Better. Days. Ahead.
Welcome to My Blog
We all want to live well. But we all face forks in the road- some good, some bad, some chosen, some not.What matters is how we respond. My blogs will help you find your way to Better Days Ahead.
What Makes Communities Resilient?
We often think resilience is something we carry within us. Yet some of the most important resources for resilience exist between us. Reflecting on conversations with leaders in sport and recreation, I explore why community resilience is built through the everyday encounters, relationships and places that connect us long before crisis strikes.
Abi's Dots: The Story Behind These Symbols of Hope and Resilience
Grief and resilience specialist Dr Lucy Hone shares the story behind Abi's Dots - how a symbol born from devastating loss has evolved into a worldwide reminder to stay focused on who and what matters most.
How to Get Through Mother’s Day When It’s Hard
Mother’s Day isn’t easy for everyone. I know. Maybe you’ve lost your mum, never got to be one, have a complicated relationship with her, or have lost a child. Whatever it is, here are practical ways to prepare for the day, manage what comes up, and get through it.
When resilience isn't enough: how to cope when the bad things keep coming
I keep hearing the same question - quietly, almost apologetically - in community halls, after talks, in emails from people who take a day or two to work up to sending them. How many times do you have to be knocked down and expected to get back up? This one's for anyone whose hard situation isn't something that happened once.
Fifteen Years On: What Years of Earthquakes Taught Me
On the 15th anniversary of the Christchurch earthquake, I reflect on three lessons about navigating uncertainty and building presilience before crisis hits.
Why a Sudden Shock Can Leave You Shaken for Days
I wasn’t expecting a garden umbrella to send my nervous system into full alert, but the impact left me shaken long after the bruising began to fade. Here’s why our brains react this way after a sudden shock, and what helped me recover and feel steady again.
Lessons from Braided Rivers: Real-life Resilience
You can never truly learn a braided river - it shifts day by day. Life’s like that too. In this piece, I reflect on how kayaking New Zealand’s unpredictable rivers helped me let go of control, trust myself to make good-enough decisions, and keep going when the current gets rough.
Why We Need Places to Bump Into One Another
Community isn't built when crisis strikes. It's built beforehand, through the everyday places where we gather, connect and belong. Why our "bumping spaces" matter more than ever in an increasingly lonely world.
In the blogs below you’ll find questions people ask me, real talk about life and handling change, and reflections on navigating tough times with strength, honesty, and compassion.
My earliest blogs are raw, written years ago, in the aftermath of significant loss, but most are about living well - my wider fascination has always been about how we can cobble together a good life, with meaning and purpose, fun and good times, hope and happiness, even when times are tough. Each blog has a theme label at the top and tags below to help you find more of what you’re looking for.
Over the years, I’ve learned that one person’s question is often shared by many - so if there’s something on your mind, please ask. I’m always open to exploring these topics from a different point of view, and truly believe the best learning flows two ways. You are the expert in your world and I’m here to learn from you.
I’m here to help you piece together a life out of the cards you’ve been dealt and the opportunities facing you. I’m proud to hear these blog conversations have helped many find their way to #BetterDaysAhead. I hope they help you too.
