Month: May 2024

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Feeling Hindered In Your Career? Try Serving Your Way To The Top With Community Service.

Deputy Administrator Volunteers at MLK Day of Service (NHQ201601190009) by NASA HQ PHOTO is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0
Daily writing prompt
What do you do to be involved in the community?
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From a young age, I have been dedicated to volunteering. I’ve always loved being active in my community and serving in small ways whenever I could. For me, serving is not just a way to give back but also way to discover new interests, meet new people, and show up for something greater than myself. 

Thankfully I am not the only one. According to a recent study conducted by Volunteering and Civic Life in America, more than 51% of Americans informally helped their neighbors. Additionally, nearly 23% of Americans volunteered in formal organizations, clocking 4.1 billion hours with an economic value of $122.9 billion. 

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Why Serving Matters 

People don’t often give much attention to the value of service. But service is one of those mystical foundations of leadership that can supercharge your spirit and elevate your life. I always saw it as more than just delivering food boxes and leaving to spend time with my friends. It was a way to connect with people, hear their stories, and share a meal. You know the phrase “everybody’s got a story”?  Well, after serving macaroni and cheese and turkey on Thanksgiving, you’d be pleasantly surprised by the candid conversations and stories shared by shelter residents around the dinner table. What makes these moments more meaningful is knowing that not only does everyone have a story, but more often than not, these stories are often interrelated. These stories which are a privilege to listen to at times are filled with the travails and triumphs of life and serve as a mirror to our own lives. 

Life is challenging, and these stories remind me that it could be a moment of lapsed judgment, one accident, one relationship gone wrong, a death, addiction, or a loss of employment that can send a person spiraling. This is why I have committed my life to sharing my wisdom and spiritual foundation– we need this now more than ever. I understand that by consciously choosing to live a purpose-driven life every day, I believe that serving others has the power to open doors, eliminate poverty, and improve their quality of life. We should never underestimate the ability of the Divine to work through people as guardians and stewards of their fellow human beings. If you ever felt like you don’t have anything to give, or you don’t have money, kill that thought! You have the most priceless gift there is, YOU.

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Ironically in, Isaiah 55:1 God is calling all of us to depend on Him as the source: 

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” 

He is talking about bypassing these systems and holding fast to a currency that never fades. Serving is not only a cool thing to do, it’s part of our energetic design like the bees pollinating flowers. Human interaction is how we pay it forward in love. 

So ask yourself this, how can you serve today?

Try starting with a smile. Buying someone a coffee. Pulling up your neighbor’s recycling. Or playing make-believe for 15 minutes with your kids.

I promise you it works. When you are done, drop me a message. I want to root for your success. 

Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. Thank you for sharing this message. 

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Creating A Culture of Timeliness In An Increasingly Fast Paced World

Daily writing prompt
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?
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I don t know about you, but since the pandemic, I have seemed to struggle with time. Not necessarily time management when it comes to completing tasks but arriving at places in person on time. What makes it even more of a challenge is that I am pretty comfortable working remotely. Unfortunately, I don’t see myself, especially as an entrepreneur, making a permanent switch to working in person. I am of the mindset that more work gets done in isolation. Yet, I am venturing out again into the world socially, and on the outside, time does matter. Not everyone wants to stay within their own four walls forever. As I started going out more, I found that I was often met with closed doors and canceled reservations because I was late.

Monochronic and Polychronic Cultural Views of Time

Differing cultural views can have an effect on how we see time. In Western society, people are often judged on their ability to be timely. We tend to follow along with and thrive best within a linear, monochronic society. Linear thinking follows a straightforward, cause-and-effect pattern. It assumes that events progress in a predictable, step-by-step manner. Additionally, monochronic cultures like ours, value timeliness when it comes to work, structured workdays, and individual accountability. These characteristics are valued in employees as well as in leadership.

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However, this highly structured work environment can create burnout in people. It can be rigid and devoid of flexibility, leaving people feeling discontent and searching for life’s balance. On the other hand, cultures that are polychronic, such as those in the Middle East, tend to have work environments that allow for interruptions, breaks, and social interactions. Employees may engage in multiple tasks simultaneously. While this style of interaction can promote relationship building and greater team focus due to flexible schedules, efficiency can become an issue. I can attest to the latter. Efficiency, takes on many forms and criticisms, especially in a society where productivity can be boosted by AI. I believe that although some work and even employees may not be as timely, as other hard-driving producers, they tend to bring a distinct value that is necessary. Think quality or quantity due to honoring the natural flow of life. We could place them in a category of non-linear thinkers. These individuals tend to take a more holistic viewpoint of life, seeing the system as a whole rather than just isolated parts – they are our creatives and visionaries.

