Recently, I have been interviewing people who are associated with nonprofits. I need help. Ring4Peace is real. It is here. It lives in my heart and in the minds of several others now. But, it is not yet standing on its own two legs. It needs nurturing that I don’t know how to give. Like a new mother I am filled with love but this living breathing needy baby of a project is unsettling. So I call up aunties and grandmothers to get some advice about caring for this infant program.
Their good news is that I get to choose what to do. I am the one who gets to fill in the blank about its future. The scary news is I am the one who has to fill in the blank. Once again I feel intimidated by the uncertainty of my new role as the leader of a world peace project.
As I sit with a blank piece of paper and begin to write about what I want for this infant- its mission, projects, budget, governance, funding, goals and benchmarks – I am reminded of a watching a 3-ring circus. There were trapeze artists over head and clowns surrounding the periphery.
The circus was such a magnificent spectacle. Each performance was intriguing in its own right. The whole experience was crafted together with a wide range of autonomous expertise. It was a staggeringly diverse endeavor.
There was so much happening under a single tent. I became agitated trying to take it all in. I loved every part of the show but couldn’t fully focus on one arena without feeling that I was missing something else. The over stimulation shifted to feeling angry at not being able to fully witness each performance in its entirety. I wanted to partake in everything.
So tonight as Ring4Peace grows on my blank piece of paper, into a colorful circus doodle of activities. I marvel at its future. Like the trapeze artist, I enjoy climbing the ladder to reach my work with the bell. On the ground, I learn new tricks like crafting a website or soliciting audience participation to donate funds, “Come one, come all…”
In the juggling act of watching all the rings of expertise come together, I have to remember not to get angry. The circus is founded on the strengths and skills of individuals. I am only the ringleader calling out, “Come see the greatest show on earth. Come Ring4Peace.”
ring4peace 