected heart
Where have you found a flicker of hope after naming a difficult truth? Who do you trust to hold that with you?
For your creative body
This week, try an act that honours both listening and doing. Maybe it’s attending a local reconciliation event, donating to an Indigenous-led org, or just reading something that challenges you. Small, thoughtful, real.
Recalibrate your life for joy
Sometimes it’s not about getting it right—
it’s about making enough space to feel what’s true.
This 20-minute audio guide invites you into a slow, kind process of listening in.
You’ll explore how to hold the tension of difference
—between parts of yourself, between you and others—
without needing to resolve it all at once.
From there, you’ll be gently guided toward what might shift, even slightly, so you can move forward in a way that honours both where you’ve been and where you’re going.
Not tidy, not perfect—
but honest, hopeful, and rooted in the kind of joy that comes from real integration.
Ready to explore?
[✨ This way✨]
Spark up*
- Glimmers in the void: Globally sourced spiritual and emotional support for your individual Soul Work. This is not a chat channel. Drop a note here when you start work. Drop a note when you finish. Group members add support emojis to others posts. Free Signal group.
- The luxury of grief Emerging as a teacher and guide from life’s hardest knocks. Karen Wyatt, Akashic Records Keeper, shares her powerful story. Podcast episode
- When a woman dreams Internal shift enables external shift in this artist illustrated short story. Free PDF download.
✨ An Invitation to Wonder
When have you softened a hardened boundary
—internal or external—
by staying present with difference?
What did that change in you?
And who did it allow you to become?
– joyful, imperfect, and brave. The kind of soundtrack that says, “yep, it’s gonna be messy—and I’m doing it anyway.”
Dear Sensitive Soul 💛
Hey, I know this is a lot.
You don’t need to fix everything, or take in every suggestion, or feel like you’ve failed if you just want to rest today.
In fact, please do say no to the parts that don’t feel right.
Your no matters.
It helps you feel your true yes.
And if one small thing feels possible right now—
follow it.
Let it be enough.
Let you be enough.
We move forward together.
Awkwardly.
Beautifully.
Honestly.
🐢💃✨
Affirmation for Wholehearted Women
Many women love to hold space for others, even when they’re unraveling inside.
They are conditioned to smooth over tension, keep the peace, and prove their worth through effort.
Which undermines our ability to sit with real difference—within ourselves and in the world—and still feel like we belong.
Remember you can slow down, feel what’s true, and let your next step be shaped by honesty rather than pressure.
I trust you to listen inward and honour the wisdom that emerges, even if it’s messy or unexpected.
Inside Recalibrate for Joy, you’ll find a soft place to land—a 20-minute audio guide to help you hold complexity, reconnect with hope, and move forward with gentle clarity.
Sorry Day Acknowledgement of Country
Good morning everybody.
Wunya, welcome to Caring for Country on this spectacular morning.
As we begin, I invite each of us to take a moment to look around
To acknowledge this beautiful land on which we are so fortunate to gather today.
We acknowledge the Kabi Kabi people as traditional custodians of this country,
We recognise their ancient and continuing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the Elders past and present.
We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people amongst us right now.
Today is National Sorry Day. We also humbly acknowledge the profound and lasting pain suffered by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities due to government policies of forced removal and assimilation.
We are deeply sorry for the hurt caused, and saddened by the harm done, the loss of knowledge and connections.
But Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and cultures are also brave and resilient.
We celebrate their proud survival and courageous reemergence as teachers, guides and keepers of ancestral wisdom.
May we now walk forward together in hope,
Caring equitably for People and Country, as always was and always will be.
Draft notes on duality to reconciliation to movement
So i’ve been writing around duality the last few weeks.
This week in Australia is National Reconciliation week, from 27 May to 3 June.
Duality in its rawest form.
For many, even acknowledging that other people have a different experience is a challenge.
Seeing the world differently feels scary, confronting.
I was asked to perform an Acknowledgement of Country at a whole school event, on Sorry Day.
And that was a gift.
I love to acknowledge the beautiful country I am so fortunate to live on, and now I understand that the land and its ecosystems have been managed over millennia to be human friendly through First Nations wisdom and practice.
The extra layer of acknowledging the hurt, harm, and loss perpetrated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples due to government policies of forced removal and assimilation, enabled vulnerable feelings of sadness and regret to surface.
Continuing further, and also naming the bravery and resilience, the pride and courage of the People as they emerge from this harm shifts that vulnerability towards hope and possibility
And then from hope, the wish that we can walk together to right these wrongs and build a new, more equitable, inclusive and sustainable future for everybody feels within reach, if only we dare to begin.
So it was a gift to have the opportunity to come together in vulnerability and respect.
And i think this is the challenge and invitation of duality.
Allowing the other to exist, for there to be real differences. Confronting, awkward, emotional.
And keep moving, allowing also that there is courage and wisdom and growth.
And moving forward with all of this together, messy, uncertain, alive.
Also, the more i have listened, learned about and leaned into First Nations history, culture and experience, the more i have been able to hear the more marginalised voices in my own head.
Liberating me slowly, step by step, from perfectionism, control and expecting to know all the answers. It’s enough to begin with curiosity, silence and respectful conversation.
We get free together. Embracing our differences and limits.
Because the harms, hurts and losses suffered by Indigenous folks in Australia and around the world render us all poorer and more fearful.
The work of rebuilding connections and communities from good enough individuals is for all of us.
I’ve also learned that we are likely to approach the work from our own strengths.
Me, I am happy to begin by listening, because that is where I feel i can offer most support.
Another colleague wants to keep talking about it, because that is how she approaches the world.
And another fellow wants to keep learning about and practicing hands on caring for country, because that is his strength and style.
Celebrating all of this, because all of these approaches are necessary, and none is sufficient alone.
And that’s the magic and the paradox, we need many people and many ideas and many actions, more than any individual could ever be or perform – and each individual, in showing up and doing what they are able, does enough for now, and is enough. And the work continues.
There’s always more work.
So taking time to rest, reflect and celebrate is also important.
So i’m curious, how are you inclined to lean into racial reconciliation work, wherever you are in the world.
For white folks in Australia, the invitation to step up right now, as much as you’re able, is clear.
For Blak folks here, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, I acknowledge your ancestral ties, loss and gritty/graceful reemergence. Your profound enoughness.
For others, and elsewhere, I invite you into a moment of reflection on your racial positionality.
And if that’s deeply uncomfortable, no problem, that’s good information. Remember, you’re enough, wherever you find yourself.
What do you need to learn or do to stay with that awkwardness, and start moving in a positive direction?
You;re not alone, no matter where you are or who you are.
Reach out and join the many others who are doing their bit to create a kinder future for all of us.
That collective spirit is one of the greatest gifts of stepping into this healing, wholing work.
The paradoxical sense of unity which emerges from holding difference with respect.
But wait, there’s more!
Two big lies.
The lie of patriarchy – that my labour as a woman is worth less. Where is that post?
The lie of confidence – that i needed to feel it to begin…
This is a self feeding loop. Vicious spiral as they say.
Urgh
But the cure is the two things
- To think for yourself, and redefine the terms of your engagement with the world.
- To know and trust what you really want, and to follow that with humility and devotion.
Still true. The lie of patriarchy. The lie of confidence first.
More on the power in duality
Reclaiming your joy: a Mother’s Day reflection for complex Mothers
Dualilty without Drama – Wise Women hold both
What this pain taught me about moving forward
Holding difference, finding hope in National Reconciliation Week
