All too often when we try to decide what nonprofit organizations to volunteer for or even what we want to devote our lives to, we start with questions like "What do you love to do?" or  "What are you good at?".  While these vocational types of questions are certainly helpful to consider, there's another question we can ask ourselves that cuts to the heart of what we truly care about.

The question we should be asking:

This question is "What makes me angry?"  No, I'm not referring to the petty anger that arouses after someone cuts you off in traffic or when Taco Bell gets your drive-thru order wrong. This type of anger is unproductive and selfish.

I'm talking about the anger that builds inside you after you see another mistreated, neglected, or unheard.  This is the type of anger that shouts, "Things should not be like this!  Somebody needs to do something about it!"  This type of anger is powerful.  This type of anger can change the world.

What's my rationale you ask?  Think of some of the great leaders and visionaries of our time.  Were they content with the way things were?  Were they happy with the status quo?  Was Martin Luther King Jr. satisfied with unequal civil rights? Or even separate but equal?  Hardly.  Was William Booth content with the way the poor, the homeless and the hungry were being served before he founded The Salvation Army? Obviously not. These individuals are revered and were successful in part because they were outraged with the way things were and they were driven to change it.  In short, they were angry.  And then they did something about it.

The Upside of Anger

That's the thing about anger.  It's energizing.  When you're angry and willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference, there's nothing much that can stop you.  You can take a tired, weary, or even lackadaisical individual, get him or her angry, and it becomes a powerful fuel that moves them forward.  Think about the last time you got truly upset about something.  Remember how energized and passionate you felt?  Imagine that same energy channeled and applied towards a cause in your community.  Imagine what that could do!

Too often though I notice that people, including myself, get angry about things that don't matter and don't get angry about things that do matter.  Why is it that we can get so mad when, say, the grocery store is out of our favorite cereal and not get angry when we hear that almost 16,000 children die each day around the world due to hunger related issues?  And why do we get mad when we have to wait longer than we think is acceptable at the doctor's office all the while not get mad that millions have little to no access to even basic healthcare?  Think how much energy we waste on selfish things that in all reality don't matter and then think about how much oblivion we have for the things that do. 

What Makes You Angry?

Let's revisit the question I proposed earlier and add a wrinkle to it.  "What makes you angry that truly matters?"  What is it in your city, your community, or your neighborhood that is just unacceptable and is not the way it should be?  And how could you replace the selfish, unproductive anger with the kind that changes the world?

If you're coming up with blanks for these questions, don't worry.  With as much responsibility we all face every day at work and at home, it's hard to keep track of who and/or what organizations are fighting the good fight and making tangible differences in our community.  It's hard to get angry about a situation or a cause if you don't know it exists in the first place. It's even more difficult to do something about it if you don’t know how to connect and get involved. 

That is why events like CONVERGE 2010 that brings nonprofit organizations and individuals together in one place are so valuable.  The veil of oblivion we all have to the opportunities to impact our communities is lifted.  No longer is ignorance or lack of access an excuse in not playing a part in improving your community.

If nothing else, CONVERGE 2010 forces you to make a choice.  You can either be the person who only cares about his/her own satisfaction, comfort and needs and then gets angry at the petty things that disrupt them.  Or you can be the person that gets angry for the right causes and realizes that "their world" isn't "the world".  You can be the person that gets angry about an injustice, mistreatment, or a lack of equal opportunity for another in your community.

I hope you come to CONVERGE 2010 and choose the latter.

CONVERGE 2010, hosted by LEAD-ECI, is an event that will bring together East Central Indiana's most vital nonprofit organizations with its most talented individuals seeking to make a difference in their communities.  Think of it as job fair for volunteers.  Whatever one's interests, passions, or talents, CONVERGE 2010 will connect them with the causes they care most about. And whether nonprofit organizations are looking for board leadership, committee members, or volunteers, CONVERGE 2010 provides a venue for them to meet with our region's most qualified and passionate individuals for those roles.  CONVERGE 2010 will be held on July 27th, 2010 from 4-7pm at Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie, Indiana. For more information on CONVERGE 2010 go to www.convergeeci.com or call 285-4900.

Authored by: Tony Pantello

Submitted by: Richard D. Crist, Executive Director - LEAD-ECI, Inc.