Out of the most aromatic of manures come the sweetest smelling roses. So, let’s hear it for the everyday heroes. Those who quietly and without fuss face up to their challenges with courage and tenacity.

I’m constantly humbled by the stories I hear of bravery. Whenever I feel that I’m facing difficulties, there’s always an inspirational story of someone whose intestinal fortitude puts me to shame and I don’t have to look far.

It’s an Aussie thing to barrack for the underdog but I don’t think we have exclusive rights to it. There are people who at times find themselves so far down that they’d need a shovel to get any deeper. Don’t you love to see them get on with the job of living their best life and turning that manure into roses?

Every individual has his or her own challenges, limitations and capabilities. No two people are the same, even within the one family or within a set of twins, triplets etcetera! Understanding where each character sits in this spectrum puts depth onto the page and empathy into our hearts.

Don’t you want to see someone who struggles so valiantly succeed? That’s what I like to read about and what I love to write about. The bonus is that if we learning from other’s experiences we can sometimes save ourselves repeating their mistakes.