For most people, myself included, one of our least favorite things in the world is to fundraise by asking other people to contribute to one of our "causes." It often involves either the discomfort of talking to strangers or the equal discomfort of feeling like we're pestering our friends. With all that being said, I made a commitment today to join a fundraising effort.
Next year will be my 30th college reunion (how could I be that old??) at William & Mary. For each of the 5-year reunions, a committee has been put together to encourage classmates to make significant contributions to the College in honor of that particular class reunion. I've never participated in the solicitation part before, but I was recently asked to be a member of the committee responsible to do the fundraising.
As with most things, I realize that I could either look at this as a pain or a nuisance to people as well as a dreaded obligation on my part; or I could choose to see it as an opportunity to connect with lots of old friends, meet new ones, and make a big difference for W&M. I'm choosing the latter approach. And with that attitude, I'm actually excited to participate. My challenge will be to maintain that positive approach throughout the process. It always amazes me to notice how a simple "reframing" of our outlook can change everything.
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