You don’t have to quit your day job to become an integral and helpful leader in your community. We are hardwired to feel a profound sense of connection when we work to help the people around us.
Anyone can become a leader in their community, and it can help you to feel passionate about life and hopeful for the future.
If you’re feeling blah or lacking direction in your life, get fired up by reading this article and start using your time and energy to help people.
Let’s speak up about what is working in society and what is not. Ladies, it’s time for us to step into our greatest potential and lead the way.
Get in touch with your compassion
Any good leader operates from a heart-centered place. Our culture isn’t always the best at being empathetic, and many of us forget what that feels like.
Take a moment to read the paper, watch the news or drive to the areas of town that aren’t filthy rich.
As you open your eyes to the needs in your community, visualize yourself stepping in to help those who are struggling to put food on the table and don’t have the resources to get a job or pay rent.
Imagine helping at a battered women’s shelter, being a mentor for troubled youth or making a stand for recycling. You can make a difference: it’s all about how you use your time and where your heart is.
Attend town meetings
If you want to know what’s going on with your town and where the need is, just go to the meetings. You can learn about power, water and zoning issues as well as environmental projects.
This is probably the best way to meet a network of people who are committed to helping your community, and learn about the organizations stepping up to the plate.
Be prepared to find more than you can take on by yourself. Pretty soon, you will be a resource for ways to get involved in the community.
Organize a clothing and food drive
Many of us have much more than we need. We have clothes we never wear and food just sitting in our pantry. You can organize a clothing and food drive at your office by bringing in a box and putting a sign on it.
Encourage people to donate, then take it to a homeless or women’s shelter. You can make it a regular thing you do each month and set a great example.
Teach people how to have a healthy lifestyle
One of the biggest problems in our community is that we are not educated about how to live a healthy lifestyle. You can host dinners at your house and discuss healthy living. You can cook healthy meals and give people the recipes.
You can use your home as a place of learning and healing without spending a lot of money. It doesn’t cost much to make people salads and smoothies, and you could always ask people to bring things.
Remember, when you start the conversation around healthy living, it creates a snowball effect by bringing it to the forefront of people’s minds.
Join the Big Brothers and Sisters program
Many children in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program have lost parents or their parents are incarcerated. Our personality is shaped by the amount of love we receive in our childhood and adolescence.
Consider applying for the program, and spend a day each week with a cool kid who will think you’re the bomb.
Get to know your town leaders
Do you know who your mayor is? Get to know who the big decision makers are in your town and county so you can be an informed voter. You will learn a lot about leadership by following what these people do and the visions they hold for the future.
Leaders are big picture people who manage large budgets and look at how land and resources are used. The more you become familiar with policies that affect the people around you and the processes that put them in place, the more helpful you can be.
Encourage sustainable living
You could turn your front yard into a garden or install drip irrigation. Maybe you want to choose native and drought resistant plants that don’t waste water.
Many people are realizing that, in areas that don’t receive a lot of rainfall, grass isn’t a smart option. Live off the land as much as possible, and learn how to grow your own food.
The more you can support local farmers, the better. Also, try to shop at mom and pop companies to support small businesses instead of large corporations.
Attend fundraisers
If you look online or at your local community center, you will find fundraisers for many different causes. You can encourage your friends and family to attend with you and make giving back a regular social activity. You will meet many nice people and start to understand how non-profit organizations work.
Finally, share your goal about being a leader in the community on social media or start a blog about your experiences. Engage people in conversations about community issues so that they are not ignored. Recognize leadership qualities in others and encourage them also to get involved. Y
ou can be an agent of change starting right now: all it takes is putting one foot in front of the other. YouQueen is a resource for women to become empowered, so don’t forget to share this article and leave your comments below!
Add Comment