Letting Your Heart Break

To do nonprofit work, you must willing to let your heart break. You must confront people dying in the streets, mothers struggling to make ends meet, disease ravaging bodies, the destruction of land and a thousand other instances. Then, you are given two options. You can either turn away pretending not to notice all the while assuming the issue belongs to someone else. Or, you can roll up your sleeves, wipe the tears from your eyes and get to work.

From here, we grow stronger and more determined. We have been confronted with an injustice. Using the resources at our disposal, we gather likeminded people, we gather talent, and we amass tools to address the wrong. We fail. We are forced back to the drawing board. Our determination moves us forward collecting small wins as we go. All due to the fact we let our heart break.

See, the pain acts like a motivator. I’ve seen kids struggle with addiction and mental health. I’ve spoken to homeless children starving to learn. I’ve smiled as kids found safety from the streets. These things changed me. At their core, they have altered my humanity. They have pushed me to do more.

Motivation moves us. From here, we can be change agents. Most of what we do is a war. It is not simple by any means. When working with human beings, nothing is. Don’t be confused, misled or filled with doubt, we are truly changing the world for the better. We are doing the work of angels for the pay check of saints. Our calling is higher. Our calling is our fellow man.

Because, we confront our humanity on a daily basis. The world asked us to step forward and we answered. To do nonprofit work, is to hear a clarion call and answer with a phalanx of might. So, let your heartbreak. Let it solve problems. Let is shine with unbridled care. This world needs you; humanity needs you.

Thanks for entering my world,

-Nathan