How To Maintain Your Activism While Practicing Physical Distancing (P2)

You may not have thought about the topic of abundance, but like activism, it’s a topic that never goes away. Activism is a great way to work on your ability to attract abundance in a big way (pun intended). The question is how do you do it while also practicing your mandated physical distancing rules. But first, let’s talk a little about abundance and how to active it.

THE KEY TO ACTIVATING ABUNDANCE 

Giving. That’s the key. It’s not a big secret, and in fact, it’s rather easy to do. So why is it difficult for people to actually commit to the practice of  it?

For starters, many people automatically assume that giving means only giving financially. That’s simply not true, but it’s also an easily accessible place to start. Even giving small amounts to someone in need opens your connection to abundance. The most important factor of giving financially is to do it without attaching it to selfishness, second guessing, or negativity.

What types of thoughts am I referring to here?  Imagine you give five dollars to an organization and follow that up by wondering  “I could have used that money on a cup of coffee” or “I deserve something in return for this.” Giving can open yourself up to abundance but you can just as easily block yourself from it. That’s why it takes practice to learn how to give unconditionally.  

To activate abundance through giving, you’ll need to practice it. Give your time, give some guidance (not just opinions or your take on things but real mentorship), use your talents and connections to help others. Continue to do it so it’s effortless. Even if giving requires some problem solving, your act of good can feel like it’s a genuine part of you that kicks in on contact rather than feeling like such a huge chore.

Again, this all may seem easy, but most people at the beginning hesitate, have doubts during practice, or feel that material reward is in order in exchange for their act of good. Get to a point where giving makes you feel rich inside. Abundance will eventually find you.

VIRTUAL COACHING SESSIONS FTW

People have more time on their hands as they spend full days at home, making it very easy to self-reflect when you’re bored to death. That can bring up old doubts, negative feelings about self-worth, and a general concern for the future & one’s place within it. Virtual coaching sessions can come in handy during these times.

How is virtual coaching tied to activism and community? You can tailor virtual coaching sessions to teach people how to put more activism in their business or personal life. Some people just can’t see it but are motivated to learn how.

Coaching by video conference has never been easier, but you also want to make sure you’re professional when coaching. Make sure your microphone is functional. Test different platforms and know how they function before using one. Have a backup plan, as several video conference platforms are getting overloaded with users during weekday business hours. 

Next, you want to make sure that you’ve organized your session. Use email to send an assignment or set of questions to answer to your client. Think of this as a warmup routine, in line with warming up during a gym workout. Kick off the session with having your client go through your assignment so that you establish the right level of comfort. And one key thing to remember: people may have more time on their hands, but their level of patience probably hasn’t changed. Make sure the session doesn’t run long on time. 

If you don’t hold any desire to coach, there’s always an opportunity to get coached. Guidance and mentorship go both ways, and you may find your time in isolation is, in fact, an opportunity to develop yourself and open your perspective. 

AUDACIOUSNESS IS ALWAYS REWARDED

We’re often told that establishing your goals and hitting them are what’s required to develop; setting them helps you remain focused, giving you time to plan your actions. We’re also told that it’s not the goal that’s important but rather the journey. If that’s true, then why even bother with creating a worthwhile goal, or a goal that seems difficult to obtain?

Truthfully, the journey and the goal are both important. The goal as the final reward is satisfying once reached, but what validates the sacrifices and challenges that you overcome are the smaller goals that you hit. In fact, reaching those smaller goals adds new light to the journey that isn’t there until the end goal is reached. This is why you want to create audacious end goals. You may never hit them, but the smaller ones that you do reach along the way feel incredibly good, because they feel like big accomplishments. A bit of a contradiction, I know, but it’s true. 

Smaller end goals that don’t require so much challenge don’t add a lot of luster to your journey. In fact, you can end up feeling less rewarded with a goal set on the low end of reachable status. Let’s say your goal is to run a mile. You can go for a few runs, stop and start being part of your experience, since you’re just beginning. Two weeks later, you reach mile one in an hour.  Not a very good run, but hey, you hit the goal. How is the short lived experience of beginner’s training going to give you any sense of satisfaction? Where’s the motivation that comes from the goal? 

Audacious goals create journeys that are layered in personal development. Finishing a mile in six minutes; that’s tough. It takes time and patience, and you may experience physical discomfort for longer periods of time. How about qualifying for sponsored mud runs and obstacle courses as a goal. That involves running plus more agility and strength training. A goal like this makes for “big” small gains that’ll boost your serotonin dramatically and create a great feeling of self worth.  

What does creating audacious goals have to do with activism? It’s possible that you may never get to participate in an outdoor obstacle event competition or supe- intense endurance race , but you’re putting in the work to do so, qualifying yourself as an end goal. With activism, make your goal big. Maybe wanting to help an incredibly large community that suffers from injustice is what you aim for. Will your efforts affect the entire community? Who knows. After supporting a few people, you’re certainly on your way, and you’re certainly more qualified to help more people at a time the longer you stick with it.

THE HONEST GOAL OF ACTIVISM

Anyone involved in activism holds an audacious goal with in. It’s to fight for others, to fight for those that don’t have a voice, to make that fighting voice roar rather than merely be a whisper. Activism, in a sense, helps to active abundance. But be careful not to use activism merely as a stepping stone to a more abundant future. Taking short cuts is on par with making smaller, less significant end goals. You want the audacious goal. You want the challenges. Practice activism  because you care about the cause, and let the rest unfold.