As you step up, what will you put down?

"𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀’ 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀?”

This quote really resonates with my work

With the rising cost of living, have times changed? Are our boards truly diverse if members can only participate when they can afford to volunteer? Or are we unintentionally becoming a group of privileged people sitting around big tables, while others with valuable lived experience can’t afford to give their time?

I’ve recently completed certification with the International Association of Facilitators, and it reminded me of one of the biggest differences between training and facilitation: the absence of content and the importance of neutrality.

Recently I had quiet moment whilst away, staring out to sea and letting my thoughts wander. It’s hard not to notice the weight of everything happening in the world right now, conflict, uncertainty, and challenges for some closer to home.

My big word is Connection.

(A big word is something that drives you.
Something that inspires you.
Something that links everything you do.)

What if we didn’t wait until the end to ask: “Did it work?”

Sometimes it’s a walking group, a podcast, a grief program, a strategic plan or a bottle of shampoo. Sometimes it’s just someone stepping in to fill the gap between people who need support and the systems meant to provide it.

We're in the middle of a consultation process right now. And it’s worth asking: Can a strategy that needs to adapt to emerging health needs, disruptions, and community shifts really live inside government machinery?

While other states are embedding prevention into their systems through independent, legislated structures, Tasmania continues to manage preventive health within the confines of broader health services — and continues to carry the highest burden of chronic disease in the nation.