Thirty four. Made for more.

Every year before my birthday, I usually take a look back through my calendar/journal to reflect on the last 365 days. Honestly, the year before, I was in the midst of the “valley of despair”, a shell of my former self and it was difficult to see a way out of it at the time.

But this year, I decided to write a letter to the version of me that was 1 year younger today…

I hope it inspires HOPE in YOU for what’s possible, particularly if you are feeling less than ordinary in this moment.

My prayer and hope is that this will:

• show you the many people it takes to weave a story of victory;
• prompt you to seek help if you need it;
• help you know that if it sucks right now, it’s not the end of the story.

You’ll also get a bit of insight into how I CHOOSE to speak positively over myself and celebrate my wins (not enough of us do that in a tall-poppy syndrome society).

—————-

Dear 33 year old me,

Right now I know it feels like you are directionless and just fighting to survive each day. You’ve quietly started working again in a place you thought was in the past, in an industry that hurt you. The days seem long and the nights restless as that dark cloud of depression still hangs heavy over your mind.

But hold onto HOPE, precious one. A lot can change in 12 months.

Here are a few things that are going to happen in the next 365 days (in no particular order):

1. The cloud of depression and anxiety will begin to lift and you’ll experience untainted joy again

2. You will be invited and present at your first workplace retreat session on how to burn bright not out

3. You will travel to Queensland for a solo retreat and the timing will be so perfect that you meet with fellow Maxwell Leadership coaches and faculty member, John Griffin

4. You will be asked to and then co-MC the Melbourne Prayer Breakfast 2022 (thanks Penny Mulvey and Jayden Battey for the trust and recommendation)

5. Your name will be suggested to a corporate client in the rail industry and you will deliver a lunch-and-learn on personal growth to an outstanding group of women in leadership (thank you Herbert Um )

6. That same corporate client will engage you for 10 months to run a women in leadership series on “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect”

7. You will be asked to and speak at the Eastern Solicitors Law Association Networking and Wellbeing CPD event and have many lawyers/stakeholders thank you for sharing your burnout recovery story and then they will share their stories with you (thank you Jacinta Richards for the invitation and trust)

8. You will connect/reconnect with superstars in the law and feel less alone in your pursuit of industry change (shout out to Perpetua Kish , Rose Inglis , Karen Finch , Theo Kapodistrias , Noel Lim , Natasha Hannah , Kate Dillon to name a few)

9. You will be invited to speak at a Deakin Law Society event (but sadly have to decline due to prior commitments) - thanks for recommending me Nathan Notley

10. You will be invited to be a guest on a podcast to speak on sustainable success principles of a leader - thanks for the invitation Dr. Maurine Kwende

11. You will be asked to and speak at the first HOP Virtual Wellness Summit for Entrepreneurial Women on how to be a successful entrepreneur without burning out - thank you Jamie Molz and Sylvia Huang for the recommendation

12. You will be asked to speak at a TechSoup seminar on “How to connect to convert” based off principles you’ve learnt from John Maxwell

13. You will win the Best Comeback Award of 2022 with She Mentors

14. You will get accredited as a Mental Health First Aider

15. You will gain access to the mentors of your dreams who are helping you to become the best version of yourself and build a strong financial future for you and your family

16. You will be invited to and share your burnout recovery story in front of 150+ emerging leaders across all industries in Australia (thanks Jonathan Green for the opportunity)

17. You will have the privilege to facilitate mentoring small groups with your dream mentor, Ruth Limkin in Queensland

18. You will be asked to facilitate and speak alongside the amazing Jason T. Smith in an elective session called "Healthy leadership (Managing health, mental health and burnout)"

19. You will be a special guest speaker at a Flourish Programs and witness the maturity of these Year 6 girls and their amazing leaders (thanks Emily Fairweather for the invitation)

20. You will experience breakthrough in your prayer and faith journey and fan into flame your love for God and where he has planted you for this season?

21. You will be appointed co-moderator of the Maxwell Leadership Aust/NZ Facebook community and have the opportunity to help other leaders feel connected and part of this great leadership team

22. You will host a night of prayer and encounter at your home?

23. You will discover that you are more extroverted than you thought and discard the label of "quiet achiever" given to you as a child

24. You will become an ambassador of HerSpace and cannot wait to partner with this grassroots organisation to create change for women affected by human trafficking in Australia

25. You will give another three monetary excellence awards through your trust fund to high school students

26. You will jump back on the podcast waves again and record a few episodes on your podcast (which you would love to continue but probably don't have time for right now!)

27. You'll discover that a safe, supportive working environment was what you needed to heal from your bitterness towards the legal profession AND you’ll learn to set boundaries around your time (thank you Hutchinson Legal for your support)

28. You will rediscover the joy of working out and growing a stronger and healthier body

29. Your marriage is stronger than ever thanks to mentors and intentional work on your relationship

30. You will host a Chinese New Year lunch with family and extended family for the first time since the pandemic

31. Your social capacity will return, clocking up 30 networking coffee catch ups/events in March 2023

32. You will participate in about 20 hours of mentoring through SheMentors (both receiving and giving mentor hours)

33. You will make a decision to live out your potential everyday and inspire others to do the same

What I want you to remember, dear one, is to never give up.

Your purpose is emerging through the pain and struggle.

Your faith and belief is your superpower.

You were made for more than what you are experiencing right now.

Keep dreaming.

Never let anyone dim your light.

It’s going to be alright.

Hold on to HOPE.

- 34 year old Amy

P.S. Thank you to the many people who believed in me, put my name forward for opportunities, gave of their time to spend with me, encourage me and uplift me. You helped me build my confidence and belief muscle again. This post is dedicated to you. May I do for others what you did for me.

P.S.S. If you’d like to celebrate with me and create some social impact or just share in something fun for the future, there are a few things on my wishlist here.