You might have heard me talk about my love for TED talks, so much so that I made it a goal and I attended in June this year.
I love TED because of the brevity with which cogent and life-changing ideas are shared. I constantly dream of one day being in that red circle, sharing my ideas too.
Lest I wander off and lose you in my TED world, I took a step towards that dream this June by attending my first TED event.
The subject was ‘Confidence’ and the date, Sunday 4th of June. Despite speaking at a workshop the 2 days prior and having another speaking engagement on the 5th, I did everything right – got there on time and somehow even managed to wear the same colours as the volunteers (red & black).
Looking back now, I’m not sure I’m any closer to being in the red circle than I was before 04/06/17 – at least not from the results of attending the event.
Don't get me wrong, I had a great time.
But if I am being honest, apart from a few emails, video links to the talks and some of the souvenirs I picked up on the day, I can’t say much has come out of it.
the benefits of community cannot be gained without you fully engaging in it. Attending is not engaging!
And because I have said a lot about planting yourself in the right community this month, I felt I needed to share this.
You see, the benefits of community cannot be gained without you fully engaging in it. Attending is not engaging! Engaging is carrying out a set of activities that make you known and gives you visibility, likability and access to the benefits of that community.
On my recent trip to Nigeria, I had a big task ahead of me – organise 7 events and fulfil a heart desire of giving out 1000 books to 1000 girls. Considering I haven’t been to Nigeria for 6 years, and my sister who would normally be on ground to help out was far away in Canada, it was definitely a big ask.
Looking back at the success of the trip, I find lined along the path, a group of people known as ‘Christ Lovers’.
You see, while at university, I attended a campus fellowship (church) called Christ Love Fellowship (CLF). Most of the fun times I remember in my life can be credited to my involvement with the fellowship. We organised big concerts and I gave as much time as I possibly could to ensuring the success of CLF as a whole. I was a Christ Lover through and through.
Looking back, I see how much being a part of that community benefitted me. I met my husband there; more than half of my closest friends are from my Christ Lovers days and I dare say the success of #ALTMD 2017 was largely due to Christ Lovers.
I remember getting to Nigeria, needing more than half of the budget to see the project through and you guessed it, Christ Lovers came to the rescue and paid everything.
I hope you see the difference in both these experiences.
Some others might well have attended CLF and not fully engaged, thereby never getting the benefits I got and some might have attended TED for the first time in June too and fully plugged in and are nearer to whatever goals took them there. It’s not the community, but what you are able to get from it through your contribution to it.
So if you have written out your list of communities like I encouraged you to in the October 2017 Minute Motivation video clip, can I ask you to do me another favour, write out 5 ways you can serve and be known in that community. Then go ahead and DO THEM! Then and only then would you be maximising that community and making it work for you.
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