55: Lifter and Leaner

"...In which class are you? Are you easing the load
     Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
     Your portion of labor, and worry and care?"

This week, I’m reading a poem, The Two Kinds of People by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, published in 1896.

Reflection questions:

• Is there a new fund development professional in your network that you can reach out to in order to encourage?

• Or, do you feel like you are drowning a bit and need a lift from a colleague who is a bit wiser in the field?  Can you take a moment now and reach out by text or email?

To read: The Two Kinds of People, aka, Which are You?

This work has entered the public domain.

To explore fundraising coaching deeper and to schedule an exploratory session, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

Welcome back. Fundraising can be lonely with seemingly endless to-do list. This podcast isn't about best practices or trends. It's about the deeper wisdom of the beautiful space where generosity occurs, a weekly five-minute reflection to ground you for the week ahead.

Loneliness can follow us in our profession.  Yes, we are continually meeting new people and having conversation; yet, not many people understand what do as fund development professionals. This week, I’m reading a poem, The Two Kinds of People by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, published in 1896.

Quote

There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
     Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood,
     The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man’s wealth,
     You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life’s little span,
     Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
     Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.

No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
     Are the people who lift and the people who lean.

Wherever you go, you will find the earth’s masses
     Are always divided in just these two classes.

And, oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
     There’s only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load
     Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?

Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
     Your portion of labor, and worry and care?

Unquote.

In our field, we should be both the lifter and the leaner. To ease the toil and worries of others, we can reach out to new professionals in the field in encouragement.  And, yet, we often need to lean on other professionals to share a portion of the labor we carry in worries and cares.  By being a lifter and a leaner, we can build a strong community to sustain us in our work together in generosity.

Let’s reflect on two questions this week:

Is there a new fund development professional in your network that you can reach out to in order to encourage?

Or, do you feel like you are drowning a bit and need a lift from a colleague who is a bit wiser in the field?  Can you take a moment now and reach out by text or email?

Share this podcast if you enjoy these five-minute reflections and subscribe to receive these reflections released every Monday. To explore fundraising coaching deeper, visit Serving Nonprofits dot com. See you next week.