Putting the "We" in the "Me" Generation

DRESHER, PA.   It dawned on me recently, as Andrea Leerman, the Director of Special Projects for Coming of Age, and I were conducting a Train the Trainers session for our Explore Your Future program, why this program generates so much energy:

People like to talk about themselves.
 

Explore Your Future helps people 50+ figure out their next steps (with some direction from us that those steps could lead to meaningful connection and contribution in the community).

But to do that, the exercises in the pogram draw out from people what they feel have been their influences, the patterns in their lives, their skills and passions and dreams, how they could powerfully combine these elements in the next stage(s) of their life-- then plan to make that really happen.

Hey, this is about me!

So... the trigger that gets things going is "Hey, this is about me!"

But the group we were training clearly saw it as more than that. They were staff and volunteers from the Montgomery County, PA RSVP, participating in the training to:

(1.) Get out of it what would help them take their own next steps;

(2.) Learn how to facilitate the program for others; and

(3.) Develop another way to work with people 50+ who come to RSVP looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities.

Regarding  #3, it stands to reason: if people seeking to serve their community know more about what they want their lives to be about, they will make better choices about how they serve.

And their serving will then be infused with more energy, passion, and effectiveness.

We've worked with a lot of groups either delivering Explore Your Future or like this, training others to do so. And these folks were great.  They really embraced the content (which is about 80% interactive exercises) as it clearly meant something for their own lives.

And when we spent the afternoon with them as the facilitators "teaching back" to the group, they made the program their own and drew on their considerable and articulate presentation skills to do a bang-up job.

What Sharing Begets

But it all started with their getting in touch with their influences, gifts, dreams and goals.  And sharing them:

The man who wanted to become a taxidermist but confessed he was concerned about how he might be stereotyped.

The woman who discovered in the training that deep inside she had a strong desire to hike the Appalachian Trail but was unsure how to present that idea to her more sedentary spouse.

The man who was focused on moving to California to be closer to his family but was overwhelmed by all he would need to do to make that happen.

And when they shared, others in the room helped them see how to address these concerns--not only address them but also helped them see where fulfilling them was likely to take them.

To wit: gaining newfound knowledge that they could share with younger generations; blessed with a sense of accomplishment that would be empowering or that would allow them to reach out even more and share their strengths and gifts with the community.

It all suggested to me the effort could have a real ripple effect in the community--more and more people crafting and pursuing plans for an engaged life after 50 that would had the potential for yielding real community impact.

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