60: Imaginations Stretched

"...The brain is stirred. The emotions may be provoked, desires clarified, the imagination stretched...."

This week, I’m reading a quote from The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. 2014 edition.

Reflection questions:

• Will you choose a cause other than your own where you can meet with their staff or volunteers to listen with imagination and have your horizons expanded?

• Will you intentionally reach out to an organization that you wouldn’t typically support in order to be exposed to a different community of people?

To purchase this book: The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson.

Copyright: Oxford University Press 2014. Reproduced with permission of the Licensor through PLSclear.

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

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

Welcome back. This podcast explores the beautiful space where generosity occurs through ancient and modern writings from all cultures, seeking deeper wisdom for fund development work. Each week, we reflect on a quote and coaching questions to ground you for the week ahead. If you like this podcast, please leave a review in your favorite podcast app.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to learn more about a scientific project that will lead to major medical breakthroughs across several diseases.  Unlike my typical coaching questions, I listened differently, I listened with the goal of filling my imagination.  As I listened to this scientist describe his work, I was stepping into the shoes of a major donor, reflecting on the joy it would be to fund this project. As fundraising professionals, we can at times create a distance in our work between ourselves and the joy of generosity.  What if we intentionally broke down that distance and stepped into the shoes of a major donor, giving the largest gift we are able? This week, I’m reading a quote from the Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson. 2014 edition.

Quote

Living generously not only introduces people to new social settings and communities of people, which expands the breadth and density of their social networks; it also often provides new learning experiences and exposure to sides of life and society that would have otherwise remained unknown. That is educational and generative. And expanding one's horizons in such ways, being exposed to new information and new possibilities in life, tends to enhance human well-being. Boredom is replaced by fresh stimulation. Repetition is displaced by new challenges. Stasis is pushed aside by further insights and understandings. The brain is stirred. The emotions may be provoked, desires clarified, the imagination stretched.

Unquote

As I listened to this scientist describe his dreams for his work, I was exposed to a side of life that would have remained unknown - and that would have been a loss to me.  His vision was expanding my horizons with new information and new possibilities for life.  As a result, my well-being was enhanced because for me cancer and chronic diseases can seem to be unconquerable.  And, yet, he was describing how they can be conquered.  Immediately, I had hope.  As this quote states, my brain was stirred, my emotions provoked to hope, my desires clarified, and my imagination was stretched.  

Each of our missions can expand a donor’s horizon.  Yet, sometimes, we ourselves need to fill our own imaginations and simply be a donor with the hope of giving generously.

Let’s reflect on 2 questions this week:

Will you choose a cause other than your own where you can meet with their staff or volunteers to listen with imagination and have your horizons expanded?

Will you intentionally reach out to an organization that you wouldn’t typically support in order to be exposed to a different community of people?

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.