When Things Fall Apart, Build Something New

In Guidepost 15, we acknowledged a simple truth: Every superhero has their own version of kryptonite. If we want to live from our strengths, we must also mitigate against our weaknesses and manage our pseudo strengths—those energy-draining dynamics we’ve often confused for something else.

And, there’s more.

Once you’ve identified your superpowers—the talents that energize you, align with your values, and let your power shine—it’s time to ask:

Where does the world most need me to shine?

Because here’s the thing:
So much of what we once trusted—governments, institutions, communities—is fractured. Torn. Even broken. And while this current climate could lead us to despair, it could also present us with an opening. Yes, even an opportunity. This could be the moment to seize the day by noticing not what is broken, but what new territory has just opened.

Where can you see a need to help build a brighter future?

Where do you have a desire to help us rise from the ruin?

I’m standing firm to the notion that in the rubble of what’s crumbled, we get to build again. The current situation is both untenable and temporary. It is also quite revelatory.

Today more than ever I believe we get to, and would be wise to ask bold questions:

• What kind of leadership do we want to see? And where can we go out and build that within ourselves?
• What kind of communities do we want to belong to? When and where can we start building that sort of community?
• What kind of futures do we want to shape? Are you willing to envision that this is exactly what we can begin to shape today?

I’m convinced that this isn’t an abstract concept. What I’m presenting is intended to be more of a personal call to rise above and play bold.

You Know That This Time Things Are Personal

You’ve likely already felt it—the tug in your chest, the whisper in your ear. Maybe you have sensed an “I can help with this” moment. That tug, whisper, or sensation is your soul’s compass, and it’s pointing toward the space where your strength meets a genuine and relevant need. In my book, SoulSalt: Your Personal Field Guide to Confidence, Purpose and Fulfillment, I designate the act of dreaming and visioning new possibilities a vital part of having a Possibility Practice.

In terms of today’s fragile environments, you could start your own version of this by asking:

• Where do I see something broken that I care enough to fix?
• Where do I feel called to build what hasn’t existed before?
• Where do I feel heartache, and know I could be part of the healing?

For some of you, that’s enough. That’s all you need to now and you can start there. That’s your frontier. That’s your possibility space. For others you may want to apply the idea of such a practice in a smaller space. Maybe, drop down into your own personal life.

Here’s what I mean, several years ago I started attending fencing classes. I could commit to once a week and that was it. So, I joined the beginner class made up mostly of 8- and 9-year-olds. I’m not too proud to admit that these kids beat me in open fencing more times than not until I acquired a few vital skills.

Note, I was happy to learn at a slow pace because fencing had been on my “someday” list since I was in 6 th grade. Approaching my 60 th birthday gave me a chance to brush off that list and start taking some of the ideas into action. And, my schedule at the time could only accommodate one lesson a week. Success was measured in showing up, one lesson, one week at a time.

After about 18 months, I had gained enough skill and opened up more time in my life to attend even more classes and practices. Today I have been fortunate enough to have won local, regional and national medals. The potential was inside me. I simply had to start small and work up.

Now, let’s apply this method to your life. Think about a few items floating around on a “someday I want to….” list. Even if that list exists only in your own head. What do you find there? Jot down at least three things that exist on your “someday” list.

If you just named three things, you’ve started your own Possibility Practice.

Keep that momentum going and answer the following questions:

• What is one dream or desire you hold in your heart that wants to happen before you pass on?
• What is one area of the world for which you wish you could make a positive impact?
• What is one cause that you’d be willing to join in order to make a difference?

My Invitation to You

What I’m inviting you to do—with your strengths, your time, your wild and precious energy—is to live in the realm of possibility just a little more boldly. Why? Because the benefits aren’t just theoretical.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation reports that when people connect to a dream, they experience:

• A surge in positive emotions
• Confidence instead of fear
• Hope replacing anxiety
• Joy edging out sadness

Neuroscience agrees. When we dream and envision, we activate the most evolved parts of our brains—head, heart, and gut. This is where strategy meets courage, where identity fuels motivation.

So here’s the invitation:

Point your superpowers toward possibility. Not just for yourself, but for the future we all share. Because this is what real leadership looks like now. Not performative. Not power-hoarding. But soul-aligned. Generative. Brave. And yes—absolutely necessary.

The world doesn’t just need more critics or bystanders. It needs builders. Re-imaginers. Possibility practitioners. And that means you.

So tell me …

What will you build, brave one? And where can I cheer you on?