There are those in today's world who would have us believe that the sky is
falling. The economy is in disarray, and it is easy for the media and others to
create a picture of doom and gloom. And, like Henney-penny and her friends, if
we allow this barrage of negativity to become the driving force in our lives it
will create a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.
The need to focus on those who need you, and the impact that your organization
provides, not only avoids this self-fulfilling prophecy of failure but it plants
seeds of hope in the hearts of those you serve and gives them a reason to feel
positive.
All of you will remember the childhood story of Henny-penny and her ability to
convince her friends that the sky was falling. Henny-penny was so adamant in
delivering this message that all her friends did in fact think that the sky was
falling and life as they knew it would be destroyed. And they were right, life
as they knew it soon was destroyed. Not by the fact that the sky fell but
because, in their zeal to spread the word, they trusted Foxy-woxy who used the
circumstances of their fear to victimize them and provide himself with a nice
meal.
By focusing on the people you serve you will avoid the self-fulfilling prophecy
of failure. The hope that you give to your supporters, volunteers, staff and
clients will help them combat the negative feelings that arise from the constant
stream of bad news.
This is the antithesis of Henny-penny's message.
As a nonprofit organization, your work load, the need for your programs and
services, and the positive impact you can have in the communities you serve do
not cease to exist or be diminished because the economy is bad. In fact, the
reality is that the need for what you do only increases in a down economy when
more people are forced to find help and services from the nonprofit sector.
You can make a conscious choice to embrace today's challenges and meet them
head-on or you can let fear of what might be paralyze you, your volunteers, and
those who might have supported you. You can focus on the increased need for your
programs and services or you can prepare yourself to be Foxy-woxy's next meal.
It's your choice! Join the herd of those who fear tomorrow or grasp the
opportunity that exists today to distinguish your organization from the rest and
attack the problems of today knowing that tomorrow is another day.
