See the world with curiosity 1



Have you ever heard the word hubris? It refers to excessive pride. The kind of pride that can bring you completely undone.

I heard a story about Winston Churchill’s mother when attending a dinner function leading up to a UK federal election. Jennie Jerome had the opportunity to speak with the two foremost candidates for the prime ministership in Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone. I am sure both men were eminently qualified, articulate and capable but when asked her impressions, she answered;

“When I left the dining room after sitting next to Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But when I sat next to Disraeli, I left feeling that I was the cleverest woman.”

Hubris sounds like the kind of pride that can stop you listening to others, asking questions, learning from experience or seeing the world with curiosity.

You are at risk of walking into any room with a disproportionate sense of what you bring to the conversation.

And an even higher risk of missing out on the things that truly matter.


About Kelley

Kelley is a speaker, author, overseas aid worker and perpetual student. She is passionate about women and gender issues, both in the local and international context, which underpins her enthusiasm for kinwomen and its contribution to women ‘living their finest life’. In 2014 Kelley completed a Masters in International and Community Development before establishing The Foxglove Project. Foxglove is a registered charity focused on supporting international development projects that are sustainable and driven by indigenous leadership. Kelley’s paid work requires her to travel extensively to evaluate and support projects supported by Australian funds. This experience and networking enables Foxglove to partner with outstanding overseas agencies delivering real opportunities for the poor and vulnerable to lead independent self-determined lives. Kelley combines these passions with a love of family and faith. Across more than 30 years of marriage, Kelley and her husband have worked through many of the challenges of building a relationship while raising three sons. Their boys have now finished high school changing the dynamics of family life and relationships. One of her great joys is sharing parenting lessons and learning from good and bad (sometimes disastrous) experiences. She uses humour and common sense to talk about the everyday challenges facing parents in today’s context.

One thought on “See the world with curiosity

  • Elaine Fraser

    I love this, Kelley. A great reminder. Maya Angelou wrote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

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