Recently we interviewed Shonah Melton, who is on a remarkable journey to make a difference to the very fibre of our society.
This article is aimed at those of us who want to make a difference. It is about those of us who want more from life than to just keep our heads above water! Many of us are simply too tired to think much of our vast potential to achieve great things.
At Leadership Platform we have probably enjoyed more personal leadership conversations than anybody else (refer website). Each of these conversations has been a journey with people who want to and are making a difference in some form or other.
Although each of our individual journeys is unique in many ways, we have uncovered common drivers that are imperatives if we want to make our individual journeys successful. As we interview leaders, we automatically look for these common drivers because all movement in life is governed by the integration of motivation, direction and supporting structure. All three elements need to be present all the time or else movement will not occur. Let’s see how the common drivers apply to the remarkable Shonah Melton.
Motivation
Shonah is a dedicated wife, mother and church participant. She also happens to have a remarkable creative mind and a passion to lift others around her. The result of years of dedicated effort on her part with the support of her husband Keith is that she has developed a brilliant series of programs that is aimed at instilling positive power in primary children, youth, single adults and adults. As she took us through a laptop presentation of some of their work it was clearly apparent that these powerful tools to instil a lasting positive attitude in primary children and other age groups were based on universal values and many years of pain and sacrifice. Nothing worthwhile is achieved without profound dedication and passion! Shonah is certainly highly motivated, even inspired or else she would never have been able to persevere in her pursuit of excellence in the products and skill she has embraced that empower her to inspire positive power in others.
Direction
The passion that Shonah has to lift others in a lasting manner is directed into a series of programs that is backed by many skills that are intended to generate self-respect and a value driven positive attitude. I can think of few things that are more relevant for our society that what we experienced with Shonah. I was amazed at the manner in which she invests a variety of skills such as singing, art, dancing and poetry into raising leadership and creative instincts of especially young minds to the conscious level. I am an experienced father, grandfather and people leader and I was excited by the spirit and authenticity of what she shared with us.
Structure
It is one thing to create products and concepts that can make a real difference to others. It is something else to possess the delivery and support structure that is required for effective movement to happen. For example, a multitude of good books and programs contain an immensely rich heritage of universal and proven values that possess the power to revitalise people and society. Yet such power remains dormant until we install structures to cause real movement to happen. In the case of Shonah she needs resources such as willing people and funding and supportive government laws and regulations. It has taken her years to get where she is at present and her challenge is to mobilise the necessary supporting funds and structures.
As we sat with Shonah it was clear that her challenge is the same that many creative geniuses have to face on a regular basis. It is not easy to mobilise supporting structures in a society where new, even brilliant concepts such as hers are not easily assimilated. It is not just a case of unwillingness from the powers to be; it is about everybody being busy and about committed resources and projects.
Shonah and her supporters have come a long way in her journey to implement many years of brilliant creative efforts. But she has a long way to go because of the need for supporting structures so that thousands more, especially our youth, can raise their leadership, creative and entrepreneurial instincts to the conscious level.
Loneliness of the creative leader
From much personal experience as well as that gathered in multiple interviews with great performers, we know that it is often a lonely journey for those who have talents that seem to differ from the norm. How many Shonahs are out there that are hungry to participate in making our society better? What is different about the products and concepts that Shonah and her supporters have uncovered is that these projects are designed to reach the hearts and minds of our young children in order to instil in them confidence and a sense of positive power to reach their full potential. She has proven that it can be done. Hopefully she will be able to receive the supporting structure to back the motivational and directional integrity of what she has to offer.
By way of encouragement to readers who may feel that they also have creative talents that need to be developed; in general our society encourages development of talents and ideas, but it remains an often difficult and lonely journey. Yet the rewards of persevering if our motivation and faith is based on solid universal values can be immensely satisfying!
It is always worth it to travel the high road.
Shonah from Positive Power can be contacted via email: positive_power26@yahoo.com
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