As I approach my 25th year, I’ve started to notice a recent trend in closing doors. I think many would argue that at 25, you don’t want to be closing doors, but instead accessing all that is open to you. Where I do agree with this, I also argue that in order to be masters of our craft, we have to be willing to miss out on things.
And more challenging, we have to be ready to say, “Thank you for asking, but no.”
Houston is a community where its residents wear many hats to keep the town flourishing. How wonderful, and yet exhausting. Recently I’ve become aware of a few volunteer opportunities and committees in Houston that need the help of its residents. The Minerals North Conference is next year and a committee has formed to start preparing. There have also been volunteer opportunities to aid the Houston Royal Canadian Legion Branch #249 in its renovations.
And though I know that serving Houston does not all rely on one person, I can’t help but feel guilty. As much as I would like to be a part of the teams that serve Houston, I also recognize where my priorities are, and what my time and schedule allows me to contribute.
To all those super-achievers of Houston you see throughout the infancy and fully developed stages of every function, you are my heroes.
With a community as small as Houston, how does one enroll the contribution of others? Financial incentive is one. Relying on the love of one’s community is another. But both are external motivators.
When outlining project needs, I think the best way to enlist people is to cater to their intrinsic desires. By identifying a skill a person has and matching it with a project that is able to provide an opportunity for that skill to cultivate, is one way to recruit enthusiastic volunteers.
Maybe at the table we begin by asking each other what is it that we are trying to master. Encourage the responses to be broad. Chances are you’ll hit your target need.
My craft and passion is writing. This is the best way I know how to serve my community. I am working hard on mastering this craft so that what I provide you is quality.