153: Developing Discipline - Following Up

"...Hope is not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out..."

I’m reflecting on this quote by Vaclav Havel from a series of interviews, published in the book Disturbing the Peace, translated to English in 1990.

Reflection question:

• How are you cultivating hope in something good, even if your follow-up call results in a no?

Reflection on quote:

If capital campaigns are like a riding a wild stallion without a saddle, then facing rejection is like being bucked off and being afraid to ride again.  This week, we will discuss how to develop the discipline of facing rejection.  Previously, we discussed developing disciplines with money beliefs, prioritizing tasks, and planting seeds of awareness. In this episode, we’ll discuss how to develop the discipline of hope when facing rejection.

I am convinced that the moment we close the car door or we hit end on a call with a donor, the doubts begin to creep in.  And, slowly or quickly, we wonder if we will be rejected when we make the follow-up call or visit we promised to the donor. That’s where the hope Vaclav Havel describes comes in.  It’s the hope in something good, regardless of how the follow up turns out. Hope can be following up, only to find out that the donor can no longer give what they intended and yet bringing grace and humanity into the relationship. And, hope can be following up for 6 months at a donor’s request, wondering if the follow-ups are badgering the donor, then to receive with joy a major gift that is twice the amount the donor was originally considered. And, hope can be following up and sometimes feeling the sting of rejection and yet knowing that an answer, even if it is no, is better than the anxiety of not knowing for us and the anxiety of sharing hard news for the donor. This type of hope keeps us above water and moving forward during a capital campaign.

To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper and to schedule an free explore coaching call, visit ServingNonprofits.com.

Music credit: Woeisuhmebop

Transcript

0:00

Welcome back. Every week we pause to reflect because capital campaigns, especially in small towns, aren't just about buildings and budgets. They're about people choosing to be generous. This podcast explores the beautiful space where generosity occurs through ancient and modern writings from all cultures and religions seeking deeper wisdom for capital campaign work in small towns. Whether you're just starting out or deep in the middle of a campaign, these five minute reflections will ground you, encourage you, and remind you why this work matters. If capital campaigns are like riding a wild stallion without a saddle, then facing rejection is like being bucked off and being afraid to ride again. This week, we will discuss how to develop the discipline of facing rejection. Previously, we discussed disciplines such as money beliefs, prioritizing tasks, and planting seeds of awareness. In this episode, we'll discuss how to develop the discipline of hope when facing rejection. I'm reflecting on this quote from Vaclav Havel from a series of interviews published in the book Disturbing the Peace, translated into English in 1990. Quote, Hope in this deep and powerful sense is not the same as joy that things are going well or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed. The more unpromising the situation in which we demonstrate hope, the deeper that hope is. Hope is not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out. In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, And the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirits and its efforts is something we get, as it were, from elsewhere. It is also this hope, above all, that gives us the strength to live and continually to try new things, even in conditions that seem as hopeless as ours do here and now. Unquote. I am convinced that the moment we close the car door or we hit end on a call with a donor, the doubts begin to creep in, and slowly or quickly, we wonder if we will be rejected when we make the follow-up call or visit that we promised to the donor. That's where the hope described here comes in. It's the hope in something good, regardless of how the follow-up turns out. Hope can be following up only to find out that the donor can no longer give what they intended, and yet in hope, bring grace and humanity into the relationship. And hope can be following up for six months at the donor's request, wondering if the follow-ups are badgering the donor, and then to receive with joy a major gift that was twice the amount that the donor had originally considered. And hope can be following up and sometimes feeling the sting of rejection, and yet knowing in hope that an answer, even if it is no, is better than the anxiety of not knowing for us and the anxiety of sharing hard news for the donor. This type of hope keeps us above water and moving forward during a capital campaign. Let's reflect on one question this week. How are you cultivating hope in something good even if your follow-up call results in a no? Share this podcast if you enjoy these five minute reflections and subscribe to receive these reflections released every week. To explore small town capital campaign coaching deeper, visit serving nonprofits.com. See you next week.