Preparing for significance

Notes for Chapter One)


Maya Angelou quoted, "Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it."  And throughout many spiritual, self-development, counseling, and teacher circles the same mantra is usually spoken. Furthermore, I have heard and said the following: If you believe it you shall receive it or if you speak it, you will see it; or seek and it will be found. Positive, powerful, and encouraging words, right? Those statements is not the issue I have pondered. I agree, a cheerful heart does the body and mind good. On the other hand, it's the "between point" I wrestle with. There is a place between unbelief and belief, thinking and speaking, and  seeking and finding. That "place" few pundits, pastors, preachers, teachers, coaches and counselors prepare to provide a solution for. This place, position, or state is what most people call the "gray area", when things in life are not clear, difficult, and confusing. I have had my share of gray areas and stood in the between place many times, shocked, dazed and confused or sad, mad, and defeated. That is why I am pushed to reflect a little deeper into this feeling of awkwardness of life. And I have a resolution, an insight, a possible explanation for it-- preparation. Preparation for significance.


Have you jumped in water, in a pool or ocean on a scorching hot summer day with expectation of cool relief? You emerge in the water, and as you go deeper the cooler the water feels. A quietness is all around you, peaceful, then you need air and a sense of urgency rush over you. You swim up, quickly; you see the sun's brightness the closer you get to the top, and finally you reach up to push that last time to reach the surface and gasp for air. This illustration gives you a picture of the preparation for significance.

Life can become hectic with pressures and perplexity. Relief is all we want. Answers are all we need. So we jump in aimlessly; go to whatever and whomever to get help and solutions to our problems. Temporarily, the advice and support is the relief, the thought of someone understanding and helping to meet a need is the peace we seek. Yet, without a permanent solution, the problem will lurk again and we will rush to relief...for another answer, help, a little air. Life can have a dunking effect, ups and downs, only if we choose to resolve problems with temporary solutions and always depending on others for the answers. Instead look within. Deeply within.


The path to significance is stretching yet glorifying.I discovered that problems are merely exercises to gain knowledge, wisdom, understanding and contentment. Yes, a permanent solution to heated and hated problems is contentment: the realization, on earth, we will walk a thin line between meaningless and significance. In order to learn, we must lose. In order to succeed, we must fail. To navigate through what seem to be suffocating problems, we must rest and not resist....breathe. And in that deep, cool and quiet place, a place of peace above understanding, is where significance resides. Preparation for significance comes when you toil with tears of submission, with encouraging speech, love, and faith. Trusting the process. Significance comes closer each day when you choose to dive into the deep, with quiet confidence, learning, not running from the lessons, welcoming ascension. Living higher than the problems, greater than yourself.

  

Just a quick thought: Moving more than things

I am in the process of looking for another place to stay. The move is unwelcome yet needed. And like with most change, there is discomfort. Not only is packing and moving is physical labor, it involves mental work. You see, sometimes moves are by force, not by choice. And as I am forced to move and to change and to labor through the process, it all reminds me of people and the impact the process of moving has on our mind and body.
Change is challenging but inevitable. The only thing constant is change. So if we know change is coming why is it always difficult to process when it arrives?
My first thought is the comfort of the "knowing" is much pleasant than facing the unknown. We are creatures of habit; we like the eat the same foods, go to the same places, hang with the same people, and work and live at the same places. Furthermore, for most part, its the same with our minds, we think the same thoughts, believe the same facts, have the same opinions and feel the same way.All this familiarity is healthy in our developing years, security and safety is important throughout our lifetime, but I will assert that when we become "adults", staying the same is unhealthy, unnatural, and even dangerous to our growth. You see, what doesn't grow, eventually dies. Moving our minds and bodies are essential to our growth, our becoming greater and purposeful.
As I look for a place, plan the transition, spend money on transfers, use time and energy to pack up personal items, and throw away some things, and give other things away; I realize that moving more than things is another way of life. If we want to attain a goal, get married, lose weight, buy a home, graduate from college, raise children, own a company, travel to another country, or whatever the action may be, there is a moving process; a learning; a leaving, giving up or giving in. Change is at the core of moving from one person, place, or thing to another. The moving process will be discomforting and maybe even frightening, but new things, greater things are possible with moves, with changes. Giving up old useless habits, negative people, unhealthy foods, defeating thoughts, cluttering items or thoughts make room for a the launching of the next level of life.

