I have a seat at the table. For the first time, in a very long time, I have a seat at the table and people actually want to hear what I think and people really care about my opinion. You see, for many years I have made decisions, thousands of them in fact but before, no-one ever really gave much of crap about them. When you aren't making what people believe to be 'big decisions' then without realising it, people are actually quite dismissive and generally disinterested in what you're filling your life up with. They just don't care.
If you aren't making decisions that will affect other people, generally speaking, people just don't value your opinions all that much. Now, I personally do not at all ascribe to that way of thinking but since I have had a seat at the table of decision making and some actually autonomy over how things will go, I have come to see this hypocrisy for the utter bullshit that it is. And trust me when I say that it is rife and it does happen all the time, and that you may even be doing it without realising that you are. 
Truth is, that I am no better at decision making than I was when I didn't have a seat at the table. I was just as good at it back when no-one was listening; in fact I would go so far as to say that I was even better at it than some of the people that were making big decisions for myself and others. Which has really made me think a lot more about the power that some people in business can hold over others and the control that utter fricken idiots can wield over far smarter and far better people. And I really hate to say it, but government, education, health and industry are prime examples of this.
Apparently, the fatter your pay packet, the more important that your opinion is, and I call absolute horse shit on that. Just because you can crap-talk yourself into a position of status in a one hour interview, that hardly makes you more worthy of making the big decisions. In some cases yeah, sure, of course it does, if you are exceptional at your job but unfortunately, there are heaps of ding dongs out there being grossly overpaid to make choices for, and to dictate to, people that are clearly smart and more capable than they are. And it just sucks, I know because I did for the better part of 15 years.
Is experience worth more than a university degree? Are street smarts more valuable and desirable than an honours degree? Is a strong work ethic and loyalty seen as simply desirable or should they actually be rewardable traits? Should people be judged on performance rather than qualification? Are scholars better at making decisions than blue collar workers? Does your wage bracket reflect your level of competency?
These are all questions that are worthy of your time to consider. It is important that we are discerning and diplomatic in the way that we approach and understand the power that comes with making decisions for other people. No-one must be made to feel irrelevant or unimportant. Many, many, people deserve a seat at the table but may never get the opportunity to do so and people in positions of power need to be aware of that and respect how that process of compliance and control can make others feel, especially when they demonstrate high levels of autonomy and untapped knowledge themselves. It is certainly something that I have become keenly aware of  this year and because of this I will endeavour to always consider those who I may be representing as I take my seat at the table. And I will also slide out a seat for those who I know should already be involved in the decision making, to sit beside me and have a voice because I never want any of my people to feel powerless or undervalued. 

LITTLE FISH
Release Date: 2005
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 113 mins 
A gritty Australian drama directed by Rowan Woods and written Jacquelin Perske, Little Fish gets under your skin with its incredibly believable cast whom deliver all of the downtrodden characters and events with staggering affect.
Tracy is trying to get on with her life. She's been clean for four years and runs the local video store. However when her ex-boyfriend returns and the man that she lives with Lionel, begin to rely on her for drug related activities, her sobriety soon becomes tested. 
As I said earlier, it is the intense performances that make this film so good; it is a riveting, albeit unnerving and upsetting watch. Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett are totally stripped back and delivering with raw intensity here and they are very well supported by Sam Neill, Noni Hazlehurst, Dustin Nguyen and Martin Henderson. 
It's a hard going watch, and although there are many covers of the Cold Chisel classic tune Flame Trees speckled throughout the movie, have your tissues on hand for both Sarah Blasko's version and the one sung by The Scared Heart School Choir, very stirring stuff. 
FINAL SAY: The past is right here. It's right here. 
3 Chilli Peppers ​

The beginning of a new year, the start of a new job and a fresh chance to alter the journey that I have undertaken so far. That's what 2025 is bringing to my door, and it is both wonderful and terrifying in equal measure. 
I have come to understand that we grow the most and at the fastest pace when we are placed under pressure. Just as you cannot make a diamond without immense pressure and a lotus cannot bloom without mud; so too is the way of all things. You need the difficulty, the challenge and the levels of discomfort to find out what you are truly capable of, and that is what I am experiencing right now. It's not so much unpleasant, its more uncomfortable in this new skin and I am constantly navigating new terrain and having to perform adjustments to find a new normal. In the past this would have stressed me out, but I have grown a lot in a decade and I am finding the process challenging in the most enjoyable of ways. 
Not a day goes by that doesn't call upon my social and emotional skill set and my problem solving skills and it is so good! This is what I have been waiting for, and didn't even realise that I was! Back in November I recall writing a blog about contentment and desire, and it gave me an opportunity to contemplate the extremely high level of life satisfaction that I was experiencing. But, I have come to understand that without desire or drive, contentment can be the mother of stagnation, procrastination and settling for what we have, rather than seeking challenge. In short, although I loved the high levels of contentment that I was experiencing, I wasn't really growing as a person or developing any of my skills. I was just marinating in the ease of it all, which is lovely but you can spoil if you marinate for too long. 
So change was what I needed but I didn't know that I actually needed it until I got it and now I feel so energise and passionate about things again. I haven't felt scared, ambitious, courageous, inventive or creative in a workplace for quite a while and I had forgotten how good it feels to be all of those things. Especially the uncertainty, that in itself is terrifyingly terrific! To not know and to need to learn again, I had forgotten the thirst and hunger that comes with that feeling and I really like it! 
And so, I have started my new career. One that involves leading, learning, travelling, problem solving, listening and sharing. One that offers me a seat at the table of decision makers and contemplators and gosh - what a incredible feeling to have back in my life again. So, it is with joy in my step and a smile in my heart that I launch into this brave new world of uncertainty and welcome the road that rises before me - 2025 is going to be a steep but rewarding learning curve for me, and I am ready to take it on!

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
Release Date: 2024
Rating: M
Running Time: 94 mins 
An adult stop-motion animation tragic-comedy; written, produced and directed by Adam Elliot. The film's plot is loosely inspired by Elliot's real life experiences and was very well received by audiences and critics alike, landing a nomination for Animation Feature Film at the 2025 Golden Globes. 
Grace Pudel is growing up in Melbourne, Australia in the '70s. She's a little different and she's also very introverted, hence her love of the snail, a creature that always has a safe pace to hide. As we follow Grace throughout her life we discover what it truly means to be alive and free. 
This is a touching tale that explores grief, despair and humanity in humorous and heartfelt ways. The characters are larger than life and the voice actors (Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jackie Weaver, Eric Bana and Magda Szubanski - to name a few) are perfectly cast. Memoir of a Snail is moving and original storytelling that shouldn't be missed. 
FINAL SAY: Life can only be understood backwards, but we have to live it forwards. 
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​