3 Palms, Mission-Driven Organizations and How They Connect

It was 95 degrees but it was a dry heat.

I had just taken a sip from a frosty cold cerveza and glanced skyward observing the 3 palms blowing gently in the breeze. After a couple of days of rest and relaxation, my mind was fully disengaged from its usual fretting about commitments, deadlines and financial obligations.

And I thought to myself, what stories this trio of frond producers could tell of people and life they’ve seen over the years. What trials and tribulations they witnessed. The stories of love and loss they overheard.

And then that famous quote was confirmed to me yet again. “Curiosity is the lust of the mind,” said English philosopher Thomas Hobbes more than 330 years ago. 

We just have to know.

We’ve got to find out.

We must quench that thirst.

All of which brings me to the "content and mission-driven organizations" part of my title.

Are your posts and articles engaging or should I say “magnetizing” your readers? Does your title promise a story worth reading? Does the content fulfill on that promise?

What I'm saying here is that curiosity helps you in content development because it gets your “need to know” overriding everything in your head. It's what I call my "silver bullet" when it comes to engaging content. And it’s a safe bet that if that topic stirs your mind, it’s going to do the same to those coveted readers, ambassadors and potential evangelists of yours.

Just how do you that, you ask?

Engaging content starts with one action: Asking a question.

For example: How specifically did your organization help a family in need after living in their car for 17 months?

How many trees did your employees plant on a forgotten city lot only known for its piles of litter?

Or how did your contribution help seniors lacking access to medical care?

Then your content answers that question by being specific and personal.

By personal, I mean add your own emotional viewpoint about what you saw and how it made you feel. Don’t hold back. Authenticity is not only highly valued in our world today, it is mandatory if you’re to be a trusted communicator.

Stuck for ideas and no palm trees in sight? Consider these time-tested, mind-freeing suggestions:

• Take a walk in a city park
• Visit an art museum
• Ride public transportation
• Eat in a restaurant you’ve never visited
• Listen to music you know nothing about.

My bet is you’ll come up with several worthy ideas that promise to make your audience curious (and engaged) indeed. Just as those 3 palms did for me as I dozed off for my afternoon siesta.

~hcollaborative.com~

Content Writer's Heaven: 24 Hours Off the Grid

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."

- John Muir

I suffer from occasional brain fog.

You know, where your best content ideas seem so long ago and far away.

Where you can't think of a concept to save your worthy soul.

Where you seek out mindless, distracting activities (read: tons of time scrolling my FB feed) so you don't have to deal with the unending pain of getting your grey matter to fire on any cylinder.

And my bet is that I'm not alone here.

So I want to share a recent cure I found thanks to a birthday gift from my girlfriend.

Last month, she took me to a 14-acre parcel of countryside beauty not far from where I live. And the only sounds I heard for 24 hours came from a babbling brook, a few moos sent out by dairy cows off in the distance, and dozens of sweet-singing birds without a crow among them.

Even better, there was no cell phone service.

Now I'm not part of the survivalist movement but this living off the grid thing was quite fulfilling.

First of all, I got reconnected to nature. That primal yearning that calls to us urban dwellers from time-to-time whether we admit it or not.

But that wasn't the only by-product of my nature boy weekend.

I was able to "still" my mind.

I was able to think clearly.

And I was able to think creatively (sparking several new ideas for upcoming blog posts including this one).

Now such a trip may not be feasible for you the next time you're coming up empty for ideas. But you're more than likely near a park of some kind. (For example here in Portland, Oregon, we have 144 parks on over 10,000 acres.)

So here's an idea: seek out a patch of park the next time your right brain is giving you hell.

It may just be the heaven the content writer in you is seeking.

To get our book, "25 Building Blocks To Create a Conscientious Organization" FREE,  go to HCollaborative.com for an instant download.

Lesson from the Cactus: How to Become More Resilient

Growing up in the Northwest, it’s easy to love the outdoors. Hiking, snowshoeing, camping…drop me off in the ‘woods’ and the trees, the green of the forest gifts me with calm. It’s my favorite “zen” place where I can shut off my busy mind.

Then I visited the deserts of Baja.

The stark and quiet beauty created an awe that defined “mindfulness.” A potent experience of stillness and balance between the mountains and sea. 

And the regal cactus reigns over all.  With lessons about survival and resilience.

There are many legends and stories about the cactus plant–often revered within the desert ecosystem. It is a tree that survives with little water in a dry and hot environment, providing sustenance and shelter to many desert animals and insects.  

Like many of Nature's wonders, which teach us about balance and inter-connected-ness, cacti have adapted and thrived over time. Here are a few fun facts from Science and Kids:

• Cactus thorns are highly modified plant leaves. The sharp spines and the thick tough skin of the stem protect the cactus from animals who would otherwise have easy access to the liquid inside.

• The cactus collects water using a large root system. Small thin roots grow near the surface of the soil and collect rainwater as quickly as possible during the few times it rains. A taproot, which grows much deeper, reaches underground water supplies when the top soil is dry.

• Cacti can gather and hold water in their stems. The water is not pure, clear water but viscous. The fluid is drinkable however, and has saved people’s lives in the desert.

The bottom line: the Cactus is Resilient!

“The ability to recover from or adjust easily to change, misfortune, adversity  or stress.” Merriam/Webster .

Here are a few tips to help us become more resilient as Conscientious Leaders:

-          Don’t take things so personally. It’s not always about “me.” That is the ego.

-          Develop a “thicker skin” like the cactus. Throw off negative challenges with positive energy and action.

-          When challenged by major change, think of the long term bigger picture, not just the short-term impact.

-          Find ways to make lemonade out of lemons.

-          Use your energy to be proactive vs spending time being defensive, trying to maintain the status quo.

-          Find an internal space of strength – that you can tap into with confidence and remember that feeling when confronted – a “bank” of positive feelings and successes that you can draw from when faced with negativity.

-          Create an ecosystem of support among your peers and colleagues that creates a buffer against adversity.

-          Counter stress by giving and kindness—an antidote to anxiety- that ultimately makes you stronger.

-          Take accountability and ownership for the situation and mistakes, and then move on with action.

Little things to remember, to build resilience and opportunities to thrive.

Just like my friend, the cactus.

 To get our book, "25 Building Blocks To Create a Conscientious Organization" FREE, go to HCollaborative.com for an instant download.

-