CYCLE4 - Are you ready to do what matters?
“We have a world to conquer…one person at a time…starting with ourselves.” -Nikki Giovanni
WHAT MATTERS?
There is need everywhere... around the corner, around the country, around the world.
Homelessness, Hunger, Disease...people living without hope.
Powerless to create the change they desperately need.
We can do something.
To leave the world better than we found it.
Imagine if that was a goal everyone shared?
Together we would cause a cataclysmic shift.
Imagine if we could build our own health as we built the health of the world.
A powerful force ready to do what matters.
First step: What Matters to You?
What fires you up? Is it something in your own community or in the country or the world? Is it disaster response and relief? Poverty? Bullying or violence? Animal welfare? International human rights? For some the answer is immediate. You’ve been touched personally –its’ ingrained...deeply felt...known. You are passionate about what you want to do, where you want to build awareness, generate funds and create a community of support. You know questionably where the impact will be and how it will look.
For others it is an overwhelming and big question. Where to start? There is so much that matters how to identify just one important cause. First of all see this as the beginning of a lifetime’s work. Next think of what you’ve read about or heard about (local, national, global) – at this point don’t impose any limits. Stories that resonated with you and have deep meanings you’ll remember – write them down. Look at the directory of charitable le organizations on the 4WM website. What provokes thought? What do you want to know more about? Brainstorm a list of ideas. Add to your list over a period of a week. Share the list with friends and listen to their stories. At this point some causes are likely resonating more than others. What grabs you? What tugs at your heart? What gets your mind racing? What stories keep popping back into your mind? Your inner self is giving you important information – be aware - review and short list your top 5.
What can you learn about these 5 important areas? Who can you talk to? What information can you source? Ask: What is needed – short term/long term? Who will benefit (create a description/imagine a day in the life of/walk a mile in these shoes)? Why do you connect with this cause? How does it make you feel? How can you be assured the work will be done as you hope what accountability checks are in place?
Put your short list aside for a week. You will come to know in that time what matters most. Your thoughts will revisit...you will form pictures...your vision will become clear.
Write your own 4What Matters VISION statement
This cause matters to us because:
We will undertake the following action to do what matters:
The impact we hope to have is: That’s all it takes to begin.