Why making a difference matters :)

By Sophie Scott

Sometimes you meet an amazing person, who helps you reframe your own thinking.

That happened to me recently, when I met Rosie Batty.
She's well known to many of you but for readers outside Australia, Rosie came to prominence for the most devastating of reasons.
Her son Luke was killed by his father, Rosie's estranged partner.
They had suffered family violence and when tragedy struck, Rosie was determined that Luke's death was not going to be in vain.
"I want to tell everybody that family violence happens to everybody. No matter how nice your house is, how intelligent you are. It happens to anyone and everyone," Rosie said.
She established a foundation in Luke's name and has campaigned relentlessly to raise community awareness and put pressure on government organisations through education, advocacy and campaigning on family violence.
“My belief is a tragedy gives you an opportunity to make a difference. I’ve always admired people who do that”, she said.
I talked to Rosie at a charity dinner we hosted to raise money for her foundation and asked her how she managed to transcend the tragic death of her son.
"There are bad days, or bad moments in a day when it becomes too much and the people who are closest to me know that," she said.
"But I know that the work I am doing, focusing on family violence, can change behaviour."
Talking to Rosie, I was struck by her courage and resilience.
And it really got me thinking.
What is it that allows someone in the depths of grief to be able to harness their inner strength, like Rosie has, to help others in a similar situation?

to read more, please go to www.sophiescott.com.au/blog