Building Community Projects from the Heart and not from the Ego
Giving back to the community is always easier said than done. It’s easy to formulate good ideas in your head, but where most people fall short is the will power to move forward and staying motivated. Right now, I don’t have the answer to how to move people who lose direction quickly. But what I can say is that if we at least start from the right place, maybe that will keep our motivation high.
Studies have shown that by helping others and communities in need have dual advantages. Helping others impacts important day-to-day functions like stress levels, improves our mental well-being, lowers instances of depression, and decreases the impacts of traumatic events for people on both sides of the coin. I can probably research more and find hundreds of benefits of helping those in our community, but one of my goals with Kind Rebirths is to help others understand why the intention is so important. The intention has a significant role.
When we do things from our ego, we find ourselves seeking praise, attention, or recognition. However, I have found that kind of intrinsic motivation is self-serving and while it may look like success on the outside, there is a frustrating level of emptiness left on the inside. When it comes from the heart, though, the project becomes more than a quest for acknowledgement; it becomes purpose. Purpose becomes connection. Connection facilitates rebirth.
Kind Rebirths communicates that things that are initiated or completed from the heart will naturally align good intention and compassion.
With all of this in mind, I wanted to drop a few helpful tips on how to approach any community project or service:
1)Begin with an Authentic Purpose – Let purpose evolve from compassion and not a sense of competition. Let the “why” be derived from truth so that whatever endeavor you pursue build emotional integrity.
2)Learn to Listen with Intent – No one likes someone else coming in barking orders because they think they know what’s needed or what’s best. Actually, they will probably gravitate and appreciate your stance more if you lead with a listening ear. Leading with listening allows others to align with your “experience” rather than assumptions we tend to make.
3)Start Small and Build Slowly – It’s natural to see others in pain and want to do something about it immediately. Wisdom may tell you that while you want speedy results, slower results with true meaning are longer lasting. Moving at a moderate pace without rushing allows others to catch up to your momentum through trust.
4)Don’t Build for…Build with… - Also another natural instinct that is often seen, taking the lead and projecting your vision onto others. When others are a part of the vision-shaping, they too will feel a sense of ownership and productive pride. They want to feel that they are welcomed and that they belong. That’s the spirit of a community project or a project to help the community.
5)Move from a Position of Service and not Superiority – Stay in the humble state of mind. Kind Rebirth’s most vital component is compassion. This is an opportunity to join the community voices, not to take the solo.
6)Celebrate the Small Victories – Our egos want the big win, always. The heart, on the other hand, cherishes the individual scores. It’s important to stay in the present: in the present moment, in the connection, and in the purpose.
7)Don’t become the Project; Let the Project become You – Success isn’t always measured with turnout attendance, funding, community, or civic awards. The job is to provide services to those who need it more. Your identity isn’t the success of the project because your identity is already tied to the benefit of the community.
Kind Rebirths is a shift toward the positive. Do not let the world or the ego of mind distract you. We value the community of all, so let your work demonstrate the foundation of your rebirth.
Stay mindful…
Rebirth
