As I upload my images of sunrise at Byron Bay I reflect on groups that see sunrise in a whole different light. The homeless. They sleep in doorways and under bridges (if they are lucky) and then have to move on as the  sun comes up and we all get on with our daily life. I am not sure they see such joy in the colours of the sky. This week I will join Lifewise in NZ for the Big Sleepout. An event that encourages senior leaders to sleep rough out in the winter elements and connect with the social services and homeless in Auckland. This year they are raising money for Youth Homelessness. It has prompted a lot of discussion and questions from people about why do it. Firstly, as I reflect on life I realise how lucky I am am that I had a loving family that worked hard for my educational opportunities and I have been able to make the most of opportunities that have come my way. Giving back to communities is important when you have been blessed in this way. However as I reflect on more and more focus on inclusive behaviour in the workplace to ensure minority groups such as female leaders, ethnic groups , people with disabilities are not marginalised in an organisation I am thinking more and more about how this plays out in society. It is hard to see we live in a inclusive society whilst we face a proportion of people who are marginalised for  because they do not even have the base need of security and housing covered . I have spoken to quite a few people who are quite judgemental on the matter and yet have not explored the root cause of this issue. I am sure there are different reasons why people are homeless but it is a challenge if you are 12 and have to sleep out . It is hard to get your life back on track. I know Thursday night will be a challenge with a cold night forecast and maybe some rain but for me it is 1 night not a lifetime of not being sure whether I will be warm, dry and safe. It is the least I can do to raise awareness and money to support Lifewise. bigsleepout.org.nz/page/jackijohnsonsfundraisingpage
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I continue to work hard at making sense of what is happening in my personal and professional life. We all become typecast in  roles we play and what others want us to be. What I do realise is that by being in the moment and understanding yourself very deeply you can be more valuable to others around you. Last month saw an opportunity to combine work travel with a bon voyage party for my Mum and Dad going on a world adventure before Mums reduced mobility makes it harder. We also caught up with family and very dear friends on the North Coast of NSW whilst we were up at Byron for a conference. Nothing is more grounding than people who really know who you are  and expect very little but value having time with you. This alone forces you to be in the moment. Meeting my cousins children and hear what is happening in their life was priceless.