One can always make the case that when you work for the social good, as in education or nonprofits, that you are serving your community. Ultimately what it comes down to is the invite. There’s willingness out there, but a personal invitation creates an awareness of what’s needed and what the opportunities are.
People engage more if it is a personal issue or interest. Involvement does not have to be hard. We just have to be creative and provide different ways. For instance, our organization develops form letters for the disability community to sign and send for political activism. Social media can also help get more people involved in our community.
People generally get involved in things that have a well-defined construct, an objective that is achievable in a certain amount of time. And they get involved when they are solicited. We could enlist more people simply by asking them.
Sometimes people get paralyzed and don’t know how to move toward their ultimate purpose. In such cases, I’d encourage them to do one small thing that’s in line with their values. They don’t need to make a major decision or commitment. That one small thing gets them moving in the right direction. To me, being “sage” means listening to one’s heart.
Emerging sages identify other ways that potential sage leaders can be influenced to become involved in their community. One is to engage the young through interactive web platforms. Another is to come-up with community projects that are family friendly and family inclusive. A third is to develop a program on public civility. And, there is the inviting utopian proposal to trash all televisions sets:
Download Article 1K ClubEngaging young people by way of their preferred mediums for connecting could be a good start, such as designing more interactive web platforms and utilizing social networking to build momentum.
Many people I know work long hours and have young families. Time is a very limited commodity for them. Their civic involvement could be increased by coming up with projects that are family friendly and involve flexible scheduling.
