Living and Leading from Within
  • Home
  • About
  • NEW BOOK: The Rebel's Guide to Leadership
  • Programs & Retreats
  • The Circle of Trust® Approach
  • Event Calendar
  • Testimonials
  • Visual Quotes
  • Blog
Picture

  • What matters most to you in this life?
  • What are your deepest beliefs and values?
  • What things make you feel most alive?
  • Is the life you are living the life that wants to live in you?

When you are committed to helping make the world a better place, your first step is to build a strong and healthy relationship with yourself so that you have the self-understanding and inner resilience to show up in the world with integrity, clarity of purpose and courage.  

Life moves at a frantic pace today and it is easy to get caught up in the daily rush of meeting deadlines and cramming jobs in, never taking time to rest and reflect on life’s journey.  Even leisure is fitted into our busy schedules like another thing that needs to be ticked off the To Do list.  A heavy emphasis today on outer appearances and measurable outcomes is a breeding ground for distrust, isolation, stress and burnout.   It is no wonder then that we can so easily lose touch with our inner selves and put on mask and armour in order to survive and succeed in the world.  But living an inauthentic life can come at great cost to self, and for those we live and work with, as well as the world at large.

So if you are ready to make time to reflect on your life and work and what lies ahead, then I can assist you with this journey and help you gain:


  • a stronger sense of purpose 
  • deeper self-understanding and respect for human diversity
  • a greater capacity to build trustworthy relationships
  • greater resilience and confidence to live and lead with integrity and courage

I design and lead programmes and facilitate retreats that are designed to nurture and sustain personal and professional integrity and the courage to act on it:

  • For individuals, to help reconnect who you are with what you do.
  • For leaders, of all levels, and across all sectors - business, non-profit, education, health, clergy, community and social services
  • For teachers across all education sectors, to renew your inner lives and provide opportunities for personal and professional insight and growth
  • For whole school faculties, to renew school cultures, improve professional relationships and communication, to grow and challenge existing and aspiring leaders, and develop a shared school vision
  • For organisations and teams, to help build a shared vision and bring about cultural change, build relational trust, and help develop authentic leadership

Please contact me to discuss your specific needs.

Mennie Scapens

Email:  [email protected]

Ph:      027-686-7449

What people are saying about the Circle of Trust approach .... ​

The Courage Way: Creating Trustworthy Space - Auckland
​- 5 September 2023 - a Courage & Renewal Faculty day retreat

My most important takeaways are the real value of pausing, being exposed to the wisdom of images and poetry, the crucial necessity to listen and to become a good listener, and the gift of others' questions and wisdom.
Sandy Robertson, Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland.

The Courage Way: Remaining open to possibility - Tauranga
​- 12 November 2022 - a Courage & Renewal Spring day retreat 

Courage & Renewal work has been a deep well of nourishment, refreshment and community for me. I sense the many seeds that have been planted in me are emerging into a garden - something I can share with others.
Thank you, Mennie, for your ground-breaking, tilling, sowing, tending, harvesting work in this good soil. Your work, this work, has been a real gift in my life.

Kathryn Overall, Spiritual Director & Coach, Tauranga.

The Heart of Teaching & Service - Snells Beach
​- 26 January 2021 - a Courage & Renewal Faculty day retreat

I came away feeling deeply encouraged and with an understanding of the importance of embedding reflective practice into the rhythm of life.
Joseph Janiszewski, DP, Horizon School, Snells Beach.
​

Courage begins with Uncertainty - Tauranga - 10 August 2021
- a Courage & Renewal
 day retreat for NZ Rugby High Performance Coaches
My thinking has been provoked and I go forward with new awareness and reminders of how I want to be .....
Bruce Blair, High Performance Development Manager, NZ Rugby.

A psychologically safe environment in which people are invited to share their ideas, hopes, fears and vulnerabilities with a view to personal growth and deep connections.  I really liked the use of poems, quotes and excerpts from various authors to prompt discussions.
Alex McKenzie, Coach Accelerator, High Performance Sport New Zealand.


I came away with the understanding that courage comes from a deep trust in ourselves.  Know oneself.  The framing of open & honest questions has real relevance to my current role.  Skilfully facilitated.
Evan Crawford, Senior Manager, Regional Game Development, NZ Rugby.

For more testimonials, go here ....

    Would you like email notification of new events on the Event Calendar?

Yes, please add me to your email list

Mennie Scapens M.Ed
Courage & Renewal Facilitator
Phone +64 27 686 7449
Email  [email protected]


What participants have to say:

"Taking the time out of the busy rush of university life to really reconnect with my inner self was definitely invaluable! I had forgotten to really take a step back to re-evaluate my personal goals and see whether they align with my values."
   - Merit Scholar, Macquarie 
      University, Sydney, Australia.


​"Themes were explored using silence, interactive reflection, the most wonderful poems, videos and a variety of activities. I really appreciated learning about 'open and honest questions' which I now use in my practice as a clinical psychologist."
  -  Veerle Poels, Whakatane,
           NZ.


"A powerful, honest, and meaningful investment of time.  I came away with the understanding that deep self-reflection will yield better long-term results. 
Thank you for such a refreshing approach."

 - Participant, Auckland, NZ.