Why are you involved? What do you care about and why?
When you’re involved in politics, one of the most important things that you can do in order to be more successful and have a greater impact on the things that you care about is to know “why”.
What’s important? What are you trying to change? Why are you running for office? Why are you volunteering to help a candidate or an organization? Why are you donating money?
Knowing your “why” keeps you centered, especially through all of the unpleasant things (and people) that you have to deal with by virtue of being involved in politics. It’s the North Star that can guide your next steps, and it’s the fuel that can drive you forward and help get you up in the morning.
You Need To Know “Why?”
For political activists, you need to know why for yourself, but also so you can communicate it to others.
For candidates, it’s what can give you that “fire in the belly” to keep going, to do the organizing, the events, the media, and raising the money that it takes to run a successful campaign. It helps you answer the “Why are you running” question. (See this 1979 example of Ted Kennedy not being able to answer “why?”)
Remember, sooner or later “stupid” is going to catch up with you. Maybe in the form of events, a process, or rules. Maybe a person that you have to deal with, or people saying things about you on social media that they wouldn’t say in church, and who make being involved seem like a visit to the dentist.
When that happens, (and it will), the odds that you could burnout or quit go up. And if that happens, then you won’t have any impact at all.
In order to push through, keep going and make a difference, you need to know “why”.
So, what’s YOUR why?
