There’s a quiet force at the core of every meaningful life.

It’s not speed.
It’s not scale.
It’s agency, the power to act on your own behalf, in your own voice, toward your own vision.

In a world that often feels pre-programmed, agency is your personal rebellion.

This is your reminder:
You’re not here to react.
You’re here to author.

NOW: Operating Without Ownership

You’re getting things done.
You’re managing the machine.
But are you in it, or just inside of it?

You look effective.
But inside, something’s dulled.
Not burnout, something subtler.

Maybe it sounds like:

• “I didn’t really choose this, I just followed the path.”

• “I’m managing everything… but creating nothing.”

• “I don’t remember the last time I felt in command.”
  

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This is the erosion of agency.
Not all at once, but in the quiet, daily surrenders.

Ask yourself:

~ Where have I become a passenger in my own story?

~ What do I say yes to just to avoid the friction of no?

~ When did I stop feeling like the author?

NEW: Superagency Isn’t Superhuman

Reid Hoffman calls it Superagency:
A future where AI doesn’t replace your voice, it amplifies it.

Tools won’t save us.
But they can support us.
So we can do what only we can do.

Try this:

1. Delegate the Drains
Stop spending your best energy on what doesn’t need your brilliance.

2. Design for Meaning
Structure your week around what actually feeds your agency.

3. Dial Up the Human
AI can do a lot. But only you know what feels right. That’s the difference.

Ask yourself:

~ What’s one small act of authorship I can take today?

~ What if my greatest power isn’t scale, but sovereignty?

Share Now I New I Next

NEXT: Reauthor Your Reality

You don’t need a sabbatical to start again.
You need a timestamp.
A “born-on date” for the next version of you.

The one who chooses differently.
Deliberately.
With clarity.

Because life doesn’t happen to you.
It happens through you.

Ask yourself:

~ What does a high-agency future look like in my world?

~ What if clarity isn’t the precondition, but the outcome of acting from conviction?

THE PAYOFF: Reclaim Your Power

In the Now, we notice what’s been lost.
In the New, we see what’s possible.
In the Next, we write it down and walk into it.

So here’s your invitation:

• Choose one thing this week that returns you to yourself.

• Make one move no algorithm could ever make for you.

And if you want a companion on that walk, I’ve created something for that:

It’s called ShiftStory™. And it begins with a 24-minute walking session to reconnect with your story, your spark, and your next move.

Because in a world of endless options, personal agency is your north star.

Reclaim it.
Rewrite it.
Live like it matters.

“Superagency is achieved when AI empowers individuals to operate at levels that compound through society. It's not just about some people becoming more informed; it's about everyone benefiting from AI's precision and efficiency, even those who don't directly use it.”

~ Reid Hoffman, Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future

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I’m Tobin Trevarthen, a narrative strategist, founder of Spatial Shift by Tobin, and author of Narrative Generation.

I spent decades in the corporate and start-up worlds, selling over $1B in marketing programs before shifting into narrative work that helps people and organizations make sense of transformation through story.

I’ve worked with founders, execs, startups, Global 1000 and cultural institutions to design narrative frameworks that spark clarity and alignment.

Now New Next is where I reflect on the long game, with a sense of urgency. I write for modern elders, edge thinkers, and curious builders trying to name what matters now, what’s emerging, and what’s worth pursuing next.

You’ll find no hype here. Just a mix of strategy, story, and soulful direction for a shifting world. I also write about narrative worth, identity, and the art of sensing what’s unsaid.

Let’s walk the edge—together.

ShiftStory™ is my new ideation for building narrative agency in uncertain times.

Follow me on LinkedIn. Or DM at tobin@spatialshift.com for more information.

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