Why I Volunteer?  
7.12.06

Within the non-profit sector, and particularly within the faith community, we rely on the efforts of volunteers every day. These volunteers provide countless time, energy, and capabilities that provide for things to be accomplished that without them, would not. In fact, volunteers have officially become the largest workforce in the world.

That being said, how do we encourage volunteers to be a part of the good we are doing? I recently met with some key volunteers for a faith-based organization in Southern California. Sitting down with them, I asked what it is that gets them to continually volunteer for this organization. Here are some of the replies they gave:

• Seeing the need, I knew I had to contribute myself.
• I saw good happening, and wanted to be a part of it.
• I was given actual opportunity, so I didn’t want to pass that up.
• As a follower of Christ, it’s my duty.
• They were persistent in asking me.  

I believe these responses are representative of the reasons the average person does, or would, volunteer. By your organization broadcasting the needs you represent and the good you are accomplishing, providing volunteer opportunities, being persistent in your volunteer push, and showing the Christ-like character volunteering builds, I am confident you will build a solid volunteer base of caring and active individuals. This will help your organization reach a new level of accomplishment, as well as make it possible for you to do more good.  

Volunteers are crucial to any effort, and I am constantly thanking mine for all they do. Always remember to show your appreciation to volunteers; they are working with you out of the genuine goodness of their heart, and not for material gain. Finally, don’t underestimate the value of what volunteers are capable of accomplishing. When given opportunity and responsibility, you may very well be surprised what your volunteers can do. Here at The C4 Group, one of our mottos is tapping the good in people, to do good for people. By tapping the good in our potential volunteers, so much good can be accomplished for those we are striving to help.

Opportunity
6.27.06

Opportunity is an interesting concept. The leadership series, Habitudes, uses the image of a Greek statue to illustrate the idea. Just inside the border of Athens, stands an ancient statue of a woman with long, flowing hair on the front of her head. On the backside, however, one finds her head to be shaved bare. The name of the woman is Opportunity. Like the concept, she is beautiful in abundance from the front, but once the opportunity has passed or been missed, the view looking back is dismal and unfortunate.  

This morning, I had the opportunity to speak to an influential group of Senators, Congressional members, and foster care specialists. They, like The C4 Group, desperately want to encourage youth aging out of foster to become successful, healthy, and active citizens. In addressing the group, I challenged them to take an active role in seeking AND implementing solutions. I also encouraged them to do this now, because the opportunity is at our feet. Below you will find a copy of my opening remarks at the Inaugural Foster Youth Congressional Briefing Breakfast. I hope you find them interesting and challenging.  

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, civil servants, and other distinguished guests. It is my honor to be hosting this event today, in collaboration with the Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute, to address the needs and opportunities of those aging out of foster care. Many times, these youth are vulnerable because they literally do not have consistent, positive relationships in their lives - relationships that will foster them into productive, healthy, and successful citizens. In working full-time for over 25 years addressing thousands of youth around the world, I have come to realize the strong impact of these human connections. A young person’s life that is completely void of relationship is a key contributor to negative behavior and unrealized potential. Conversely, the opposite is true - when even one strong adult relationship exists as a caring connection in a young person’s life, the opportunity for success is magnified exponentially.   Foremost, I would like to commend each of you on your commitment to the youth of America. As the needs of foster youth are being realized and publicized in recent media specials such as Diane Sawyer’s foster care expose, the general public is beginning to realize the need for change. Many of you have worked diligently for foster youth, and we want to personally partner with you, challenging you to accomplish even more good than what has already occurred. By bringing together four of America’s key solution providers - government entities, corporations, those within our various faith communities, and givers (both philanthropic and volunteer) - we can see the boundless opportunity that exists to encourage those leaving the foster care system. By beginning with the end result of positive encouragement and growth in mind, we can create models for various local organizations that can be replicated nationally; models like those represented by Ms. Latrice Ware of Business Youth Initiative, Mr. John Richmond of Teen Parents Mentoring Program, and Youth for Tomorrow, which was founded by Coach Joe Gibbs. These models, in addition to the programs outlined in our Caring 4 Foster Youth packet before you, address the youths’ needs with dignity and respect, encouraging them toward bright futures undefined by their past circumstances. This approach will build our reputation amongst foster youth, providing substantial and measurable results and programmatic growth for our partnering organizations.   When it comes to reaching out to those aging out of foster care, what lies before us is the opportunity of a lifetime. There is something about the gleam in a person’s eyes when telling of how they had a personal opportunity they never could have imagined. I look around me and see people who are determined not to miss opportunity, especially the opportunity to make caring connections. Your investment of time, talent, and treasure to these youth is an investment into our nation’s future.  Much has been put into researching the challenges facing foster youth. Now is the time we put our resources and energy into solving these challenges by taking action together. Thank you for taking the time to join us this morning; I hope you are both encouraged and challenged. It is encouraging to see the gleam in many of your eyes as we build a strong collaborative of solutions.

