Photo courtesy of Wade Rockett.
In this special series, we’ll take a brief look at various different fearless inspirations from the past week or so. Whether it’s a fearless young changemaker who is taking risks, a new publication that expresses bold and innovative ideas, or an organization that is promoting change and that is not afraid to fail forward—we want to shine a spotlight on them and their work in the hope that it will spark a new movement to Be Fearless.
As Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation says, “The old way of doing things is simply no longer effective in this new world. It’s time for us all to take risks on new ideas, approaches, and initiatives. It’s time for us to be bold, to act with urgency, and to resist the tendency to let caution be our guide. It’s time for us to Be Fearless.” Will you join us?
All I Really Need to Know I Learned Observing DoGooders
As I approach my one-year mark in Washington, D.C., I look back over the things that have contributed to my success since moving here. Having spent the bulk of my time in DC in the philanthropic and social change space, I’ve uncovered three powerful life lessons from observing, working with, and befriending those who work and live in the nonprofit—or DoGooder—space. I’d like to share them with you in the hopes that they might benefit you as well.
Offer Kindness and Respect to Everyone – No Matter What Their Title Is
The most fundamental part of being a DoGooder is the act of actually being good. While the social good space isn’t saturated with jerks by any means, the tendency to assign differing levels of respect to others according to the ways in which they can help us is problematic and contradictory to the DoGooder ethos. The folks who provide us with monetary support should be given the same amount of respect as the volunteers who make our programs work. The interns who grind it out on a daily basis deserve the same fundamental admiration and respect we give our CEOs. My first gig in DC was interning, and I can tell you it meant a lot when I knew my opinion was taken just as seriously as that of my paid colleagues. The kindness we give these folks should be genuine. There are far too many problems in this world that need to be solved for us to carry the extra weight of an ego.
On a deeper level, offering kindness and respect to everyone is the stuff that reaffirms our humanity. We shouldn’t have to be prompted to be nice to one another, or do so solely because it is expected; we should respect one another because the laws of human nature command it. I owe a large part of my success to heeding this ethic. I believe the genuine people among us can recognize when others carry a good nature, and sometimes this connection is all it takes to turn those form rejection letters into job offers.
Keep Calm and Carry On
I moved to Washington in search of a way to be a change agent for good on a global scale. Like so many other recent college grads, after facing the bleak economic reality, I found myself beginning to wonder whether or not my goal was achievable.
The challenges any newbie faces are daunting. Moving to a new city and finding a suitable place to live is hard enough. Finding a job that allows you to help others and will pay you a decent wage is even harder; finding a job period is soul-sucking. After awhile, dealing with routine job interviews, form rejection letters, temp agencies and the like, the prospects of doing good as a career option seem improbable. We may even let doubt creep into our minds allowing us to question whether or not we ourselves will ever be able to be that positive change agent. But no matter what it is we attempt in life, we are bound to run into adversity, and in some cases, flat out opposition.
However, countless testimonials, and my own personal experiences prove that the most successful DoGooders – the most successful people in general – never give up. When the going gets tough, when your situation seems miserable, it’s important for us to remember that saying which boosted the morale of a nation in the event of a crushing defeat, Keep Calm and Carry On… DoGooders!
Stay True to Yourself and Be Fearless
Ralph Waldo Emerson noted that one of the greatest accomplishments in life is remaining yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you. This accomplishment is especially impressive for DoGooders, as they are in essence battling the status quo—which by definition is averse to change—and instead would prefer the DoGooder to conform to it.
DoGooders have the tendency to set audacious goals. This is what makes them unique and necessary; they are our eternal dreamers. Those who cannot see their vision, or believe it is unachievable, are constantly finding ways to steer the DoGooder away from their goals to eradicate hunger, stop the trafficking of human beings, or rid the world of the AIDS virus. Instead, the naysayers suggest we focus on smaller more manageable goals, lowering hunger rates, slowing down human trafficking, and extending the life of those infected with AIDS. But where would we be as a society if we refused to dream big? If we let the fear of failure paralyze action? If we compromised our true selves, and settled for the more manageable course, defining that as success? The best among us are those most comfortable in their own skin, and steadfast in their belief that changing the world for the better is always in the cards.
Be Nice, Keep Calm, and Stay True!