It’s always nice to know you’ve made a difference – it gives you the confidence you need to go on making further differences (if you can indeed pluralise that word), and the knowledge that you’re doing something right. It gives you the hope that since you’re actually doing something well, you can go on, learn more, and do it even better.

In my life I want to make a difference in those around me. William James said ‘The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it’ – and investing into people is a great way to do that. The quote has even more significance if you’re old and wise and leading the young and not-so-wise (of which I am obviously currently in the latter bracket, learning off those in the other).

So my point is this. When a friend talks about the last two years of his life and states that you played a part in it, it is encouraging. Encouraging to know that, while you want to do good, partly now as a result of your doing good (which you wondered the whole time whether it was good or it was just an illusion that only you could see), someone else is now also doing good.

Investing into the people around you is going to make greater your own impact on this world. And it’s super encouraging, and keeps you going, to hear that you’re doing it well.

So thanks Adam. And the rest of this discussion, I shall continue with you in just a moment, but offline.

Yes, I’ve been busy. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!

Where to start? Work’s been going great. I’ve been working long hours – longer than I probably should be – so I should probably scale that back a bit. But the good thing is that I enjoy it – I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t. I’m learning alot too. Managing a staff of four and a volunteer force of around 30 people is certainly something I haven’t done before, and brings very unique challenges.

As I mentioned about a month ago, I’m doing a photography course. I’ve recently uploaded some photos from that to my Facebook, and you can see them here. There’s a bunch of other new photos and albums too – see my photos page for all the details (including photos taken from the SouthCare helicopter on a flight over Canberra).

I’ve also had quite a few couchsurfers stay recently. Just travellers from different corners of the globe who needed a bed while seeing the sights of Canberra. I had Guillaume from France for a few nights; Elaine, Elliot and Chase from the States for a couple of nights; and Judy and Tobi from Germany for a week. I had a lot on when the Americans and Germans were staying – I was out almost every night – so I feel quite bad for not getting to spend much time with them! It was a pity not to get the chance to get to know them better… but hey, at least I got to help out the travellers.

Other than that, there’s not much to say… or rather there is, but I just don’t know where to start. So I’m not going to for now.

More later. And the photo of the week will be back from Monday!