Today, I want to encourage you to conduct a “gut check” to see if you know why you’re doing what you’re doing.

I’ve been reminded recently about how inspiring and refreshing it is to sit with someone who loves their life’s work. At the same time, it can be painful to listen to someone who is working in a position that neither fits them nor brings them any joy.

If I’ve re-learned anything from this pandemic, it’s that you never know what life will throw at you, or what could totally knock you down. Why not live every moment as intentionally as possible?

If you’re going to live a life that’s authentic, real, honest, and joyful, then your work should allow you to be that person. (Tweet it!)

And, if it doesn’t, seek out that work… now!

We humans are so stymied by fear that we allow ourselves to wallow around in work that we don’t like or have any desire to be doing.

Honestly, Richard and I have met too many fundraisers who 1) don’t really like being a fundraiser or 2) don’t like the mission or leadership of the organization they’re working for. Yet they stay in that work for years sometimes; they’re miserable, and they spread that misery around them.

Why do this to yourself?

So today, I really encourage you to take some moments of quiet and sit with these two questions: Am I doing the work that I should be doing? Is the work I’m doing bringing me joy?

If you can’t answer “yes” to both of them, now you’re getting real with yourself and you can decide the next step on how to get to a yes.

Richard and I feel that there are just too many unhappy and unfulfilled people working as front-line fundraisers. We don’t want that to be you.

Jeff