Leadership in the wilderness | Faith & Leadership

Leadership in the wilderness | Faith & Leadership
Favorite paragraph:
"Olson explains that the manna story is not about what they were eating but rather about “God’s trustworthy generosity, the need for equity in the distribution of resources related to basic human needs such as food, and reassurance in the face of common human urges to hoard out of fear and anxiety for the future.”
The manna principle of leadership recognizes that even in times of wilderness and chaos, “the sabbath economy of manna, grace, gift, equality, and trust will have the final say over the economy of Egypt and the Pharaohs of the world,” Olson writes.
And I’m guessing many faculty and staff of today’s colleges think of others as the agents of manna leadership, especially looking to their presidents, vice presidents and trustees.
But in the broadest and most important sense -- and especially in faith-based institutions -- all are called to be manna leaders. The journey to a new place is a shared responsibility, a collective project that derives its authority from a cooperative attachment to mutually defined commitments, values, and smart visions and strategies.
One person cannot do it all when in the wilderness. There are too many moving parts when trying to find solutions to complex problems."

A Manna Leader: WOW! Being a leader who cultivates an environment of peace, planning, and prodding to get to the promise and prosperity!

Social Construct Gone Bad- A response to Thandie Newton's speech

"...The thing that was a source of shame was actually a source of enlightenment. And when I realized and really understood that my self is a projection and that it has a function, a funny thing happened. I stopped giving it so much authority. I give it its due. I take it to therapy. I've become very familiar with its dysfunctional behavior. But I'm not ashamed of myself. In fact, I respect my self and its function. And over time and with practice, I've tried to live more and more from my essence. And if you can do that, incredible things happen. “-Thandie Newton: Embracing otherness, embracing myself

A few people in my life have described me as pro Black, an Angela Davis type, you know, Afrocentric. And for some, actually that is a bad thing and for others it’s a pride thing. But for me, it's reality. I am a Black American, and no one will let me forget it.

Race is a social construct. It was created to help identify and classify people. A technicality gone bad. Now many people profit from race or as some call the race card. Black movies, Black music, Black restaurants, Black malls, Black schools, Black churches, you get where I am going. In some twisted way, race is sometimes used as being unique, special, and a style... different. Now, it's labeled as acting Black or having swag. Although being Black is called a different name each decade, it’s the same to most, being non-White.

Blacks, which include Africans and West Indies, and Latinos, have race classes; you have to check specifically who you are, African American/Black, unlike Asians or Europeans, they are classed and socially considered White Americans. There are different arguments as to why this is and some simply say it’s only for the census- public records. I understand its more consequences to a classification because I have experienced the difference being Black can make.

So if race is only a social construct, and culture and nationality are true identifiers of persons, why study and debate civil rights, especially for minorities (yet another label), specifically Black Americans? Understanding oneself, and the oneness we have with the world is a higher level of consciousness. A concept not easily attained in such a race laden world. I am not applying enlightenment is only attainable for an elite few, yet it is difficult to grasp. Once you give up your race, or gender, or cla$$, school affiliation and religious denomination... then, who are you? Self-discovery can be a painful process. Peeling back layers takes emotional and intelligence maturity and sheer will. And if one has an epiphany, because seeing oneself as authentic and not as a stereotype is true revelation, others may not understand and disconnect because they can’t see their image in you.

Thandie Newton has caught my eye and ear lately. I can relate to her process of self-discovery, her conflict with self and being "other". I don't know if the world will ever make it an easy process. Polarizing race is profitable. The love of money is warring with the love of oneness, connection, human and social capital. Nevertheless, it's divine to live free and true, as one. And it’s a journey worth taking, even with Black being my que card.

Thandie Newton: Embracing otherness, embracing myself | Video on TED.com

Thandie Newton: Embracing otherness, embracing myself | Video on TED.com


So here's a note to self: The cracks have started to show in our constructed world, and oceans will continue to surge through the cracks, and oil and blood, rivers of it.

Poor Dads: A “Perfect Storm” of Adverse Events Works against Young Families

MADISON — In the beginning of the 21st century economy, almost half of all kids are being raised by at least one parent with a low educational background (high school degree or less by age 30) and a poor expected economic future. More than 40 percent of all births are out of wedlock (28 percent for non-Hispanic whites; 72 percent for non-Hispanic blacks; and 51 percent for Hispanics). And the chances that an unmarried biological father and mother will have a child with different partners are 55 to 65 percent (using conservative estimates).

A new book—as much an accessible examination of a major social challenge as a monograph by some of America’s top social science thinkers—explores these growing problems and possible policy remedies. “Young Disadvantaged Men: Fathers, Family, Poverty, and Policy,” a special issue of The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, combines a researcher’s perspective with reality checks from the worlds of policymakers and social service practitioners.

