Fierce Urgency of Now

“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I have always been both criticized and commended on my work ethic – an always on work mentality thinking of what more I can do, what I can learn from others, how I can inspire others to take action and how I can make connections. My summary of 2019 travel with Delta airlines – 60K miles in 44 trips – was a bit eye opening and sparked some reflection for me. I started by thinking about my activities over the last week…here’s a summary…

• Published an article on LinkedIn in celebration of National Mentoring Month – No One Needs a Mentor – focused on the value of developing multiple healthy relationships and helping others expand their networks
• Kicked off a new client relationship with LinkedIn to develop a business to business strategy in support of their network gap social impact mission
• Facilitated the first of three cross-sector convenings in Houston to develop a mentorship activation plan for youth under the age of 24 in partnership with MENTOR, the City of Houston and the Greater Houston Mentoring Alliance
• Led a strategy session in Toronto with the newly emerging Canadian Mentoring Partnership to increase private sector engagement in youth mentoring across Canada
• Served as a panelist for a webinar on workplace mentoring hosted by MENTOR in partnership with America Needs You and Project Basta
• Engaged in a fireside chat with the executive leadership team at America Needs You to share insights on volunteerism, mentoring, corporate partnerships and marketing
• Participated in a Twitter chat hosted by America’s Promise in partnership with Feeding America, Youth Service America and Peace First in celebration of MLK Day and promoting examples and tips for strengthening youth service
• Supported my friend and Executive Director of Work, Vivien Luk, by attending their fundraiser in Brooklyn to support their incredible work accompanying families in Haiti out of poverty through good, dignified jobs

I might be a bit exhausted as evidenced by sleeping through my morning alarm a few times this past week. And just to be clear, I failed a bunch this week as well – I missed a few workouts, skipped a few meals, talked more in some meetings than listened, got caught up in negative energy, said yes when I should have said no, and missed a meeting due to last minute schedule changes.

I am also energized and inspired by those that I am fortunate to work with and learn from – those with different life experiences and perspectives that challenge my assumptions and broaden my awareness. The incredible opportunities that surface from these relationships and the commitment to always look for the lessons the universe is teaching me fuel my passion and growth.

I believe so strongly in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words that, “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.” In traveling across states, communities and countries, I see a lot of need, people craving connection and missed opportunities to show kindness. We are moving fast. Our attention is distracted. We sacrifice curiosity and compassion for command and control. We look down to our phones and ignore those sitting next to us…at home, work and in community. We get consumed in an artificial world that makes us loose sight of our current reality.

We are better than this. We are capable of so much more. If we are intentional about looking for love, being curious, and spreading kindness, we will see each other, learn from one another, and create more inclusive communities where we individually and collectively can thrive. The achievement of our full potential is as much about our own self-work as it is in acknowledging and celebrating how interconnected we all are.

Let’s not let apathy and ego stand in the way of progress. Instead, let’s find the courage to speak the truth, take the action, celebrate the victories and learn from our mistakes. Let’s embrace the urgency of now by…

• Building supportive relationships with those outside our current network
• Creating more seats at the table, especially for those on the front lines of the issues we seek to solve
• Leveraging our resources to give more than we take
• Being realistic, positive and solution-oriented to break through the swirl of negativity and pessimism
• Honoring those that have come before us while investing in current and future leaders
• Taking care of ourselves so we have the stamina to be our best
• Admitting our faults, learning from failure and always getting back in the arena to try again

What more can we do to make this world stronger today?