How to turn hope into reality

For the last few months, I have had two pairs of words written on my whiteboard:

• Hope & possibility
• Growth & transformation

Those four words are my guideposts for what I want to focus on in my life, both personally and professionally.

Last night, as I watched the election results, I was struck by how relevant those four words are for us as a society as well. Barack Obama has inspired millions with his message of hope and positive change. Now, as we turn our attention to what that hope might bring, it’s time to start building a bridge between that inspiration and the real world.

“We can what?”

The well-known catch phrase of Obama’s campaign is, “Yes we can!” Whether you’re an Obama supporter or not, I want to plant the follow-up question to that… “We can what?”

Today, as you turn your eyes to the future, ask yourself, “What can I do? How can I have a positive impact on the world? How can I make the world a better place? How can I make my world/country/city/neighborhood/home (take your pick) a better place to live? How can I plant the seeds for a better tomorrow?”

In short, how can you start building the bridge from hope & possibility to growth & transformation?

Change is up to you

Do you want real change? It’s not going to come from a politician. Politicians can help the process, to be sure, but real change happens when each of us steps up and says, “Yes, I can.” And more importantly, “Yes, I WILL.”

Every day when you get out of bed in the morning, remind yourself that you have the potential to make the world a better place by the time you go to bed.

It doesn’t have to be big and dramatic. It doesn’t have to be covered by the nightly news. It might be something as simple as remembering to tell your children you believe in them, or stopping and having a real conversation with a homeless person rather than hurrying on by and pretending they’re not there.

It might be stepping up and volunteering for a cause you care about. Or you might take it a step further and create something yourself.

It might mean getting involved in the political process in your community. That could be something as simple as regularly letting your elected officials at all levels know what you think, or as involved as running for office yourself. 

Whatever that positive change looks like, one thing is sure. It’s NOT going to come if we all sit and wait for someone else to do it. It’s not going to come from waiting for our politicians to come riding in and wave a magic wand. It happens one step at a time, one person at a time.

What will you do? How will you be the change?

Questions to ponder

Here are some questions to help prime the pump as you explore the potential for positive change...

• What difference do I want to make?
• Who do I want to help?
• How am I well-positioned to help (what skills, resources, etc. do I have)?
• What volunteer opportunities do I have?
• What choices am I making? How do they affect my family? My community? The environment? Others?
• If I had to pick a positive change theme for my life, what would it be? What would I focus on?
• What legacy do I want to leave?
• How do my interactions with others affect them?
• What am I ignoring that needs attention?
• What values do I want to live? How do I act if I’m living my values? What choices do I make?
• What small step can I take today?

The bridge from hope & possibility to growth & transformation is built one plank at a time.

And it is built by you.

--

Time for a career change? Launch it with...
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
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--

by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst

Comments

[Kathryn/plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com]

So true, Curt! This is just the first big step. Now it's up to us to really get to work. We have no more excuses. The wind is at our back.We truly need to seize the moment and do all we can to elevate the country to all we can imagine is possible--and beyond, stretching ourselves and our comfort zones in the process. A holy moment, indeed.

[kitty Wiemelt]

Curt, your blog was referenced by Jackie at www.bikewithjackie.blogspot.com. She was so right. So many of the things you say and questions you ask - I have the same beliefs in my book, "Laid Off? Don't Stress! How to Get from Mad to Glad." I so believe in possibilities and hope - my mission statement is to "Share my faith, restore hope, inspire joy and live in the spirit of grace and peace." Thank you for sharing your Can Do thought process. www.bouncebackexpert.typepad.com

[Curt Rosengren]

Kathryn - Elevation, baby! I like it.

Kitty - Nice mission statement. We could all use more of that. Thanks for working to bring those things to the world.