I had a wonderful vacation at the beach. I fully expected to come back recharged, energized and ready to tackle the world. I came back sick. Two ear infections and a sinus infection. Felt horrible for days on end. I took medicine and am "feeling" better, but I'm just not as motivated as I need to be. I've got to get myself motivated. No one is going to get the word out about all of the ideas I have for Spreading Joy Corporation. No one is going to arrange the free community seminars, no one is going to make my joy packs and give them out for me, no one is going to find seek and find great deals on children's books for me. (I'm sure one day there will be people volunteering and helping with these items for SJC, but for now - I know that I'm responsible for much of what needs to be accomplished.) I have to get this going myself. I think much of it comes from the fact that I'm still not feeling 100%, but I know that I have to motivate myself if Spreading Joy Corporation is still going to be around 3 years from now. How do I do that? How do I move beyond not feeling well and doing what needs to be done in spite of that. I've been thinking about it and here is what I've come up with:
- Look at the end result - I have to look ahead to the future to where I would like to be. I will not get there if I'm not working my way there. If I want to be able to help all of the people in my target areas (the homeless, the inner city kids, the battered women, the orphans in the USA as well as outside the USA and our elderly) then I'm going to need a network of several thousand people that I can call and say "I think this will be a good fit for you, something that tugs on your heart's string" and have help coming from all sorts of places. An army of people that have a heart for making a difference and for Spreading Joy. I have so much to learn along this journey.
- Look at the present - I have to focus on NOW. I definitely just went to the other end of the spectrum from my previous point, but it is true. Now is the time that people will be needing help with no strings attached. Now is the time that small food pantries will be called upon to help more struggling families even though they really can't afford to purchase food from Second Harvest Food Bank. Now is the time that smiles need to be handed out freely. Pure Joy - handed out everywhere. Doing something to uplift another everyday. Spreading Joy TODAY!
- Motivate others - Motivating and encouraging others will come full circle and motivate me. How can I encourage others to go, do and give if I'm not motivated myself. I love giving and doing for others and I need simply get out there and do it. I need to find the discouraged and encourage them. I need to send encouraging emails and make phone calls to those who need a pick me up. In doing so, the receipt may realize just how helpful it was to them and turn around and do the same for someone else.
- Look beyond the obstacles - There are so many obstacles facing start ups today and the biggest is money. Right now, because there are no consistent funding for Spreading Joy Corporation, I have to help people in ways that are "free". I'm working on getting together some free community seminars and offering help with resumes at no cost, but there are so many things that needs to be done. If I had the volunteers, we could blanket several communities and pass out fliers announcing a food drive. Families could just leave a bag of food on their porch on a certain day and we could pick it up and help restock the shelves of those that are taking care of struggling families. If I had new or gently used clothing, toys and books - I could make sure they were given to those that would greatly appreciate them. These are just a few of the obstacles that we are facing. I will look past them and keep giving until I can give at the level I desire. That is the key. Doing what you can with the resources that are available to you, regardless of the obstacles.
- Print off and focus on my goals - I listed my goals in previous posts, but I need to print them off and keep them handy. Doing something towards each of them on a daily basis is the only way to keep focused and move forward. Even if it is at a slow and steady pace, that is better than no moving in any direction or worse yet, going backwards. Even if it is 10 phone calls a day, 10 faxes a day or mailing out 10 letters a week, focusing on what I want to accomplish will motivate me. I'll see that there is a dent being made in my to do list and that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter by the hour.
Do you have a mountain of papers to go through? (Yes, that is work that is waiting on me. The table was full earlier this week.) Do you have a "to do" list the size of Texas? Do you need to get into an exercise routine? Do you want to be debt free? Motivate Thyself! You can do it! Piece by piece, day by day.
What do you do to motivate yourself? I'm sure you have great ways of motivating yourself! How do you keep yourself going? Do you help others when they are working through a rough, boring patch?
How are you Spreading Joy? Are you helping the homeless, the elderly, inner city kids? Are Women's needs close to your heart? So many choices! What choice are you making?~ To give without any reward, or any notice, has a special quality of its own. ~
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
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