Happy 2014 my dears.

I am sitting here in my jammies after a morning of Caesars, and now settling down for an afternoon of Winter Classic. My DP is snoozing, although he had many different big intentions, but it’s an afternoon at home, as I expected.
There’s something truly magnificent in seeing all these gorgeous Canadians sitting in the snow, big time, on the first day of the new year. They are all bundled up and bracing against the cold, for the sake of the game.
I am thoughtful about what the New Year brings for me. I think the biggest and somewhat most central of resolutions, that I can be moved to make at this moment, is to truly have your people in your corner. Regardless of how similar or dissimilar to you they may seem, everyone deserves someone in their corner. It’s just a real blessing to have connection, to feel connection with another person, stranger or otherwise. So I challenge all of us to just relax and feel totally fulfilled for just having loved ones in your life, for having to opportunity to reach out and touch someone you barely know, or just extend the biggest gratitude from your heart in the moments that are the most truthfully poignant in your life, good or perhaps not always as good.

No judgement, pure support, pure openheartedness to all in 2014.

My interest in running for municipal government

It was very flattering to have such interest in this post when I first did put it up, although there was no content and I do apologize for that. I haven’t really been posting at all these last 2 weeks, I’ve started and almost finished the Summer Institute for this new Masters program and by the time I get home I can really only manage a few grunts before falling into bed.

And not in a sexy way.

Over the last 2 weeks, we’ve had the pleasure of meeting the deputy mayor of Ottawa, a deputy minister of the federal and provincial governments, and a whole plethora of super-thinkers on the topic of Philanthropy and Non-Profit Leadership.  Although most of the time we moved so quickly the information was somewhat tricky to synthesize (I am sure the magic will happen in the following weeks), some bigger themes emerged.

One of the greater themes that I was able to wrap my head around, albeit in a limited way, is the tension between public and private benefit.  Working in the non-profit sector, I know that the work that I do contributes to the greater public benefit and that’s a big motivator for everyone in my sector. It certainly isn’t the $$ private benefit of my pocketbook.  But I’ve never really conceptualized what kind of world we would live in if these spheres were to bleed into one another.  Social enterprise and finances are part of this idea, and I imagine we will see more and more innovative ways to try and maximize all benefits.  Whether or not this is a good thing, or has somewhat negative consequences, we don’t know yet. In fact, much of the coursework so far has resulted in a lot of nuanced, unsure grey areas with very good intentions.

What, as I am sure you are wondering, if you have even read this far (don’t blame you if you’ve quit by now) is what the hell this all has to do with municipal office…and I guess where I’m going is that if I was to try and move into politics, I would have to leave either particular sphere. I would be working with private companies as well as non-profits, and would leave the world in which I can naively believe that everyone in it has public benefit as their driving force. I would have to welcome diverse points of view, some of which could be extreme and hurtful and self-serving. And I would have to be ok with that. At least meet everyone from where they were at and try and work from within those systems.

As a person of office elect, would I be selling out… I can’t think so. I don’t feel that I would have to become unbound from my love of common good and doing the right thing. I would have to become less of an actor, maybe, directly, in these causes and become more of a facilitator. As someone who can provide the space and time to discuss these interests, maybe I could still carve out a little place for public benefit, and sort of more meaningful to me then roads, and sewers and stuff. Although I would have to really pay attention to those things too, but maybe I could blend some of that private and public benefit … these are the ideas I’m wrestling with right now, and I don’t have the answers. I’m not even sure this shit is logical, or legible. I’m at the point now where words don’t really look right, and my brain is so mushy. But I hope that when some degree of sharpness returns, some clarity will come.

I love Ottawa, and I would love to serve Ottawa. What that would look like would be just fascinating. But boy I am I tried.

Getting stoned on Volunteering

I know sometimes it can seem difficult for people our age to think about causes greater than ourselves. I don’t say this in a snarky or preachy way, but simply our generation is the most in debt and underemployed EVER. Considering our disadvantage, it’s difficult for us to engage in civic activities that better the lives of others. You need resources before you can improve the world around us, don’t you? How can you expect to help others when you can’t even help yourself, as the saying goes… Although that’s a bit bastardized, but that’s neither here nor there.

I work in volunteer management and have done so for geez, 10 years now holy smokes, and some of the figures can be quite disheartening when it comes to where to find new people. Over 50% of the current hours contributed nationally are donated by only 10% of current volunteers and I think, oh shit! Where the hell am I going to find people like that again!?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being rescued by Sarah Feldberg, the volunteer coordinator for the Canadian Cooperatives Association and she enlightened my group with the physiological impact of helping others. You see, those who help others release the hormone oxytocin, which makes us feel happy! And the more you help others, the more your body accustoms to oxytocin and, essentially, can grow to crave it. That seems to explain that 10%: they end up being more hooked on giving!

Have you ever met anyone who struggles to share? To take responsibility for their mistakes when working with others? Who struggles to get past their own needs, wants, or disappointments? For those who practice generosity, benevolence or kindness infrequently, it can seem like a huge hurdle just to offer a candy or an apology. But the more we practice, the more we strengthen those associations in the mind and the easier it becomes to give. To quote Sarah, we can physiologically adapt to becoming a ‘volunteer junkie’!

I’m not writing this to make anyone feel bad about not donating their time. I’m writing this though, to try and explain how donating you time can somehow give you the feeling of having a richer life. Even if you only have a little to give, and many things can be done from the comfort of your home, the act of giving can make you feel like you’re the one receiving. It’s cheesy a bit I guess, but volunteering can also help us to focus on what we have to offer, instead of what we have-NOT, which I think is all to easy to slip into, at this age, in this culture.