The narrative of an individual's educational journey often reflects broader societal paradigms and their impact on personal development.
This is my story of a failed high school education, marginalisation from positions I knew I would be a great fit for, yet was rejected, and the lessons I learned along the way to become more of the beautiful and incredible individual who I was born to be.
My trajectory diverged from the traditional academic path, as I did not obtain a high school diploma. Raised by a mother who instilled in me the belief that every individual possesses intrinsic talents, I found myself navigating a world that predominantly values credentials over inherent intrinsic abilities. Consequently, I encountered barriers in accessing opportunities commensurate with my potential, despite possessing qualifications beyond conventional measures.
My foray into entrepreneurship served as a means to carve out my niche in a landscape that often overlooks the diverse talents individuals bring to the table. Subsequently, my professional evolution led me to pursue training in coaching, culminating in specialisation as a Strengths coach. Yet before this, I had mistakingly convinced myself I had to be a psychologist to become a Coach lol. My motivational energy in linking the seed my Mum had sown in me, with actually finding a system that could measure our talents was palpable. I’ve have had a deep fascination ever since, recognising our Strengths and Talents are our genuine 'Universal Value Metric' because we all have them.
This journey underscored the significance of recognising and leveraging innate Strengths as a universal metric of value, prompting the establishment of my enterprise, WITH-HUMANITY, dedicated to helping individuals flourish by unlocking the intrinsic identities of all individuals to foster greater human engagement and emotional connection.
In contemplating the work of pioneers such as Don Clifton, renowned for his ‘Positive Psychology’ in reframing perceived shortcomings as Strengths, I’ve been compelled to examine the proliferation of mental health labels and their implications on our disconnect from our essential authentic selves. My curiosity has not stopped since, wondering how the late Don Clifton, grandfather of positive psychology and founder of the Clifton StrengthsFinder®, might have viewed the copious mental health labels of today, and their connection to our disengagement from our natural selves, and then our possible re-engagement, in finding our way back to our intrinsic nature.
Observing the prevalence of pharmaceutical interventions, particularly amongst both children and youth on antidepressants to get through the education system, and then seeing the number of medical diagnosis growing, my curiosity piqued at the idea of aligning individual talents with what we choose to study, as well as our societal contributions throughout our lives. Could this be the secret to unravelling the current global mental health epidemic?
A fortuitous encounter with Dr. Morne Mostert, then Director of the Institute of Futures Research in Cape Town, South Africa, catalysed a pivotal decision to embark on an experimental journey integrating my Strengths—Futuristic and Strategic—to pursue a Masters Degree in Foresight. This endeavour, facilitated through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system, led to enrolment in Futures Studies at the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Graduating with a first class distinction, albeit amid initial trepidation navigating unfamiliar terrain, affirmed my conviction that my intrinsic disposition resonated with the discipline's ethos. My confidence began to soar when I realised “I was born for this” 🙏🏼🕺💫
I went on to ask the question: “What if we all matched our Talents and Strengths to our learning and contributions - would our growth be exponential? Could this be the secret to better mental health globally?
My research endeavours, notably a thesis centered on biases surrounding non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (NCDs are the leading cause of death globally) masquerading as mental illness, underscore a broader quest to unravel the intricate interplay between individual wiring, societal engagement, socioeconomic and global dysfunctions, and mental, biological, and physiological well-being, taking a Systems Thinking approach - away from the archaic linearity of global systems, imposed by an outdated educational system. By contextualising these inquiries within the framework of globalisation and systemic transformations, I aspire to contribute to a nuanced understanding of human dynamics in contemporary societies. I’m now even more determined to bring this to societies at large, engaging in continuous learning towards a better understanding of the systemic connections forced onto unknowing and unprepared societies.
Envisioning a future where individuals are empowered to embrace their intrinsic Talents and Strengths, I advocate for an ethos of ‘Interdependent Rules of Engagement’ guided by principles that prioritise mutual understanding and positive intent. Through the adoption of a universal value metric informed by individual talent profiles, coupled with a concerted effort to align educational and occupational endeavours with innate aptitudes, I envisage a paradigm shift towards enhanced global well-being and fulfilment.
Currently +- 80% of individuals are unhappy in their work, which is nothing new - hence the work by WITH-Humanity and Gallup. Yet imagine in a 2030 world, we could actively and interdependently envision where ours, and other’s, piece of the universal puzzle fits.
We each carry a unique piece of the puzzle called humanity. It’s our conscious intentional awareness and action towards this uniqueness in service of self, others, and the environments at large that can make the difference to positively impact the future of our humanity.
So imagine its 2030 and everyone is aware of theirs and other's intrinsic Talent Patterns and Strengths, as well as their non-strengths, those things others are energised by. Imagine we all operate through Interdependent Rules of Engagement, a new social system that allows us to consider our impact on self, others, and the environment at large, where we seek first to understand, and enter into every situation with postive intent, recognising and acknowledging what is right and beautiful about each other. Together, every child and adult are aware of a "new" Universal Value Metric which is measured through each person's unique combination of talents. We now match our ongoing learning to this. Each individual's value is then sought out, and actively matched to their contributions within our societies, within a spirit of humanity, humility and vulnerability. Global well-being is on the increase and in all our environments, we actively seek to match the intrinsic talents of all 8 billion individuals to how we contribute in the world ...
Sam McDonald has been married for 30 yeas and has four children. They are a Strength-based family and she has used Strengths to enhance her marriage. Their home is in Hampton Court, UK and the False Coast, Cape, SA. She is a Futurist and Chief Visionary Officer for WITH-HUMANITY, a change-maker with a dream to disrupt our current meritocracy by "Unlocking the IntrinsicIdentity © of all Individuals in service of greater human engagement" creating an all inclusive universal value metric and social system.
She is a Normative Visionary, Systems Thinker, Disruptor, Change-Maker & Activist. Graduating Cum Laude with an MPhil in Futures Studies from the University of Stellenbosch, after failing matric, she believes matching one's intrinsic wiring to how we learn yields exponential results, leap-frogging our current education system. She influences thinking in order to create futures-led enquiry & change towards a future we all want to be part of - linking strategic leadership and management with futures thinking. Her use of Interdependent Rules of Engagement© and the CliftonStrength® Assessment are tools of choice to help people understand each other's unique world views, which are coloured by what she terms their Strengths Language.
She moved to South Africa in 1983 from Nottingham in the UK and has lived in both dysfunction and functional environments. These are her "cross to bear is your gift to share", serving as a bridge in understanding how to create function out of chaos.
She and her fellow Coaches, work with motivated clients using the Strengthsfinder® assessment as a power tool for:
Strength Based Interviewing & Recruitment
Assisting motivated individuals to fall in love with their careers and find the work they were born to do.
Working with high achievers to discover their value and purpose
Working with Start-ups to gain momentum, motivation & self-awareness of the Entrepreneur
Assisting Students to gain a greater self-awareness, expediting their career path, building confidence and self-esteem.
Working with individuals to re-engage in their work environments & leveraging their strengths
Working with marriage relationships to help you love again and understand the toxicity, reduce negative experiences, create understanding and, in turn, assist with long-term strategies for lasting transformation
Finding your true Purpose, Passion and Value in Life
Falling in love with your life and work again
She teaches the 'Interdependent Rules of Engagement© & Vulnerability' to focus on living 'Interdependence' as the key to healthier environments - choosing this as 'rules of engagement' over 'Dependence', 'Co-Dependence' & 'Independence'.