To the rest of you, it simply means: don’t be afraid to show the world your “uniqueness” or sparkle – who you really are; don’t follow the crowd; be yourself; and definitely, be nice to others.

I left Mamre last Friday with a smile on my face; not a common occurrence and something I rarely display: a smile.

I prefer to keep my happiness to myself, including my smiles; something Roel has been helping me with over the last few months.

He feels it’s important to share our smiles with others as sharing brings joy to everyone, not just me.

I had a fabulous day and connected with each and every speaker in some way – not because they are all women, but because they really are extraordinary people, who wear their Aussie resilience like a slightly tattered, but much-loved coat; for the rest of us to see; learn from and be inspired by.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the nice big presentation beaming from the two data projectors (yes, there’s a nerd in me somewhere) and the fear began to appear.

After working in a place where every time someone had to use a microphone, the data projector had to keep it company, I became completely tired of PowerPoints.

Lugging that damn projector around over 5 acres for the sake of the same mania over and over and over – well, I became a little anti-techno.

Anyway, I was nicely surprised and didn’t need to cringe – the PowerPoint was tastefully done, simple and served a purpose, which is exactly what a PowerPoint should do.

Some use lots of fancy transitions, too much text and loads of images to wow the audience but what they really do is, distract and take the focus away from the speaker.

This one didn’t do any of that – it simply reminded us who was speaking and who was responsible for us being there – it was absolutely perfect.

The ex-princess, Jacqueline Pascarl, did use the projectors to show a few pictures; but that also was tastefully done.

Toward the end of the day it was pleasant to sit back and visualise the people and places Jacqueline was discussing through the use of a digital scrapbook; the story she has to tell is heart-wrenching.

A small part of Jacqueline’s story is that after her children were taken from her, whilst they were quite young, by their father; they found each other again; after 14 years via the internet.

The determination and selflessness she showed when her own children were ripped from her, by helping other families and their children, meant that her very own children were able to find her once again.

Jacqueline’s plight to help other parents with kidnapped children; her work with refugees; and her unfairy-tale was all over the internet which led to her daughter contacting her after 14 years via email.

The internet can be a powerful tool when it comes to communication.

Although her tale didn’t follow the stereotyped path of a princess, I still feel Jacqueline emulates some princess-like qualities, other than the need to colour accessorise; beauty on the inside as well as the out and a love for her children that sparkled through adversity far brighter than any tiara.

And as for Julie Cross, her beauty glows from within like nothing I have seen before; an inspiring woman who shares her “sparkle” with others.

Her message simple: if you say you are tired; you’ll feel tired; your energy will be low - if you say you are great; you will feel great; your energy will be high.

Dawn Fraser’s story about “the flag” was both humorous and exemplified what it is to be Australian – her courage, strength and love for Australia was evident. – she’s a great mentor for our young and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

The same message came from all the women who spoke: give and you will receive; not the material kind of giving and receiving but the fair-dinkum, soul-fulfilling kind.

It wasn’t the Playstations, Mobiles, Computers or Techno-Stuff that the ex-princesses children remembered from their childhood but the time spent with them, her love, song-singing and hugs.

I’d like to thank Raelene and the team from CRT for a remarkable day – I was inspired.