Defining our purpose, our reason for being, can truly change the trajectory of our lives. If we take the time to understand our why--what gets us up in the morning, what drives us, what inspires us--then we'll be able to live a life filled with intention and meaning and impact. So often our purpose connects in some way to impact--the change we want to see in our world. Take the time to explore what excites you, what inspires you, what gets you fired up. While the causes we support might change over time, that ignited desire to make an impact is so often unwavering. Always return back to your "why", your purpose, if you're feeling uninspired or unmotivated. That will help to redirect you and drive you towards a life of impact.

Start by reflecting on what sets your soul on fire and what societal issues tug at your heartstrings. Is it environmental sustainability, community empowerment, or education for all? Embrace your inner idealist, dream big, and envision the positive change you want to spark in the world. Your "why" is the heartbeat of your purpose, and when it aligns with your passion, it becomes the magnetic force that attracts like-minded changemakers.

In regards to Social Impact, It has to burn in your heart first before anything else. Authenticity is key to keep you going when times get hard.

Our why also changes over time. With more information received and knowledge expanded. Important to apply wisdom and question the WHY even if it means shaking the entire foundation.

Maintaining a clear "why" is crucial in social impact work, but acknowledging its evolution over time is equally important. Amidst challenges like burnout,overwhelming responsibilities and resource limitations, our "why" acts as a guiding force rooted in our values. Embracing our evolving "why" allows us to adapt, grow, and sustain our commitment to making a difference.

Today world is communication and community sense. One can be on the other side of the planet and know what is going on everywhere thanks to connectivity. I join @IMAGINE community for this purpose that we share a common value of wanting to save the planet and carrying on our environmental impact. Coming from all over the world we represent a tribe, a community that care for each other. This way enable passion to remain active again and again.

Be open to other perspectives and consider different points of view. Passion can sometimes be blinding and limiting. Being open to possibilities is both exciting and intriguing.

In my experience, connection is crucial to help you flourish and keep the fire going. There is power in empowering others and best way to do that is when you are connected and understand theirs needs in a community that will support you to do that.

Working in the social impact field can sometimes feel like "one step forward, two steps backward". It requires a lot of mental resilience and persistence. Being part of a community of like-minded social impact entrepreneurs who support each other can make a huge difference.

In various educational roles I've worked in, I've always been a promoter of continuous learning and development. Now, at the age of 50 the advice I would give now to anyone would be to think about what it truly is you want to learn. I've lost count of the employers that have put staff on courses that have little to zero benefit, courses that don't add value and are just a 'tick box' exercise. Learning is an investment, so spend wisely. Of course learning is a good thing, but unless you are really going to do something with it or get value from it then ask yourself 'why'. Time is also a precious commodity so make learning quality over quantity. Think about how you can put that learning into practice.

After completing college, I actively pursued volunteering to explore diverse forms of community impact, a decision that significantly shaped my professional journey. Volunteering allowed me a firsthand understanding of community challenges and aspirations, fostering experiential learning that is crucial in social impact work. I have seen that balancing this with a M-F job, whenever possible, not only prevents burnout but also unveils new paths for self-discovery and potential collaborations with future colleagues.

Amen to continuous learning! It's the oxygen of impactful social work. The field evolves rapidly, and staying stagnant leads to not only burnout but also diminished impact. Whether it's diving into cutting-edge research, attending conferences, co-learning from diverse perspectives and backgrounds, or shadowing a veteran campaigner, learning keeps you nimble, relevant, and brimming with fresh ideas to tackle complex challenges. Learning is essential, but let's also not forget the power of action. Sometimes, the best learning comes from doing, from rolling up our sleeves and tackling real-world problems. Striking a balance between absorbing knowledge and applying it in the field is key to sustained passion and progress.

Working on social impact can, like in many other areas of work, lead to burn out if you do not practice self care. You might even be more at risk because there is that false image that contributing to a social impact goal is not as demanding than achieving a corporate/business goal or because your passion for your area of work is driving you to do more and more. Just like in parenting where you are a better parent if you are a rested parent, the same applies to you social impact work. Take time for yourself, take time with your friends, and clear your mind of everything related to your social impact work to help you come refreshed.

