E164: The Ripple Effect: How One Life Creates Lasting Change

What makes a life meaningful? What creates a legacy that ripples for generations? These questions crystallized for me upon learning about Lorraine, a Canadian giant in disability rights advocacy who recently passed away after 50+ years of transformative work.

Leadership has never been about titles or spotlight moments. It's about showing up again and again with persistence and conviction to make space for others to belong. Lorraine's journey began simply - with the birth of her son Ralph in 1968. That moment of love became her life's work, leading to decades of volunteer service, nearly 20 years with the New Brunswick Association for Community Living, and partnerships with governments and communities to advance human rights and inclusion. Yet what strikes me most isn't her recognition or achievements, but her persistence and balance. She pursued her calling with unwavering dedication while still embracing life's simple pleasures - curling, golfing, birthday lunches with friends, and her daily glass of "cheap red wine."

Her story offers five powerful lessons for anyone leading through messy times: Your calling is enough - stop waiting for permission or titles. Persistence outlasts polish - consistency matters more than charisma. Progress requires constant tending - you can't "set and forget" inclusion or trust. Balance is fuel, not distraction - joy makes advocacy sustainable. And finally, you don't need to be known to matter - never confuse visibility with impact.

Most of us don't feel like giants. We feel like we're just trying to keep our heads above water. But giants aren't born - they're built through tiny acts of persistence, one ripple at a time. What calling is tugging at you right now? How might your one precious life create ripples for generations? Join us in Be the Light here, where we reconnect with ourselves, find practical tools, and grow in ways that are sustainable, purposeful, and deeply human.

You'll be ever so glad you did.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Unchartered and Unfiltered
• 1:15 Lorraine's Legacy in Disability Rights
• 5:38 True Leadership Beyond Titles
• 10:09 Five Leadership Lessons for Messy Times
• 15:19 Closing Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Welcome to Unchartered and Unfiltered the journey back to you. I am Cynthia Jameson, your host, and this is where we break free from the noise and dive deep into what truly matters you. If you're tired of the shoulds, the expectations and the pressures to fit into a mold that doesn't serve you, you're in the right place. This isn't a podcast about easy answers or sugar-coated advice. This is your invitation to reclaim your path, embrace the unknown and become the bold, unapologetic version of yourself that's been waiting to show up. It's time to get unfiltered. Let's get started. Unfiltered, let's get started. Hello, hello, friends. How are you? I hope that you are having an amazing beginning to your week.

Speaker 1: 0:53

I am sitting outside as I record this today, and it is one of those beautiful September days where the air feels fresh and the sun is just right. So apologies ahead of time, if you hear any lawnmowers or anything like that in the background, you'll have to consider it part of the soundscape of today. Now I want to start today with something that has been sitting heavy and hopeful on my heart, and isn't that just life's paradox? This past week, canada lost a giant in the disability rights movement, lor in me like a spark, and here's why the ripples of her legacy, which were grounded in love, in inclusion and in human dignity, remind me that leadership has never been about titles or spotlight moments. Leadership has never been about titles or spotlight moments. It's about showing up again and again and again and again, with persistence and conviction to make space for others to belong. And I will be very honest with you there is some discomfort within me as I share this episode with you today Again. I never met her and part of me wonders who am I to tell her story? But the pull to speak about it and the lessons that her life holds for all of us is stronger than my hesitation, and maybe that's part of the lesson too. Sometimes the call to act, to share, to lead is bigger than our own comfort. And I'll be even more transparent this weekend.

Speaker 1: 2:59

I didn't know what I was going to record this podcast episode on. I stared at a blank page and I saw a blank mind more than once. And then I read about Lorraine and I just knew and perhaps it's by no accident that her story found me in this moment. My mom's really good friend passed away just a few days ago, and also, in reconnecting with a former HR colleague, I also learned that their daughter had passed away at just 30 years old, and so it feels like it's a week of reminders that life is fragile, that none of us knows how much time we will get here in this beautiful earth school, and that what really really lasts are the ripples that we leave behind. And that's why Lorraine's story matters, not just for disability rights or policy or advocacy although that is amazing but for every one of us that is asking right now what difference will my one life make?

