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Giving of yourself to benefit a worthy cause can have a lasting impact.
Volunteering can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. However, finding the time to volunteer can be a challenge. Most everyone I know would like to give more to one of the causes they care about. In order to do so, though, they would have to make a decision to do less in another area of their life. That might be spending less time at the office or with family, or it might mean skipping a daily workout routine.
This is the beauty of volunteering. It is about the personal sacrifice of individuals who are willing to give of themselves for a greater good. It is the giving, the paying it forward, the gratuity and humility of a volunteer aiding a cause. It is a cycle — helping someone in need so that person can help someone else. It might be difficult to see how giving an hour here or there can make a true impact, but it is the collective effort of many volunteers giving of themselves to a common goal that makes a difference.
I recently had the opportunity to serve as volunteer leader of the TYPros Business Development Crew, overseeing a five-year effort to get a business incubator project off the ground. All the years of business school won’t teach you the power of a high-impact team. You can read about the characteristics that make a high-impact team. You might have an urgent, measurable goal backed by a set of resources and passionate, focused individuals to carry out the mission. But until you work with a team like this, you can’t really grasp what that means.
That is what I have experienced over the last five years with the TYPros business incubator project. We have been coordinating the efforts of many. Our crew has ensured that the products of all the past volunteer efforts are built upon and not lost. We have been consistent in our passion to foster Tulsa’s next generation of business and community leaders. We are also committed to building the operations of the incubator, The Forge, into a sustainable legacy that will continue to impact our city many years past our involvement.
I thank all of the volunteers who have made a contribution to the Forge project (even before it was called The Forge). I thank you for the sacrifice you have made to build something that has the potential to make a considerable impact on Tulsa’s economy. Your individual sacrifice may have been large or small, but collectively it will be impactful.
So, if you have a desire to give, to sacrifice, to make a difference, I offer these final tips.
• Prioritize and set boundaries for yourself.
• Pick a project you are passionate about.
• If the time you give feels like “work,” find a different project.
• Give what you can, but don’t overdo it.
• Volunteer with a friend.
• Be upfront with yourself and the organization about how much time you have to offer.
• Give selflessly.
• Focus on one thing at a time and give it your all!
For more information about The Forge, visit the TYPros website. Applications are currently being accepted. Our grand opening will be held at 206 S. Cheyenne Ave. on June 23. A press conference begins at 3 p.m.