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Daily Life and Timeliness

My issues with time date back to childhood. I was the kid they had to move away from the window due to my lack of focus and incessant day dreaming. My parents were in the military and I while I was often punished for my lateness, it seemed to create an adverse reaction to rigid time restrictions in me. I became rebellious instead of focused. At times, I have found myself missing out on time with friends, my yoga classes, and even some important deadlines due to my causal relationship with time. Over the last six months I have worked diligently to get back on the wagon in regard to time and I am seeing great improvements. I still tend to display a Laissez fare attitude towards time every now and then, I have learned to slay this dragon by considering the time of others. When I am late, it also affects others, and that is not a good feeling. Additionally, when you’re on time you can casually walk into a building, orient yourself, and begin your day with ease. When you are late you are rushing, anxious and often wind-up apologizing.

The moral of the story is: Leave early, be on time, and consider yourself and others in the process.

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The Power of Your Vote

Written By: Chiara Atoyebi

Daily writing prompt
Do you vote in political elections?
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I learned about the significant impact history had on our voting decisions while I was an incoming freshman at the University of Michigan. I still can recall the first time I cast my ballot for president. I remember innocently walking to the polling place, excited to cast my vote, when a classmate casually asked me, “So who are you voting for?” Back then I didn’t know that this type of question was generally taboo and gave my honest answer. I was considering voting Green. 

My friend looked at me a little bit shocked, “nah, nah,” he laughed. “You gotta vote this way. Everyone is voting for this person.” Although I thought it was strange to not vote for the issues aligned with my convictions, I followed the rules and cast my vote as I was encouraged to do so.

How many of you have experienced the same kind of cajoling into a position that would ultimately solidify your voting direction throughout life? This is not uncommon, especially among minority groups whose existence and socio-economic progression depend on a majority rules stance–i.e. Groupthink. 

According to an article in Very Well Mind, Groupthink is defined as, “a psychological phenomenon in which people strive for consensus within a group. In many cases, people will set aside their own personal beliefs or adopt the opinions of the rest of the group. The term was first used in 1972 by social psychologist Irving L. Janis.”

 While I have never missed the opportunity to vote in any election since I first became of legal age, I am becoming increasingly focused on my state and local elections due to their direct impact on my life. We often hear are issues being “state’s issues” but many lack the knowledge of who their local representatives, are and what they do.

It’s my personal belief that the highest office should focus on issues that are large in scale: infrastructure, terrorism, war, the national budget, and our military to name a few. If my state has the authority to overrule certain issues and deem rulings ineffective, then my local electorate becomes the focus. Consider this–every elected official in your state should be acutely aware of what is happening under their stewardship. If they’re not, then we have a problem. Certain matters should not be limited to the White House’s sphere of influence alone but instead should be further expounded upon by subject matter experts.

Our nation is having a come-to-Jesus moment in terms of our relationships with government, authority, and established systems. 

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It has been reported that many people will not vote. This can be attributed to the recent lesser of two evils discourse surrounding the presidential race, as well as our inherent GroupThink mentality.

Some people’s lack of civic engagement stems from outdated ideas and loyalties they believe will carry them through until their party re-aligns with their interests.

It’s a valid option. Changing things from the inside out is sometimes the most effective way of doing business.

I know the cost that was historically paid for me to cast my vote. Despite what I may feel, and even if I seemingly go rogue at some point, I will always cast my ballot. 

Every day, hundreds of decisions get made in the interest of minorities and are supposedly for minority groups, delegated by people who have an intellectual assessment of the situation. 

Simply put, that is because we are not in the room. We need to be in the room and where we can’t be in the room, our vote has to be. 

Moreover, I encourage you to get involved with local politics. Know who is on your school board, know who is regulating the food in your area, and what new programs are being put into place.

Here are some resources for you to get involved locally: 

American Local Government Elections Database 

Find and Contact US Elected Officials

List of State Secretaries