Our Why?

We have a simple why.. to Make The Difference, and because that’s what’s right.

Often in life, we’ve found and believe the WHY is one the most important things to be clear about.

It is the context for who we are, what we do and the results we produce.

Our founders personally saw and experienced time and time again how a small action or event could make a huge impact on a person’s life, and on the lives of many others. This belief that every person matters and that we can all make the difference, fuelled the founding of Freedom International NOW.

Some Distinctions

Some observations, insights and experiences that we hope will help point at our WHY

  • Carpe Diem ~ Seize The Day – Each day is precious. We don’t know what is going to happen next, and as much as we can plan for the next hundred thousand years, it is also essential that we experience each day including today optimally. A moment distracted can mean the difference between life and death.
  • Paying it Forward Makes The Difference – When we have an experience or insight that makes a difference to us, we can pay it forward and when we do the positive ripples in life to individuals and all of us is dramatic. Have you noticed that? Simon was awarded a top academic scholarship at Tonbridge School, and mentored and supported time and time again by people who made one request of him “Pay It Forward“.
  • Creativity, Education and Wisdom is our birthright – We come into the world inquisitive, playful and curious. If we are lucky we meet a mentor and sponsor who will believe in us and help us learn how to learn. People can become overwhelmed by the enormity of options and lost in the libraries of information – audio, video and experiential – now available. As they say “People are drowning in information and starving for wisdom“. All too often we become trapped by our past and what we think we’ve learnt about how the world works.
  • Health is vital – a major illness or a small accident can disrupt everything and cause almost limitless misery for families and communities. In our lifetime people are suffering at a time when solutions are available for many, but those solutions are not fully and optimally developed, shared and deployed.
  • Trapped by Mindset – More than that he saw how so many people felt limited by what was possible for themselves and the people they cared about. Like butterflies trapped in a jar whose lid has been removed, we often believe we have limits that no longer exist – both physical and metaphysical. It takes a lot to challenge these base assumptions. It takes a lot to step into the unknown. It takes someone to show what’s possible so others can be free.
  • The Past ~ A Guide to the Future – We can not undo the past, it makes us who we are. We are all human and we make mistakes. We can learn from them. We can forgive. We can heal. We can build a brighter tomorrow. We can accept what’s so. We can choose a new path.

Perhaps what is more important right now, is your why, and we’d love to hear from you and have you share your and help shape and optimise ours.

Simon’s Why…

Over my life time and time again, I saw the disparity between what was possible, what was probable and the reality that the majority of people I came into contact with were living into. I saw challenges – from extreme poverty, ill health ( both physical and mental ) and self-destructive behaviours in the streets when I was growing up.

The scale of this challenge I saw more and more clearly as I grew older and travelled to countries from the developed and developing world.

I wouldn’t have had the chances I had and survived the breakdowns I personally experienced without the help and charity of others. I was awarded a scholarship to a school that was funded by people hundreds of years before I was born.

I’ve been able to enjoy the benefits of a world created and designed by ancestors long gone.

I’ve also lost real friends and seen people I care about go through things that I don’t know how they kept going, and some of them have now passed on.

I made them a promise and myself to pay it forward where I could.

I also know that if I knew what I did at the beginning, or had been around different people and different environments / ecosystems, I would have made very different decisions and perhaps even wise choices.

We can’t look back, however we can Pause Stop Reset and focus on the future we want to create and stand for.

The similarities of the core issues each person faces and are interdependence became ever present to me.

What we do today ripples faster and faster around the world, and we can choose to make our life one of contribution and optimisation or not. If I can positively help and make the difference to one more person in my life then I say this day is worthwhile.

As the late great Buckminster Fuller so eloquently made clear we have the resources on this planet to have everyone live the lives of “billionaires”. Let us begin with ensuring that everyone has fresh drinking water, healthy and nutritious food and the opportunities to learn, connect and communicate.

I know that the right person at the right time with the right skills and resources and support can make all the difference. With your help and the help of others I truly believe WE (not just I) can make the difference once and all for humanity in my lifetime.

Simon Hedley

Simon Hedley FCA, The Strategic Alchemist™
Founder and Trustee of Freedom International NOW