Find and Fuel Your Passion for Social Good

Passion for a cause is a powerful driving force that, in most cases, is the only thing that stretches us to do things we didn’t think we could do. It helps us grow in our jobs, skills, even character.

But in the practical society we live in, most of us can’t live off our passions. And sustainability takes up a big chunk of our daily life, leaving little time and energy for us to feed that passion. We come home tired, and by the time we’re done with dinner and catching up on our personal life, our minds and bodies are ready to shut down. I know the feeling.

So what happens? Our fire dims, and the passion is put in the backburner. This is unfortunate, especially when your passion is to help others. But it doesn’t have to be that way. And it shouldn’t because your passion is to make the world a better place, starting with your community.

Rediscovering Your Passion

It’s time to sit back and dig out the burrowed passion. Not everyone has a passion like yours, and the world certainly needs more people like you. You have the power to be a change maker (and I’m not exaggerating!) because you actually care about the issue!

If you are already in the social good world but not feeling like you are making a difference, this is for you too. You feel like your day-to-day job isn’t making an impact, so it’s time to regroup and think about what originally got you working for the cause you used to feel so passionate about. Think of the faces, the animals, or the agriculture that inspired you in the beginning.

The Spark

Feel it yet? Do you feel like the passion is stirring up inside you again? It’s a good feeling. And a spark brings fire if you don’t stomp it out. So feed it. By doing something you will learn a lot about yourself and fuel the fire.

Can you make time for some volunteer work, even if it’s just a couple hours a month? For a couple years, I’ve been volunteering at a monthly food pantry in my community. A lot of times I can’t make it, so I can’t commit too much, but when I show up to help in distribution for just a few hours a month, the program director is always grateful for my small contribution.

Remember that every little bit counts, so you don’t have to spend hours volunteering to make an impact. Just as the small nonprofit you want to help. I’m sure they need all the help they can get.

If you absolutely can’t volunteer, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Help by spreading the word. On Facebook or Twitter? Post a link, fact, or even share/retweet something about your nonprofit. Help others learn about the issue you care about it.

The simple act of talking about your cause is a huge help!

Wildfire

Now it’s time to unleash your fire. Take advantage of that motivation and do something. You know your contribution is going to make an impact for good, so go for it. Take that step.

But remember that our passion can change, and the result of our work may not be what you expected. And that’s ok. What matters is that you tried, you did something. And some impact is better than none.

Feel the fire now? Yes? Ok, go!

What causes are YOU passionate about?