First, the numbers: By age 30, between 68 and 75 percent of young men with a high school degree or less are fathers. Only 52 percent of all fathers (21 percent of African American fathers) under age 25 are married at the birth of their first child. Older fathers are more likely to be married by age 30. Sixty-five percent of all first-time fathers are married when their first child is born, but only 31 percent of all black men under 30 who are first-time fathers are married at the time of the first birth.

To make matters worse, far fewer young fathers go on to education post high school (29 percent of fathers age 30 and under compared to 41 percent of all men age 30 and under). Finally, 62 percent of fathers with a high school degree or less earned less than $20,000 in 2002, suggesting that most young men with little education, low skills, and poor employment records have acquired family responsibilities that they will find difficult to meet.

The economist Timothy Smeeding, a volume co-editor with Irwin Garfinkel and Ronald B. Mincy, calls the situation a “perfect storm of adverse events” that is affecting younger undereducated men, their children, and the mothers of their children. So Smeeding and his colleagues convened a national conference at the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where economists, sociologists, and public policy experts presented their latest work to describe the problem; provided cross-cutting commentary on culture, race, and family functioning and longer-term relationships; and examined child support policy, school-to-work transitions, dropout, incarceration, and fatherhood-strengthening policies.

“Young Disadvantaged Men” presents the best thinking of national experts on the issues of immediate concern to those working through research, policy, and practice to reconnect disconnected dads to their children and thereby improve child and family economic and emotional well-being.

http://www.irp.wisc.edu/newsevents/whatsnew/2011/fathers-May2011.htm

Building Relationships with Donors

Building Relationships with Donors

Finding Good Venture Ideas (part 1) | Social Enterprise

Finding Good Venture Ideas (part 1) | Social Enterprise

Finding Good Venture Ideas (part 1)

By Rolfe Larson on June 8, 2011

This blog was written by guest writer Jan Cohen.

When most nonprofit staff and Boards think about earned income, they typically think about doing “something new”. The Risk Chart helps organizations to clearly see how risk increases as they go from “things and people they know” to those they have no experience with.

It’s a good practice to screen ideas for a fit to your organization’s core competencies, track record, culture, and risk tolerance. Stay at the lower risk end of the chart on the first or second venture. Go for a track record with the “low hanging fruit” before venturing into higher risk areas.

Today we will focus on the areas with the least risk of failure and greatest probability of success because they start with “what or who you know”.

For the least risk, focus on Cross Selling. Make more “matches” to get more business from your existing customers utilizing your existing services or products. Talk with these people about their interests and needs. Sometimes you need to change the services in some minor way, i.e. time of day provided or location, so that these people can use and will pay for this service, but other times, they simply do not know you provide an additional service or product that they would use.

Examples:

• Children come to your Preschool or Daycare but parents don’t know you have Psychologists or Speech Therapists on staff and they can get assessments and/or therapy at your site while the child is already there.
• Companies are your shredding/document destruction customers but don’t know you also are an EWaste collector and can take their computer monitors and other EWaste
• You help parents find child care but they don’t know about your Nutrition Education classes
• Childcare providers take your training classes both don’t know about your Toolkits or Activity Guides.
• You collect, fix and sell furniture appliances etc for your thrift or resale store. You could advertise to donors and shoppers that you repair these items and let them bring theirs in.

You can generate considerable revenue from cross selling without doing anything new! Think about it. Why not start here, with the “low hanging fruit”, where there is little risk?

———-

Jan Cohen has been a consultant, trainer, and social enterprise practitioner working in and with nonprofit organizations for more than 25 years, focusing on earned income strategies and business venture market research and development, start up, growth and management

Social Entrepreneurship as Fetish

Social Entrepreneurship as Fetish

Socially Conscious Entrepreneurs

Socially Conscious Entrepreneurs | By Chad Brooks, BusinessNewsDaily 22 JUN

Socially responsible business practices — including organic, fair trade, handmade, giving back and going green — are becoming the norm for for-profit, as well as nonprofit, businesses. We’re committed to covering this side of small business with our weekly wrap-up of news affecting businesses that have embraced this socially responsible model, combining a for-profit business with nonprofit sensibilities.

The Vatican's view
Add the Vatican to the list of those weighing in on the need for socially responsible businesses. Carol Glatz of the Catholic News Service reports on the recent Executive Summit on Ethics for the Business World, during which Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said that there is no way businesses can remain ethically neutral. Bertone said business leaders must have a social conscience and see their work as part of a new social contract with the public and civil society.

Catching mom's eye
Socially responsible businesses looking to attract moms with their online marketing better be offering them something worth their while. A BusinessNewsDaily report this week points to new research that says two-thirds of moms preferred coupons and discounts in ads, while less than half wanted ads that simply provide useful information. In addition, the study from About.com found that online ad tone and format also are important to moms.