Speaker 1: 4:11

So I want to share a little bit about her story, because what I understand of her and her calling it began in 1968 with the birth of her son, ralph, and I believe that was her third child and that moment of love and if you're a parent you know what I'm talking about that moment of love became her life's work, improving the lives of people with intellectual and other disabilities, and, from what I understand, she raised her family. She gave countless hours as a volunteer, went on to serve nearly 20 years with the New Brunswick Association for Community Living, including as executive director. She partnered with boards, governments, communities to push human rights forward, social justice and inclusion forward, and in her later years she turned her focus to affordable housing because she knew that without secure foundations, progress could crumble. Now I understand her work was recognized with national awards and life memberships. But what strikes me most isn't the recognition, it is the persistence, it is the showing up, it is the refusal to give up, decade after decade, and she has done this work for over 50 years. And I understand, even up to the later, like up to the end, she was advocating, she was mentoring, she was leading.

Speaker 1: 5:48

And there's also this part of her story that really made me smile, which is she was also known for balancing her meaningful work with life's simple pleasures. She loved to curl, she loved to golf, she loved her birthday lunches with the girls, she loved summer at the cottage, winters in Florida with her husband and her. These are, you know, her daily glass of cheap red wine is how it was, how it was written, and that balance has me thinking about like the two ends of the spectrum there's purpose, there's pleasure, there's conviction, there's joy, and this is what made her leadership sustainable. And that is so important. And as I sat with her story, there were so many pieces of it that have resonated with me.

Speaker 1: 6:49

But her legacy reminds me that leadership isn't about all of the things we tend to think that it is. It's not about titles, it's not about applause, it's not about the spotlight, it's not about recognition. It is this motivation to show up with this discipline, conviction and making and creating space for others to belong. And it gave me pause because so often the leaders that I coach and myself as well, and maybe you listening to this right here right now we get caught up in the trap of proving and performing and pushing harder, chasing the next achievement, chasing the next promotion. And you think that you need the right title, the polished words, the flawless presence, but Lorraine's life tells us the opposite of that.

Speaker 1: 7:50

Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing up for the questions again and again and again. How do we put our heads together? How do we figure this out? What are the solutions we can create together? What are the barriers we need to overcome? What have we tried? What haven't we tried? What could we do differently next time? I'm just thinking about all of the questions that are relevant, that we could ask ourselves. And also I mentioned this a moment ago leadership isn't about chasing the promotions Again. That can be amazing, but what if it's your calling that qualifies you, not an org chart, not a position.

Speaker 1: 8:41

And again, what I loved about hearing in her story and imagining her living her life, based on what I've read and been told about her, is how she lived, this idea of both, and both meaningful work and life's simple pleasures, both impact and joy. That's the kind of leadership that lasts decades. That's probably why she was able to keep going as long as she was able to keep going. This isn't something that fades out over months, and her story is reminding me that giants don't always look like giants in the moment. Sometimes they look like neighbors, parents, colleagues, sisters, brothers, people who keep showing up and who keep choosing joy along the way. And so I want to talk a little bit about some of the lessons that are for us in this, because her story like what does her story mean for you, especially if you're leading in messy times? Maybe there's new teams, there's reorgs, there's layoffs, there's politics, there's pressures that you have each and every day to attain the results that you've been charged to achieve. And here are some of the things that I'm hearing. Which is your calling is enough. Stop waiting for permission or titles. Again, lorraine's qualification was the love of her son, and from there she built an entire movement for over 50 years. And maybe for you it's leading a new team through a reorganization or finally setting the boundary that gives you your evenings back. That can be a calling too.

