Amanda Murray

Soft like silly putty.

Authentically vulnerable.

Unquestionably powerful.

Well seasoned.

Pleasurable being.

Amanda Murray is passionate about growth. She has gathered best practice insights on the most effective growth strategies through her business development experience within a range of technology focused solutions. She is now a consultant at a billion dollar Fintech company, supporting clients with the management and augmentation of data, communications and technology projects. Outside of work, her passion for growth and personal development is exercised through her reading, writing and acting.

“If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate suffering in the world, eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. Truly, the greatest gift you have to give is that of your self transformation” - Lao Tzu

Isolation feels similar to how I imagine a whale must feel, spending a lifetime in an aquarium while having the ability to swim through oceans. Or the way a bird would feel after spending way too long trapped in a cage. A bird that would find itself chirping less and less each day, gradually striding toward utter silence.

Being able to listen and accept that your bird has stopped chirping can be incredibly difficult and painful. Yet it is the first and necessary step toward making a change. Toward behaviours that signal good health. The process of growth can place an increased importance on being aware of the development of our own habits. Admittedly, some more healthy than others.

Sometimes, we notice our mental health declining by an increased lack of self care.

Starting to eat less? An awful lot more? Showering a little less often?

Drinking (or smoking) a little more?

Watching more porn?

We all have our vices and no matter what they may be, we cannot judge others because they cope differently to us. We also cannot judge ourselves for exhibiting our own unhealthy ways of dealing with and reacting to stressful circumstances. No matter how long or how deep we allow our darkness to sit, our focus must always return to our virtues and values. The good that's in each of us. The ability to decide what we value and to act in ways that are aligned with those values.

If each of us does the hard internal work, we can begin to achieve more, together.

It's commonly recognised that improved well-being increases engagement and productivity. So what happens when you and the people around you are more productive?

You make more, do more, and do it more quickly.

When we foster values such as integrity, compassion, resiliency and look after our collective well-being, we directly impact productivity, revenue and ROI.

Our values impact how we operate.

Investing in people delivers a return.

And that's not to say those qualities don't have value within themselves.

They increase our ability to build communities that are stronger, closer, happier and through raised levels of honesty and shared vulnerability, we may all be able to live the human experience a little more deeply.

And who doesn't place value in that?