Pokies to purpose

When Kate Seselja revealed publically that she’d had a twelve-year struggle with a gambling addiction, that drove her to almost take her life, no one had expected this revelation from the well-spoken, married mum with six children.The way our society judges and stigmatises people’s struggles is wrong, it only compounds the pain and isolation the person feels. Kate knew she had to be a voice in the darkness talking honestly and vulnerably, her talks help audiences connect not just with her, but back to themselves in a way that builds greater understanding of self and others.Recently in Canada and the USA visiting the UN, Kate is passionate about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her recent partnership with United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) to highlight Goal #3 of Good Health and Wellbeing. “It is the most vitally important SDG through which all others will be able to be achieved.”The Hope Project is about shifting the culture of coping and existing, to one that is informed of what we need to thrive sustainably. This skill set is a powerful prevention tool of further social decay. This involves engaging educators to spread the message of living a mentally sustainable life. The AWAKE program teaches people how to recognise, understand and overcome their own life challenges, using the same strategies she used herself.Featured on CNN’s Vital Signs, Kate has helped many people to remember their humanity and reclaim their lives, going from surviving to thriving. She was a finalist in the Australian Institute of Management Awards and the Telstra Women in Business Award in 2016.Kate is invited to speak in classrooms, universities, workplaces and community groups, no one is immune to struggle and the more we can enable honest conversations about our humanity, the more we can grow and learn from our stories and increase the capacity for compassion and forgiveness. This is a powerful message every person needs to hear.Find out more about Kate on her website.My website is www.andrewjobling.com.au