To build the confidence to create the possibilities of tomorrow I am inspired by this quote
We aspire to make a difference, yet at the same time fear we cannot . Confidence is that magical quality that allows us to transcend the quiet self – doubts that tug at us . It shows us the emotional way forward by allowing us to believe in ourselves and trust the process .
We need a road map that can shift our perspective and free our imaginations, allowing us to suspend belief in the limits of today so we can see and create the possibilities of tomorrow. Blue Ocean Shift (p. 6). Pan Macmillan UK. Kindle Edition. Mauborgne, Renee; Kim, W. Chan.
The last ten years have been a time of significant change for me. Firstly exiting the family dairy business after I realised I had a vision for the business my business partners didn’t share.
The exit process taught me realising my vision for the business had consumed me. It had become my identity.
So I then put everything I had into the charity I had founded and it too became my identity ( you can see a pattern forming here). Last year it became very clear to me I was suffering from founder syndrome and it was time to hand over the reins. A defining moment was the feedback from the judges of the Banksia Awards – “there doesn’t seem to be a clear plan to replicate and scale”. Scaling what we do was the last thing on my mind – all I wanted to do was to add value to what others are doing.
I had a long chat to my contact at St Vincent De Paul – one of our funding partners. He said the work your charity does must continue and Vinnes can provide support for you to package up all your programs and find others with the capacity to replicate them and scale them. I found this idea very exciting. There is no shortage of others out there doing great work.
So far we have been very successful with Kreative Koalas and the Young Environmental Champions programs finding the perfect new home. We are are having exciting conversations about The Archibull Prize’s capacity to have an AGSTEM role as part of a major university program and the Young Farming Champions will be workshopping what the next stage looks like for their program – could it be a youth led, youth driven initiative?
St Vincent De Paul have even engaged some-one to mentor me through the process and I very grateful for that. Defining what the future looks like at my age means spending a lot of time reflecting on the mistakes of the past and asking myself , am I too old to change.
What does proving you are never to old to change look like?
To start with I am going to focus on positive language
The breakdown of my family business taught me:
💪Whatever journey you are on get the foundation right.
💪Everybody needs to part of a shared vision – it must be a co-design process
💪Surround yourself with people who:
✅share your vision
✅have skillsets that complement yours
I am reading a book recommended by my mentor. I love this extract from the preface of “Blue Ocean Shift by Mauborgne, Renee; Kim, W. Chan”
In the poem “ O Me ! O Life ! ” Walt Whitman , the American poet and essayist , reflects on the trials and tribulations that define the human experience . “ What good amid these , O me ! O life ? ” he asks . His answer — that all of us , individually and collectively , may contribute a verse to the powerful play that is life — has never left us . Life has its challenges and tribulations , no doubt . But it is not beyond our ability to shape . By our very existence , we all are able to contribute a verse and , in doing so , influence life’s course , and maybe even its beauty , if only by an inch . What will your verse be ? What will ours ? We have never stopped asking ourselves this question . What do we want to stand for ? What narrative arc do we want to focus our efforts on in the hopes of adding a small verse to the powerful play that is life that can help our world to advance ?
We need a road map that can shift our perspective and free our imaginations , allowing us to suspend belief in the limits of today so we can see and create the possibilities of tomorrow . And for that we need to inspire confidence in ourselves and in our people because , although we all are replete with creative energy and resilience , at our core , most of us are also incredibly tender and vulnerable . Without the confidence to act , few will venture down a new path , no matter how clear the road map .
We aspire to make a difference, yet at the same time fear we cannot . Confidence is that magical quality that allows us to transcend the quiet self – doubts that tug at us . It shows us the emotional way forward by allowing us to believe in ourselves and trust the process .
As Nelson Mandela once noted , “ It always seems impossible until it’s done”
