Adapted from an online discussion.
Hi, Carolyn: I’m feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume and magnitude of issues that I’m passionate about: gun control, abortion access, environmental protections, etc. I’ve sent out feelers about volunteering for organizations that address these huge problems, but then I start to feel as if it’s all hopeless anyway, so why bother?
How do I get past these feelings and get started? And how do I prioritize these commitments when they all feel equally important? — Volunteering
Volunteering: Like with anything that feels too big, think methodically and small. Not, “How do I fix it all?” Just, “What is the next step?”
See how the organizations respond and what opportunities they offer you. Then: What’s the next step? Pick one that fits with your schedule, energy level and sense of purpose. What’s the next step? Work at it for a while, then reevaluate to see whether it’s meeting your needs and the needs of the moment.
Small things in big numbers = big things. Never forget that.
READERS’ thoughts:
∙ A volunteer I admired once told me that she was sometimes criticized for not directing her efforts toward other (presumably more important) issues. She said she responded with, “If every single person picked one thing they care about and did something about it, 90 percent of the world’s problems would be solved.” You can’t do it all, but you can do something. You can do your part.
∙ Although I wouldn’t describe myself as an activist, I have always paid attention to world events, volunteered, voted without fail in every election, made regular calls to my representatives and donated money when I could.
In that time, it has felt as though the world has just gotten worse and worse. I was talking to my therapist about this and said that I know we may not see progress in my lifetime. She reminded me that the architects and craftspeople who built cathedrals knew that not even their children’s children would see them completed.
That made a lightbulb go off — because I’m a writer. Writing is something I do because it brings me pleasure, not because I expect my writing to make me rich or famous. The point is the daily practice of showing up to the blank page and finding my purpose in putting the words on paper, no matter what happens to those words after I write them.
It made me realize that I need to stop looking at my political activism as a means to an end, but as a practice that has meaning in and of itself, whether it advances progress or not. Volunteering, voting, reading, speaking, calling and donating: I can always find meaning in the doing of this activism on days like today.
This realization gave me the inspiration and ability to keep going.
∙ You can make an impact most at the local level, where you’ll find like-minded people who support you and your causes. Your work and donation dollars will feel more impactful as you see your work effecting some change. Thanks for caring and being a true citizen!
∙ Pick one cause or organization and put most of your effort there. If you try to volunteer for everything, you’re going to spread yourself too thin and not really contribute. Support the other causes with money and voting, but focus your time on one.