Protect your Yes’s. Many times those of us who are highly empathic say yes to almost every social project because we think it’s our role to save the world. That leads to burn out and very little of anything left for yourself. When we say yes we commit ourselves to give time energies and efforts to things. Saying No is also an effective strategic for self care, and we must be able to understand that without feeling guilty, or personalizing another person’s no when said to us.

Social impact leaders tend to be extremely committed people who tend to push themselves very hard. Creating significant long-term change is an ultra-marathon, not a sprint. Self-care therefore is critical. That includes taking care of one's physical, mental and financial well-being. Practising delf-care is not egoistic or weak, but ultimately in the best interest of those who benefit from your work.

Burnout is very common in the helping profession. It helps to have hobbies or interests that are totally different from what you do on a daily basis, to keep you grounded and mindful. Also, taking a break doesn't mean failure or inadequacy on your part to cope. You usually feel more energised and have so much more to give back when you are ready.

In my experience of 12 years of volunteer work worldwide I realized that it is impossible to help others if you get burned out. Without support or self care, your work becomes mechanic and you lose the zest for it. This step is one of the most important ones in order for you to be resilient enough to deal with social problems and have a meaningful social impact.

You can have all the passion for creating social impact in the world, but if the work you are doing towards creating an impact isn't aligned with your skills, strengths, and work style, you might find yourself feeling misaligned regardless. Make sure throughout your social impact journey that you are pausing at intervals to study yourself in addition to studying the world. Reflect on and monitor your energy levels as you take on different tasks in different work environments to create positive change. Are you most energized when you are leading a team? When you are working independently with lots of time to ideate in a flow state? Continuing to refine your alignment to the work will keep you motivated as you work to create an impact.

Absolutely cruel to feed your soul with things that bring you life and will then make you a better contributor w relevant social impact. Find out what you don’t like and abandon all those and focus on things that you are really Passionate about. Take sometime to invest in that specially if in social impact you don’t have the time to do so.

At times in social impact work especially, it is natural to feel isolated or disheartened when immediate change feels elusive due to factors beyond our control. During these moments, reconnecting with your "why" becomes vital, reigniting passion or discovering new ones — an entirely normal part of the journey. Remember, as humans, our time is limited, so it's crucial to invest it in what truly matters. Revisiting your roots, values, and heart acts as your guiding compass. Flowing with these intrinsic motivations helps navigate the challenges and sustain the drive needed to create meaningful impact.

Sometimes it can be helpful to move away from your passion for a year or more, and pursue something completely different. It will broaden your worldview, and also give you networks and skills that you can tap if you decide to return to your passion. I personally have benefitted tremendously from moving on to other sectors. There are also different ways you can keep engaged in your passion, either as a volunteer or starting something in your organisation.

Muy vinculado a mi comentario anterior: Si entendemos el propósito como un acompañante integral y a largo plazo, una base y filtro para mis decisiones, eso me permite irme cambiando de proyectos, estilos de vida, profesiones, empresas, etc. Puedo realizar mi propósito de miles de formas sea para ganar dinero o no. Quizás en algunos momentos lo realizo más en mi tiempo libre, en otros logro vivir, ganar bien y mejorar el mundo a la vez. Si entendemos que el propósito no está amarrado a una empresa un solo proyecto, es imposible aburrirse de él a largo plazo.

Passion is like any other thing in the world - it wears and tears with time! Treat it like that bottle of water in your journey through the desert. Passion tears down when cynicism kicks in, when realism takes on yr bubble of hope. Its absolutely fine! What you should not do: - Think about it everyday and be bothered by it - Look outside to rekindle your passion (e.g. book, documentary etc) What you should do: - Ask yourself why you started with social impact in first place? What (characteristic of your self) made you to choose this over others? - Build a peer group/seek out a mentor who might have travelled that same journey. Hear him/her out, relational journey might help!