As I prepared for the speaking engagement last week, I reflected on the collaborations and connections I have been part of over the three decades since I returned to my hometown of McCook.

Over the years, I have shifted from working primarily with private individuals and businesses - a natural link as the owner of the bakery - to interactions with foundations and non-profit organizations in McCook, within Nebraska and across the country.

I used those recent experiences to prepare for the conference, focusing on four points: 

• Get involved
• Stay curious
• Dream and dream big
• Find ways to say, “yes!”

1. Get Involved

The first step to make things happen is to get involved. The involvement can range from joining committees and boards, volunteering at events, or coaching little league baseball. But it can also be as simple as just “showing up” at events to support others in our community and to have some fun.

For those who just don’t know where to start or how to get involved, find something you are interested in. Then contact someone in that organization or connect with the event to learn more about the organization and how you can be helpful. A conversation over a cup of coffee is a great way to begin. 

Being involved in our community has helped me gain experience, knowledge, and wisdom. Perhaps, most importantly, I have built trust and relationships with people and organizations. Through the McCook Community Foundation Fund and Nebraska Community Foundation, I have learned that “Change occurs along the lines of relationship and at the speed of trust.”

2. Be Curious

I’ve chosen a life where my curiosity opens a lot of doors to experiences. Experiences help me with perspective and to see what is possible. Experiences help me understand opportunities and risks. Experiences help me find others who will collaborate with me on projects.

My curiosity has led to experiences that have fostered friendships, collaborations and dreams and a better way to live in rural Nebraska

3. Dream and Dream Big

What I’ve found is that there are not enough dreamers. Why? When did we lose our ability to dream? What should our community look like? I want to dream about our future and the future of our grandchildren. It’s our home so let’s make it the way we dream it to be.  

Yes, there are many challenges in our world, but it is also full of abundance. 

In McCook, we have some huge possibilities. To realize them, we need to dream big, we need to jump at the opportunities which are available, and we need to work together to make them happen! 

4. Find ways to say, “Yes!”

“NO” is the easy button and to put it bluntly....easy is generally lame.

At first, the solutions are not always obvious and may be illusive. But by working to find a way to say “yes” - perhaps through unlikely or unusual partnerships - some of the biggest and best dreams for our community will come to fruition.

When I am faced with roadblocks and negative possibilities to a situation, I turn my focus to “how can we make this work?” While this takes effort, it pays off tremendously.

Finally, I try to surround myself with “yes” people. Not people who agree with me all the time, but rather people who work hard to find solutions to make stackable wins in our community. A great example is Kyle Dellevoet, pastor at McCook Christian Church, who has taken the initiative on projects from covid-response programs to the Freedom Festival. These people work hard to find ways to say, “yes” and to work with others on events both church and non-church related. There is so much value in partnering and collaborating. As the old African proverb says: “Go alone, go fast. Go with others, go far.”

Let’s be curious and let’s dream big. Let’s get involved and let’s work together. Let’s say ”yes” to making our home the place our kids and grandkids want to call home.

As a member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, Matt Sehnert looks forward to working with more individuals and organizations to make McCook an even better place to call home.