  
Many of you can become involved in providing solutions to foster youth, at many levels of participation. Together we can have a positive impact on these youth.

The Challenge for Change
3.28.06  

Change is a very interesting word. It constitutes many different images in our mind as well as various feelings. However, change is a part of life. There are things we change everyday:  

We change our hair color or style - there are those that held out on this one

We change lanes when driving - passing the slow driver that ends up passing you. Aagh!

We change our rooms around - I like midnight myself

We change our minds - this is a frequent occurrence for many

We change the channel - guys have a gift for this  

Change is a part of our every day lives  

Many times you will hear a person say, “I just need a change.” We want to do something different. There are those that change jobs every three years or so. They get restless and don’t like a routine in the workplace. They need to be challenged with new surroundings all the time. Others change jobs every so often so that their weaknesses don’t get exposed. 

Others do not want to have anything to do with change especially if it is uncomfortable or takes us out of our comfort zone. Change is about afflicting the comfortable. Roy Blitzer puts into perspective with this statement: “The only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper.”  

Webster defines change like this: To make radically different, to replace with another, to undergo a modification, to transform, a quantum leap. People who are innovative are great change agents. They are able to create something new out of something old. Change means something happens.  

Yet there seems to be many reasons for the change we all know we need to make from time to time yet fail to accomplish.  

What keeps people from change? There are many rationalizations, but here are a few:

• Pride - It has been said this way; “Swallow your pride occasionally, it’s non-fattening.”
• Past failures - “What is different from the last time I tried this? I will just blow it again.”
• Past successes - “Why change when it has worked before” - This is one of the biggest obstacles to personal growth.
• Fear - Largely resulting from lack of experience or past failure
• Doubt - “It will never work. There is no sense in trying.”
• Selfishness - Many times we just do not want to change. We are not willing to pay the price that may be demanded of us. We like where we are right now and change would mean moving out of my comfort zone.
• History or tradition - “That is the way we have always done it.”  

Although change may be needed, wanted, or desired, it is no guarantee that you will change.

An example of this occurs around the holidays. Holidays bring out the fitness ads and we look in the mirror and say to ourselves, “I need to get back in shape.” So we join the fitness club or buy one of the many health and nutrition books. Then for a few weeks the change begins, only to stop doing what we said we needed to do. It happens spiritually as well. We are often challenged by messages or sermons that identify needed change in our life that we initiate only to dwindle to a past effort.  

I believe it is because of our lack of understanding of the need for two words to be present if real change is going to transpire. Those words are disgust and benefit.  

Disgust - being fed up with where you are or what you are. It is the one dramatic event or moment that becomes the tipping point for the individual. You are unwilling to allow the condition to remain. The situation may not change overnight, but the impetus for real change has happened. You can be disgusted and not change, but you will seldom change without being disgusted. Disgust without decision will only lead to a deeper frustration and pain. Once you become fed up with the situations you face in life, there has to be a series of decisions that follow. 

What creates a sense of disgust with your life or situation?

• You realize the reality of your situation - something has to give
• The spiritual apathy you sometimes feel or see around you challenges you deeply
• Relational and family situations - It is amazing how long people will live with issues in their family. By the time they realize something has to change so much damage has been done that it seems impossible to repair.
• Finances - You live beyond your means and it finally catches up with you.
• A lack of purpose - It has been my discovery that extreme behavior is due to extreme emptiness. People will often say, “I have to get my life going.”  

