Shifting Perspective, Creating Change
“There is something incredible that happens when we grow as humans – our perspective shifts…”
Family and friends have been asking Aaron and me, “Why start Next Chapter Strategies (NCS)?” Well, if people close to us are asking that question, then it is safe to assume potential clients will as well. So, why NCS? Simply put – to help!
There is something incredible that happens when we grow as humans – our perspective shifts and we can look at things like they are new. For Aaron and I, one of these instances was when we gave birth to our first child. This perspective shift presented new anxieties about everyday happenings.
I was a gymnastics coach for decades. Helping children to learn to flip and jump on a 4-inch-wide stick (the balance beam), launch themselves like a projectile off an inanimate object (the vault), and defy gravity while dancing, twirling, and hurdling themselves through space (floor) was a skill I performed with confidence. However, after my firstborn arrived, it was like the decades of coaching adventurous athletes were muted. Furniture needed to be evaluated for protective coverings. Which doors needed locks? Trying new things, as little ones must do to grow, came with a list of what-ifs to be managed. The household risks mattered, but I could mitigate those. Why, then, was I so frustrated?
It took me a while to realize my stresses weren’t about those immediate risks but about something bigger. The world presented issues but change for those larger issues wasn’t in my power – or at least it felt like it wasn’t. I was more stressed than ever - not because I was trying to raise a good human, but because I was worried about the world I would be passing along to this sweet baby. I wanted to do my part to make sure the world I left this little girl was a good one. I wanted to help make the change I wanted to see.
Naturally, I started to ask, “How can I make this better? How can I help?” Aaron and I had regular discussions about doing the best we could – but what did that mean? We came up with many ideas from volunteer projects to starting a franchise to help single mothers and the elderly, but the benefits from those endeavors would result in temporary change in an isolated area. Valuable, yes. Would it be enough? My gut said no.
So, what then? What was the answer? The truth was right in front of us, and it was simple. We help organizations that are making changes in their communities. We provide them with the support they need to reach the next chapter in their change story.
There are many small to medium-sized organizations with incredible community-changing missions, but they are stuck. They have issues that keep them from achieving their vision and their impact is limited. The reality is many of these struggles stem from not having an expert resource with an objective perspective available to bridge the resource gap and accomplish a large project, correct team strategy, provide training or coaching, and so on. And these were skills Aaron and I had in spades… it was like we had this tool chest with expensive expert equipment that could be used to overcome hurdles for businesses. We had been collecting these tools for years – and we were finally realizing why!
The Association for Psychological Science has an article about the simple truth of how helping others reduces stress (https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/helping-others-dampens-the-effects-of-everyday-stress.html). It is a quick read that provides evidence-based findings from studies about the impact of helping others. Essentially, helping others helps us help ourselves – which is a practice I can get behind.
When I finally realized how I wanted to help, my stress was replaced with passion. Passion to be a change-maker and to align with other change-makers. I now look at world issues around me as solvable because there are so many mission-driven organizations out there that are focused on being part of greater change - and NCS is going to help them do it.
If you know of an organization that has put its hat in the ring to make the world better, but they are stuck, send them our way. We want to give them the advantage they need to change and step into their next chapter. We want to give them the advantage so they can change the world!
