Why struggling is good.

I heard a great message yesterday about the importance of setting the right “ideal” to pursue and then embracing the tension that we often feel as we try to achieve it.  This was a message I had no problem relating to.

Earlier this year I set a goal of posting on our blog at least once a week to help spread the word about Philanthropegie and all the great nonprofit resources we have found for our users.  Yet, as I sit here writing it has been almost a month since my last post.

I could easily explain away my absence with details about an unplanned trip abroad and the challenges of starting a new job.  But the reality is that life is always full of unexpected challenges and conflicting priorities.  If we are truly committed to our ideal, then we must be ready to fight our way through the challenges in pursuit of our goal.  This struggle, this tension helps us grow and makes us stronger for the challenges that lie ahead.

Of course, what we choose as our ideal is also critically important.  If you’re reading this post, it is very likely that you have at least some goals associated with philanthropic or social good works.  That’s what I love about Philanthropegie fans.  As a community, we see helping others as something important to our ideal.

A number of things can happen as we struggle to achieve our goals of making a difference in the world:

1. We grow in our ability to succeed in making a difference;
2. We often grow in our resolve to find a way to achieve the goals that are truly important;
3. We have an impact those around us (even in our struggles) as they see how it is possible and why it is important to commit some part of our lives to helping others;
4. We make a greater difference (even if we have limited success) than we would if social good was not even on our radar.

So, where does my struggle to post weekly leave me?  I have learned new ways to achieve this goal in the face of unexpected challenges.  I am more resolved than ever to spreading the word about Philanthropegie and the great resources that exist for people who are committed to making a difference.  I have heard from people around me that my focus on philanthropy has made them think about their role in helping others.

As for making a difference – I received an email this week from the leader of a recently added resource to Philanthropegie.  He wrote to thank us because he had just set up a new campaign with someone who found about them through Philanthropegie.  That “someone” had written me earlier in the week to let me know she and her team had found a number of valuable resources that they planned to use in the coming weeks.  This is why Philanthropegie exists.  This is why I blog.

Now… time to get ready for work.