Calmer Choice, non-profit organization in Barnstable, Massachusetts Calmer Choice, non-profit organization in Barnstable, Massachusetts

Reflections from our CEO Emily Smalley

On my desk is a diagram of the “regenerative social design canvas” – it’s a framework we are using this winter and spring as we create our next three-year strategic plan for Calmer Choice. In the framework, we are asked as an organization to “name where it hurts” and then to “describe wholeness” in order to uncover our unique offering to the world.

It’s easy to name where it hurts these days – the children of Cape Cod and beyond are facing an unparalleled mental health crisis in the wake of the pandemic, waiting lists for mental health services for both kids and adults are hundreds of people long, and while the days are getting longer, we are in deep stretches of the cold and wet sludge of winter. It’s hard to see the beautiful bulbs making their way through the cold, wet surface, soon to peek out and find the sunshine and warmth that is just around the corner. When I see wholeness for Calmer Choice, it is this: the seeds planted just below the surface, kept protected and safe in the long, cold winter, soon to make their way to the light.

At Calmer Choice, we are planting the seeds of mindfulness for those we serve, teaching them how to nurture the seeds to wholeness, giving them the tools to prune and shape and blossom into wellness. And so we offer you this, an invitation to become the gardener for your own life, to take our offering of the seed and see what is possible for you to grow with just a little love and nurturing. Read about our offering below, and join the community committed to support each of us on our quest for wholeness.