Free Online AdvertisingSee What $75 of Free Google Ads Can Do For Your Business. Try It Now!www.Google.com/AdWordsFranchises under $10,000Franchises for less than $10K. 100's of low cost franchises.Franchise.FranchiseGator.comA Perfect Business PlanWe Write The Business Plan For You. Free Business Plan Samples & Quote.www.Ethos360.com/Business-PlansAds by Google Higher education
Those searching for a higher education degree in social responsibility should check out a guide from the University of Wisconsin. The Big Ten school has released a guide on the numerous colleges across the country that offer programs with a focus on sustainability. Universities with their own offerings include Michigan, North Carolina, George Washington, Stanford and Yale.

Ditching the catalog
In an eco-friendly move that’s also lightening the load of its sales force, one clothing company is going electronic with its catalogs. BusinessNewsDaily writes this week about the Tom James Co., a clothing and apparel manufacturer that has replaced its sales team's printed catalogs and brochures with electronic versions pre-loaded onto iPads. Each member of the company’s 450-member sales force is equipped with iPads.

Lights, camera, action
Socially conscious businesses wanting to pump up their public relations potential need to use video, according to one expert. David Murdico, managing partner of Supercool Creative, a Los Angeles-based viral marketing agency specializing in online video creative, writes this week that video can bring the positive actions of these businesses to the forefront and help move brands closer to both new and existing fans and customers. The advice was part of Murdico's top 10 ways that video can be used by PR professionals to help brands tell their stories.

Truth or myth?
Social entrepreneurs should not let myths hold them back from starting their own venture. This week, BusinessNewsDaily dispels some of the top urban legends of the business world. The largest — that 50 percent of businesses fail — isn't true, according to the Small Business Association, which says seven out of 10 businesses survive at least two years.

We hear about a lot of socially responsible businesses each week. Here are this week’s favorites:

Apple Visual Graphics: An environmentally friendly printing company that has cut petroleum-based products out of the printing equation. The business is recognized by the Forest Stewardship Council and certified by the Rainforest Alliance as a green printer.
On Twitter @AppleVisualNYC

JP Selects: An online site featuring eco-conscious health and beauty products. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of JP Select's brand partners’ products will go to the Grow Appalachia hunger initiative and John Paul DeJoria’s Peace, Love and Happiness Foundation, which supports humanitarian efforts worldwide.
On Twitter @JPSelects

Mar Y Sol: A socially responsible brand that collaborates with artists in New York and artisans in Madagascar to create authentic handmade accessories using natural materials sourced from forests in Madagascar. The sale of the products enables families in Madagascar to gain economic independence.
On Twitter @MarYSolBags

Seven-Figure Gift From Detroit Couple Spurs Discussion of African-American Philanthropy | PND | Foundation Center

Seven-Figure Gift From Detroit Couple Spurs Discussion of African-American Philanthropy

A seven-figure gift to the Detroit Institute of Arts from former General Motors group vice president Roy Roberts and his wife, Maureen, has put a spotlight on the relative dearth of high-profile African-American philanthropists, Crain's Detroit Business and the Detroit Free Press report.

In recognition of the first seven-figure contribution to DIA by an African American, the museum will rename one of its galleries after the couple.

According to Chacona Johnson, president of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, people typically don't associate African Americans with traditional philanthropy because the bulk of African-American giving historically has supported churches; indeed, it still does. And despite efforts by a growing number of cultural institutions in Detroit and elsewhere to cultivate African-American donors, it could take a generation or more before long-established giving patterns in the African-American community begin to shift. Still, the Roberts' gift has elevated African-American philanthropy to a new level, said the DIA's Nettie Seabrooks.

Roy Roberts told the Free Press that he and his wife are optimistic their gift will broaden the vision of African-American philanthropy. "We have four kids, six grandkids," said Roberts. "When they come back twenty-five years from now, what are they going to see, and what will it say about us? [The gift is] a way for us to teach our grandkids to get the best education possible, work as hard as you possibly can, and when you get a little more than you need to take care of your family, you give back."

Stryker, Mark. “DIA Gallery Renamed for Big Benefactors: Ex-GM Exec Roy Roberts and Wife, Maureen.” Detroit Free Press 5/04/11.

Welch, Sherri. “The Color of Philanthropy: Black Donors Often Under the Radar.” Crain's Detroit Business 5/08/11.
Seven-Figure Gift From Detroit Couple Spurs Discussion of African-American Philanthropy | PND | Foundation Center