Speaker 1: 10:38

The second lesson is persistence outlasts polish. I'm reminded of the story of the tortoise and the hare. And leadership isn't about charisma or perfection. It's about consistency showing up again and again, each and every day, every moment, every second, even when no one claps. So I invite you to think about that meeting where you don't have the perfect words, but you show up with honesty anyway. That's leadership.

Speaker 1: 11:11

The third lesson is progress is fragile, so, whether it's inclusion, culture or trust, you can't set it and forget it. You have to keep tending to the ground. You have to keep tending to the ground. You have to keep pulling out the weeds and putting in the fertilizer and coming back and watering what it is that you're growing. And so if you've just come through layoffs, you know this morale doesn't fix itself. You have to nurture it, you have to protect it, you have to keep people connected, engaged, you have to be with them.

Speaker 1: 11:43

And the fourth lesson is balance is fuel, not distraction and Lorraine curled, she laughed, she poured the wine, or somebody poured the wine for her. She knew that for her joy wasn't optional. It was what made her advocacy sustainable. And for you, maybe it's shutting the laptop at six o'clock or saying yes to the run, or being fully present at your kid's soccer game. Balance is what fuels you to keep going. And for me, I mean, I'm just, I'm just gonna say it's. It's making time and space for things that I enjoy, that I love to do in addition to the work that I'm doing. And I hadn't realized until this relocation how much of those things I was missing the joy of camaraderie, of a running group, of making new friends and being in new situations and putting yourself in new areas to learn new things. That balance is important to and it doesn't have to be perfect, but it's noticing what are the elements for you that create that balance for yourself. And the last lesson is you don't need to be known to matter. My guess is many Canadians never knew Lorraine's name, not just me. Yet their workplaces, their schools, their communities carry her fingerprints all across the nation.

Speaker 1: 13:34

So I invite you not to confuse visibility with impact. Your team may not always say it out loud, but the way that you show up each and every day is shaping their careers and their lives. So let me ask you what calling is tugging at you right now? How might your one precious life create ripples for generations to come? And how can you lead in a way that makes space for others to belong, while still leaving room for joy?

Speaker 1: 14:15

Because, let's be real, most of us don't feel like giants. Most of us feel I didn't think I would get emotional Most of us feel like we're just trying to keep our heads above water. But giants are not born, they're built. One tiny act of persistence, one moment of conviction, one ripple at a time, one dream at a time, one desire at a time, one belief at a time. And so here's my invitation Do not underestimate the power of your one life. Lorraine didn't, and neither should you and neither will I.

Speaker 1: 15:19

Never forget your legacy isn't just in the work you do. It's in the way you laugh, the way you love, the way you live along the way. And if you're listening and thinking, I want to lead this way, grounded in values, persistent in my calling, balanced with joy. I would love for you to join us in. Be the Light. It's the space that I've created for leaders like you to reconnect with yourself, to find tools that actually work in real life and grow in ways that are sustainable, purposeful and deeply, deeply human, because leadership doesn't happen in the spotlight, it happens in the ripples, and together we can make those ripples reach even further.

Speaker 1: 16:13

With that, I want to say thank you. Thank you, thank you for spending time with me, for showing up week after week If you've just found my work, welcome, and I wish you a gorgeous rest of your week. I would love to hear what landed with you, and I'll see you back here the same time, the same place next week. Make it a great one. I hope that you're walking away feeling more aligned with your true self, more confident in the choices ahead and ready to leave the safe path behind, knowing you've got everything you need within. Remember, the journey to you isn't about finding one perfect direction. It's about trusting yourself enough to explore all of it. If you're ready to dive deeper, join me for the next episode and don't forget to subscribe so that you never miss the next step on your path. I invite you to join my mailing list at wwwcynthiajamesoncoachca, where we'll deepen our relationship and you can claim your copy of your Inner Compass, a guide to charting your course to authenticity. Until next time, stay unfiltered, stay true and, most importantly, stay you.