Why is it that we allow ourselves to live like this? It is due to the tolerance we have given to or attitudes and actions? Have you allowed mediocrity to be too closely associated with our actions and attitudes?

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point, he states that “change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment in an epidemic of events.” It is known as the tipping point.  

You may find yourself looking for a change. You desire for things to be different. You might see the world around you as needing some serious change and you are disgusted with the way things are and you are now ready to do something about it. This leads you to a second reason for change - the benefits.  

As you consider what you desire for those around you, the benefits of those changes are just too great for you to keep doing what you have been doing in the past. This causes you to see a brighter day ahead, and if action is taken, the benefit of you investing your life to reach out to those in need provides a powerful opportunity that you just do not want to miss.  

Maybe  there are areas in your life you know that will be just the change you need. If you are ready for a change and have said, “I want my life to be different. I want to make a difference. I am ready for a change, and the benefits of that change is so obvious, you can often discover the motivation you need to see the result you desire.  

It has been said, “the less things change the more they remain the same.” So if you have some areas of improvement you need to make in your life, or maybe there are some circumstances you have the ability to influence, I challenge you to give thought to this challenge. Positive change may just be around the corner for you.  

So, rather than being mad at yourself for not doing what you know you should have done, give change a chance. I am sure that if you decide to come here the benefits will outweigh the challenges 10 to 1. It is a challenge for change.  

Your Circumstance is not your Future 
1.30.06 

Last week I was speaking at a conference in New York with over 2000 students in attendance. After one of the general sessions, a young man approached me and asked if he could talk with me. I agreed and we made our way to an area away from the crowd. As he began to tell his story, it was apparent that he had experienced some difficult challenges in his short lifetime. He was on a search to find some meaning to the difficulty he had been experiencing. During this time, he made a comment that was really compelling. He said, “Do you think that my life can become something beyond my current circumstances? It seems like this is the only life I will ever know.” He was looking for a way to live outside of his circumstance.  

When he made that comment, I could not help but think about the thousands of letters I have received from students on a similar search. It seems that there are many youth that are looking for a cause to live for amidst the challenges that often surround their every-day lives. Is there a path that can be walked in which a sense of hope and opportunity can be realized? I believe there is. Although there are specific challenges to a person’s situation, there are some steps I have found, that if taken, can lead to a road full of promise and opportunity. I have stated that people often do not get the choice of their circumstances, but that how they respond to their circumstances is entirely up to them. No one has permission to dictate their attitude, actions, and aspirations. Here are a few thoughts to challenge you in beginning the journey of living a life that can overcome difficulty:

Determine where you want to be, not necessarily where you are.

Your current situation does not define your destiny. I have stated in many training and seminar settings that no one has the authority to decide your mindset. You can overcome many difficulties by establishing a mindset of hope. In my own childhood, there were times that my situation seemed impossible, but I was determined that my situation was not in control of my dreams. The result was the development of a positive attitude towards life. Today, so many of my dreams have been realized due to that decision as a teenager.

Begin living your daily life with specific goals in mind.

It is amazing how your perspective changes when you feel like there are specific goals being accomplished in your life. When that begins to happen, the most difficult circumstance begins to pale in comparison to the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing progress with your life. Whatever the goal is, it is important to keep it directly in front of you. It has been helpful for me to have a life mission statement that has specific goals attached to my sentence. Here is my life mission statement as an example for you:  “To model a passionate pursuit of truth with excellence and creativity that inspires others towards greatness.” This sentence includes the “being” and “doing” that helps me establish specific goals for my life.

Don’t let your past haunt you, let it guide you.

Many times people’s circumstances are allowed to control every aspect of their life. Their attitude and actions are blamed on their situation or something from the past that continues to define them. There is no question that your past or current situation colors the book of your life. Yet I have seen so many examples of people who have endured tremendous challenges and yet have such a strong character and positive outlook. I have noticed that often times the people with the greatest challenges in their past are the most positive people you could ever meet.   

Today you can begin a journey to become one of those people. Stay focused in your journey and set some specific goals that can move you towards a promising future. There is a bright future in front of you.