June in Review - What's the big idea?

Is there a Big Idea or project you’ve been meaning to do?

The virtue of ‘Initiative’ is idealism and creativity in action. It is knowing your ‘Yes’ and choosing to go for it - even, and especially, when it takes you in a bold and uncharted new direction. 

Take a moment to read this card. What does it bring to mind for you? 

Many of us have creative ideas that are sitting in the back of our minds. What is your “One day I’ll finally get around to…” big idea or passion? Maybe you’re an artist or an entrepreneur who has always promised yourself that you’d make your project a bigger priority. Maybe you’ve always wanted to join the gym or learn to rock climb. It could also be something small, like finally reading that book or reaching out to that friend. But at the core of these thoughts, there’s one thought in common: that one day it’ll happen, but not today.

A common challenge is we often tell ourselves: ‘There’s just not enough time’ or’“I don’t know how or 'there's too many obstacles. . It’s hard to be an enthusiastic pioneer of untried ideas when many of us are in what Virtues Matter co-founder Linda Kavelin-Popov calls the FOG of Fatigue, Overwhelm, and Guilt. We have so much to do, our passion project feels like one more priority to juggle, and one more thing to feel bad about procrastinating on!

So today, we invite you to take a little bit of creative initiative. You don’t have to start your business, transform your kitchen, and write a book today. Just take a breath, and remind yourself what that spark is for you. What is one small thing you can do today? That’s more than enough.

Virtues in Action

Community Leadership: This June, we were especially inspired by the commitment and idealism of our Community Leadership cohort. At this month’s meeting, members shared their initiatives and visions to make the world a better place. There were organizations committed to making a difference in the areas of sustainability, education, human rights, virtues practices, youth empowerment, and many more. With co-host Linda Kavelin-Popov, co-founder of The Virtues Project, we learned about each member’s vision while supporting each other through shared challenges of imposter syndrome, motivation, and inspiring engagement in our broader communities.

Wellbeing for Educators:  This July 2022, Dara offered The Heart of Education: Bringing Joy, Meaning, and Purpose Back to Teaching and Learning with Shepherd University to educators seeking salary advancement and recertification. This course gives educators strategies and tools to bring peace and belonging to themselves and their students. We are always offering Services for educator wellbeing available here. 

Team Wellbeing: This month, we had the opportunity to join the team at So What Else to facilitate a day of staff connection and wellbeing. We honor their commitment to bringing much-needed services and resources to people in need including food pantries, youth camps, and other programs in DC, Baltimore, and Maryland.

To bring us into your organization to promote team unity and engagement, check out our Services.