The value of organizing is its attention to the details that map out and clearly illustrate activity necessary to accomplish goals. It is a statement of commitment and intent to create, generate, and produce specific end game outcomes and results. The value of organizing is the development of recipes or plans of action for success.
I recently entered the rear of the auditorium where one thousand people were gathered. I found an available seat and greeted the people seated around me. All were cordial expressing their thoughts and contemplation for the experience we were all about to share.
I moved around four more times. The last time I sat with a very diverse group of people. All greeted me with welcome indicating the program would begin very soon.
The houselights dimmed. The announcer said, the Trilinium Foundation welcomes you to share an idea for the evening on the Value of Organizing. Our presenter for the evening sits with you because he is you.
A moment’s quietness passes when spotlights begin to swirl over the audience until they become a single beam on me. I rise to walk in the spotlight to take the stage. On the way I could hear gasps and voices saying, “Did you know?”
When I arrived on stage, a wireless microphone was placed on me and I began to speak.
Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for being here. By a show of hands, how many of you are here because you are committed to the idea of a better you, a better family, a better community, a better nation, and a better global community world?
Two thirds of the audience’s hands went up before I could finish the question.
For all of you who did not raise your hands, whoever had enough influence with you to get you here loves and respect you very much. They believe in you and right now, I do, too.
Applause interrupted for a moment.
Imagine with me for a moment that all of us find ourselves on an uncharted and unpopulated island. Each of us has 100 square feet that is ours. We may never leave our space. We can only do and produce in our space. We can see others near us but we cannot communicate. We are not only virtually alone in the midst of others; we are really alone in the midst of others.
This is our life. We slowly grow used to it. Finally, we do not look beyond our own space. In reality, that is how many people who live near and close to us live every day and I am sad for them.
I speak to you of the value of organizing. Think with me for a moment of our shared unparadise. Imagine you cannot get close enough to touch anyone or feel their smile. Imagine living without the gift of ecstasy you share with your intimate love. How many of you really want to live like that? How many of you are mature enough and self – aware enough to admit that you may be living like this but really do not want to?
Loved ones, now is the NOW we have all been looking for over our combined lifetimes when we can take a moment to really experience the value of organizing ourselves; our thoughts, ideas, and desires, our activities, our relationships, our service, our wants, and our wishes; indeed, the whole of our lives.
Please listen. Whatever the reason is that we are alive is an answer only relevant to the why of that which is greater than us that has caused us to be. We cannot answer the question why we are here as a species. We cannot because we did not create ourselves? We did not create or originate life. All that we know is that we are here, conscious of our own consciousness and able not only to think but our bodies provide us the ability to have movement and the capacity to do.
Ours is really the question, now what? I am aware that I am inherently intelligent like all other humans across Planet Earth, now what? I accept that like all others, I am born of a woman. I eat. I eliminate. I grow. I learn. I mate. I procreate. I work. I enjoy my experience as much as I can. I wind down. I reflect and give thanks. I die. I do not know what comes next if there is a next but across the Earth we believe many different and diverse things about what comes next.
Our question is the question, now what? What can I do to be relevant to myself, my family, my community, my nation and my global world community?
I am thankful that like me you are asking yourself the question, now what? What shall I do that I create, generate, and produce relevance beginning with myself and on to the others. The Value of Organizing answers the question.
On politics and religion, I do not wish at this time to speak. Both of them complicate love, life and relationships. They are both depressingly rule heavy and much too conflict oriented.
What all of us are able to observe when we look beyond ourselves is the experience of too much pain in the lives or our closest friends and family. We contend with illness, accidents, money complications, and violence.
Women and children suffer in our communities from domestic and sexual violence, sometimes in their own homes. Children should be able to be secure with their families without fear of rape or other acts of violence.
Women should be able to live their lives without fear of male sexual aggression. Men, my fraternity of our species, whatever our prehistoric disposition is towards sexual conquest, we must by rational evolution and human development become spiritually civilized enough not to do this. Men, we must train, re – train and educate ourselves and others on how to get our needs met without the use of violence as a tool to do so.
To every woman hearing me, my admonition to you is to be diligent at all times to protect yourselves and your children from this experience. You should not have to but the record says you must. An additional note, if at all possible intentionally retain your created and reciprocal nature to be women. If all of our behavior is to become male oriented and aggressive, that can only lead to expressions of the absence of nurture and love; violence. Surely, we have had enough of that already.
We can make a difference. Each of us can make the world a better place first beginning with the value of organizing ourselves to be an asset and not a liability. We can even make a difference alone sufficiently motivated committed to doing so.
Let’s look at an example. Many people have lost jobs, money, houses, and their families over the past decade as a result of war and economic recession. Let’s say your family has an income of $50,000 per year before taxes. You have a mortgage, three school age children, two cars, a food budget, a clothing budget, an entertainment budget, and yes; local, state, and federal taxes.
You have a compassionate heart. You and your family volunteer 20 hours per month providing resources and access to resources to people in need through food shelters, domestic violence shelters, and homeless shelter. You even contribute a monthly $100 of your intentional incidental income to these causes. Will you agree this is good work and service?
A quiet pause roars over the audience followed by lips saying, “Yes.”
Do you remember the island experience earlier of being alone and alienated in the presence of others you can enjoy no relationship with? This is what acting alone in service to others can feel like when you want to do so much more.
The Value of Organizing positions us so that we do not have to feel that way anymore. The Trilinium Foundation invites you to consider another and better possibility. What if you could join your heart’s compassion and energy and resources to that of others to accomplish more, would that interest you?
Think with me. If each of us gave a homeless person a dollar a week to buy one hamburger, how long would the value of your gift last? It would serve an immediate short term need for you to feel good and the homeless person to have a bite to eat.
What if the 1000 of us gathered here gave $1 a week every Monday to a homeless shelter we might adopt, do you think $1000 might make a difference? What if we all gave $10 a week; $2 a week to a domestic violence shelter, a homeless shelter, a family counseling center, a free clinic, and a grants in aid program to help people maintain services that are necessary for life?
Do the math. $10 times 1000 people per week times 52 weeks per year yields $520,000. Do you think that could make a difference in the lives of people in need? Is that something you could feel good about being part of?
The value of organizing is its attention to the details that map out and clearly illustrate activity necessary to accomplish goals. It is a statement of commitment and intent to create, generate, and produce specific end game outcomes and results. The value of organizing is the development of recipes or plans of action for success. The value of organizing people and organizing money provides you and me opportunity to answer the question, NOW WHAT, in a mature, responsible, and loving way.
If you find you have further interest in developing your influence and personal power to provide real love and help to people who need a hand up and not a hand out, please receive information on your way out of our local organizing sessions and activities. If you have time to visit with us for a moment, we have prepared coffee, sandwiches and sweets to share.
As soon as I can get to the atrium where we will serve you, I would appreciate the opportunity to either greet you with a hug or a handshake. Thank you for joining us. The real and most important value of organizing is you and you and you and you. Blessings to you all; together, we build a better world.