Practicing Significance

Glorifying God by fulfilling your own unique purposes through the never-ending

action of acquiring, using, and sharing diverse resources.

The Passionate Few

“It is the advantage and the nature of the strong that they can bring crucial issues to the fore and take a clear position regarding them.  The weak always have to choose between alternatives that are not their own.”   Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”   Jonathan Swift

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”   Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

“Honor wears different coats to different eyes.”   Barbara Tuchman

“It is often a condition of Hell not to suspect the existence of any alternative to one’s life.”   Gore Vidal

Introduction

Many of us desire to serve others as an integral part of a life balanced with family, church, business, and recreation.  However, there are a passionate few who make service the focus of their lives.  They are the ones who seem to accomplish more than a hundred non-passionate people.  They dedicate their time, intellect, money, and emotions.  They are of different religious denominations, professions, race, and educational backgrounds. This lesson has been written to provide some knowledge which might help them in their endeavors and to encourage others who are considering becoming part of this elite group.

The Rewards for the Passionate Few

Without doubt, the greatest reward for the Passionate Few is the satisfaction of meeting needs that otherwise would have been unmet.  This reward is supplemented by meeting new people and forming deep relationships, seeing new ideas become a reality, or spreading a thought or religious conviction.  Although a minority of the Passionate Few become financially affluent and nationally known while serving, the majority are little-known (and often under-appreciated) servants.

Here are examples of some of the people who are part of the Passionate Few:

· B left a self-owned business to start an organization to train, find jobs, and provide psychological support for people who have become social outcasts.  Every day is a struggle to fund Stand-In-The-Gap, yet every day B is more fulfilled than he ever imagined he would be.

· S is a very wealthy young man.  Though he could afford to never work again, he works an immense number of hours and uses an incredible intellect to meet a wide array of needs for low-income people.  He uses his social contacts and business knowledge to raise money from people, government institutions, and foundations.  He cannot imagine spending his life working at his previous profession or chasing leisure activities.

· J does carpentry and concrete work.  He works on an hourly basis, so every hour he doesn’t work, he doesn’t get paid.  He and his family live “bare-bones” so they can dedicate every possible moment to serving others and working with their chosen causes.

· A is a 29 year old, stay-at-home mom. She founded the Acts of Kindness Foundation to help provide items that help improve the lives of disabled Oklahomans. “I need volunteers because the need is huge, but I always find a way,” she says.

A Calling or a Mid-life Crisis?

It seems that people who want to make drastic changes in their lives often have unpleasant circumstances in their lives.  Many times a “call from God” coincides with a dead-end job, a marital crisis, an illness, etc.  From watching the outcomes when people have made drastic changes, I observe that sometimes it was a calling and sometimes it was only a desire to change a circumstance.  If you are considering making a drastic, irrevocable change, what things should you consider?  In no certain order, the following are some questions to ask yourself, and discuss with wise advisors, before making a drastic change:

· What is driving me to make a change?

· Will the change help me to fulfill my purposes and goals?

· Will my talents allow me to succeed at the new venture or should I wait until I can obtain new skills.

· How will the change affect my family?

· How does my spouse feel about the change?

· How will the change affect my example and witness to others?

· Have I prayed enough and listened for answers?

· Have I discussed the situation with wise and spiritual people?

· How will I react when I find others may not have much interest in what I want to do? (Especially when I will need their support)

· How will I react when people criticize what I do and what I am trying to accomplish?

Paying the Cost

When making a drastic change to a life of serving others, there are many costs to count.  If you are satisfied with the answers to the above questions, then another cost to count is financial.  Not even Bill Gates has enough money to solve many of the world’s problems. You may find that you will spend an inordinate amount of time raising money. This can be very frustrating for many people, especially if they weren’t expecting to do so.

The following are some of the ways that passionate people obtain financing:

· Pay for the costs themselves.  Often the largest costs are salaries of the key people.  If you are fortunate enough to be affluent, you can work for free and even pay the costs for some others.  If not, you will likely have to use “sweat equity” by living on a very low income.

· Some people are fortunate enough to have a profession that helps them fulfill their passion of serving others.  Some doctors and preachers are examples for all of us.

· Raise money from friends and family.  Often these people are willing to sacrifice for a period of time, but may not be able to make or fulfill long-term commitments.

· Raise money from churches and other non-profit entities.  This can be very time-consuming and their contributions can be erratic. 

· Work for a church or non-profit.  Many of these jobs do not have high salaries or good benefits, and you may have many of the same constraints and frustrations you did in the business world.

Start A New Program or Join an Existing Program?

One of the first choices the Passionate Few face is...should I start a new organization or should I join an existing organization?  Answering this question correctly is critical, but not irrevocable.  For instance, most people who were successful entrepreneurs or executives will probably find it difficult to fulfill their passions by joining an existing organization.  They may be frustrated on a daily basis when they don’t get to personally set the agenda, allocate resources, or choose between opportunities.  However, if these same people have personal restrictions on time, health or money, they may find working with an existing organization actually allows them a better alternative to fulfill their purposes in a passionate manner.    

Prior to starting a new program, I would suggest doing a survey of existing organizations which may be doing similar service, talking to others who have started new service organizations, and making sure that there is a sufficient “market” to serve.  Although many of the rules are different when you leave the business world, many similarities exist, including the key… “see a need, then meet it.”

Resources for the Passionate Few

Passion is not necessarily enough to fully succeed in meeting needs.  Learning from others can help you avoid a failure or an inefficient project.  The following are some of the resources to access:

· Other people who are serving in a passionate way.  I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the people I most admire for their passionate service are very willing and able to give me advice and even share resources.  Since I know they are busy, I always request to meet with them at their convenience, at a place of their choice, and for a very limited amount of time.  If a personal meeting cannot be arranged, they are usually willing to answer a telephone call or answer a few questions by e-mail or letter.

· Special friends and acquaintances.  These people may be much more valuable for their ideas and support than for their money.  Try to develop some relationships based on the knowledge that you will not be asking them for financial support.

· Read books about others who are passionate.  I have been especially encouraged by reading Bob Buford’s books, Halftime and Stuck In Halftime. 

· Read books by others who are passionate.  It is hard to read a book written by a passionate person without being infected by their enthusiasm and dedication.  My shelves are full of these books.

· The Practicing Significance Lesson on Volunteering will point you toward a huge resource base of non-profit organizations.  Some of these organizations could directly help you or serve as models for a new organization.

· Consider working with a mentor or a “life coach” before making irrevocable changes.  I have been fortunate enough to work with such a person and found the experience to be very valuable.  In Stuck In Halftime, Bob Buford makes a very convincing case for these coaches and also gives some ideas on how to find them. One such coach is Dave Jewitt at www.YourOneDegree.com, who is also one of the Passionate Few.

Conclusion

There are a Passionate Few who make service the focus of their lives.  These few dedicate their time, intellect, money, and emotions.  These people remind us that passion is a key ingredient for a fulfilling life of meeting needs of others.