Taking the first plunge or keeping up your enthusiasm are often the hardest steps. Here are some real world tips to overcome the challenge.
Looking for ways to overcome obstacles to make a change? Here’s some advice from the book “Be the Change! Change the World. Change Yourself.” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $14.95), straight from people who’ve done it:
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“One way I keep my energy up is by surrounding myself with a good network of support. I’m not just talking friends and family — having people around who can really relate to your work is important. If such a network doesn’t exist, start one! It can be small, just two or three people who understand each other’s day-to-day struggles and accomplishments.”
— George Theoaris, Des Moines, Iowa
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“If you are out there working in your community and you aren’t getting discouraged, you’re not paying attention. That’s why it is so important to work on a team. Stay around people who can buck you up and keep you on track, people who can share their methods of getting over frustration and discouragement. It’s fundamentally frustrating work, community service, and you need a good support system to get you through the tough times.”
— John Gomperts, Washington, D.C.
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“There is so much suffering in the world right now. It would be entirely too easy to become overwhelmed by any number of things happening at this moment. The most significant thing that has helped me to cope has been making a commitment to a spiritual practice. Spending time every day with my breath and my body — through the practices of meditation and yoga — has kept me alive in the work that I do and allows me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It’s practice that deepens our awareness, our compassion, and our wisdom.”
— Claudia Horwitz, Durham, N.C.
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“If you want to quit, just remember that time in your life (and we all have had at least one) when you really needed help. Grasp that feeling and remember how thankful you were that someone helped you, and how awful it may have been if they had not.”
— Stefani Hisler, Tampa, Fla.
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“When I hit a burnout phase, I take a month or two off from volunteering to step back and realize that I don’t have to do everything. I am only one person and can only do so much. Now I know that doing two or three volunteer things in a month is fine and just as appreciated.”
Stephanie Hagyard, Belmont, Mass.
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“If you’re working on projects where daily progress is less obvious, it can be helpful to mix in some other very tangible volunteer projects. On some projects, the progress you make every day is very evident, and this can be helpful.”
Fred Northrup Jr., Seattle
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Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share. Visit www.hundredsofheads.com to share your advice or get more information.
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© 2007, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.