One of the most special parts of my trip to Egypt was cruising down the Nile, watching life unfold on its banks the way it has for thousands of years. I couldn’t help but think of how differently most of us live. The relentless pace. One more email or “to-do” that...
Thirty years ago, I backpacked around Egypt and the Middle East—armed with a few traveler's checks and wide open to whatever the future might hold. Two weeks ago, I returned with my husband and two of our children, now the same age I was then. As I rode a cantankerous...
Some days are surreal, glamorous, and ironic. Last Friday was one of them. WEDNESDAY: A booking glitch landed me in the smallest hotel room in New York... in a bunk bed! My ego protested. The wiser part of me saw the humor. Particularly when I had to prop my laptop up...
While I didn't grow up with the Thanksgiving holiday in Australia, I've come to treasure this American tradition dedicated to practicing gratitude in a world that constantly pulls our attention toward what's missing. Whenever I think about what gratitude truly means,...
Ever sold yourself short? If you can think back to a moment you wished you’d backed yourself more—taken that chance, made the ask, leapt—you’re not alone. The truth is, most of us regret the risks we didn’t take far more than the ones we did. By a long shot. That...
I almost sent a text I would have regretted. Someone had misinterpreted something I’d said, and I wanted to fix it — without making things worse. So I started composing a carefully worded message before I caught myself. Instead of hiding behind my iPhone screen, I...
My Uber to Union Station in Washington DC this morning took twice as long as it often does, the traffic heavy as everyone returns from summer breaks. Crawling across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, bumper to bumper with hundreds of other commuters, I couldn't help but...
A few weeks ago, I found myself buckled into a helicopter seat, headset on, lifting off above the ancient sandstone cliffs and winding waters of Katherine Gorge in Australia’s Northern Territory. Beside me sat my 90-year-old dad. “Dad, want to take a chopper ride over...
I was nine the day my dad sold his entire herd of dairy cows.A long and devastating drought had forced his hand. As the cattle truck rumbled down the laneway, I looked up at him and asked: “How will we get money now, Dad?” “I don’t know, Margie,” he said, before...
Note: This is clearly not my normal type of column. But on this occasion, I want to share a personal experience that, while involving nudity, holds some powerful lessons that I hope will be helpful for you in some small way. I’m really disappointed in myself. I did...
Saluti da Firenze! I’m in Italy this week to attend and speak at the Monash University Global Leaders Summit—my alma mater. The title of my session: Leading in a World Demanding Change. As distinguished alumni gathered from across the globe (we Aussies are known for...
Have you ever found yourself standing at the edge of something you knew you needed to do—knowing you needed to step up or speak up or lean in and 'take the leap', yet hesitating and holding back? I’ve been there. Not just in life, but quite literally, on a trapeze...
