Australia Day is the perfect opportunity to pause and reflect on what has made our nation successful, and reinvigorate some pride in our achievements, plus build the determination we need to overcome any challenges in the future.
The theme of ‘Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.’ is an invitation to us all to stop talking our country down and count our blessings.
That doesn’t mean we ignore our modern day problems or disregard parts of our heritage which are distressing or make us uncomfortable. But it does mean we look forward with a spirit of optimism, resilience and positivity.
What makes Australia such a great nation?
Other countries have beautiful environments, there are many other democracies in the world, and we’re not the only nation that has brought together many different cultures in a largely harmonious society.
In my mind, it is the people of Australia that make us exceptional.
The past few years have been challenging for our nation with the devastating summer bushfires, floods and the enduring impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Throughout our nation we are blessed with millions of people who volunteer in a wide variety of organisations to serve their community. From frontline health and emergency services to environmental, sporting and community work, we have people who are willing to give their time for their community’s benefit.
So many Australians donate their own time to quietly and diligently support their community every day of the week.
On Australia Day we should thank them all and commit ourselves to keeping that tradition alive. It is a tradition based on mateship, helping others who need a hand, and the need to feel part of something bigger than our own lives.
The Australian story will never be finished and it’s our generation that gets to write a few chapters during our short lifetimes.
We can all choose to contribute positively to that story by volunteering and making a statement that we care about the future of Gippsland, Victoria and Australia.
Finally, at a time when much of the political and media commentary focuses on what’s wrong with Australia we should try to count our blessings more often.
As we cast our eyes around the world and witness stories of the pandemic, armed conflicts, and minority groups being persecuted, we should be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy, and the largely safe, secure communities we share.
We cannot ignore our colonial past and it’s a simple fact that the lives of indigenous people were changed forever when European settlement started. Subsequent generations have built the civilisation we enjoy today and by any comparison around the world, we have brought together diverse cultures to live largely harmoniously.
That’s not to say there aren’t problems and unfinished business we would all like to change but as a nation, we are heading in the right direction.
By working together, we can address challenges like poverty, homelessness, indigenous disadvantage, mental illness, illicit drugs, family violence and any shortcomings in our government services.
It’s up to the most hopeful, optimistic, confident and more fortunate amongst us to lend a helping hand right now to those who may be struggling physically, mentally or financially.
We have to believe in ourselves and each other as we keep writing the Australian story.
Now is the time for leaders at all levels in our nation to find more common ground and unite around issues of critical importance to the future of Australia.
We can all play our part every day to make sure Australia is just a little bit better, and secure our place as one of the greatest nations in the world.
Australians all let us rejoice, for we are one and free.
