Designing the Difference You Want to Make in the World
Week of August 10, 2019
Engage in an inspirational process to envision and develop a plan for the difference you desire to make in the world. You may already be volunteering, giving or serving in some capacity, but are you having the impact you desire? Is your contribution an expression of the uniqueness of who you are? If not, take the opportunity to examine your purpose and set a clear intention around how you will make a difference. Through encouraging stories and practical tools, learn to connect your purpose with a cause in ways that are fulfilling and impactful.
Opening Presentation – Explore the Power of Your Unique Story
The first step in designing your impact is to explore who you are and what makes you unique. Your life experiences are a gold mine for making a difference. Learn to evaluate your story for indicators of unique ways that you can have an impact. Hear inspirational examples of individuals who have discovered their purpose and began living it out in fresh ways. Receive a list of thought-provoking questions to guide your purpose and passion exploration process.
Workshop 1 – Connect Your Purpose with a Cause
Your purpose and passions provide indicators for where and how you should serve. Discover the intersection between your purpose, passions and a cause. Discuss which causes have stirred your interest. Learn practical resources for researching causes and organizations. Explore possible roles that utilize your skill set, such as teacher, advocate, activist, giver, mobilizer, servant and encourager. Learn to evaluate whether an organization is the right fit for you.
Workshop 2 – Assess Your Current State
Understanding your purpose is critical, but your season of life may greatly influence your availability for involvement in a cause. Assess your current state to determine the optimal level of commitment for your current and future seasons. Learn how to have a sense of purpose in every season of life. We will examine key questions to assess your current state including: What is your season of life? How much time are you willing to commit? What changes will be required to make the impact you desire? What resources are available to you? Hear stories of how others have made a difference in various seasons of life.
Workshop 3 – Design Your Impact
Complete your difference-making design process by turning your insights into a plan that includes: an impact summary statement; immediate next steps; and short-term and long-term goals. Finally, reflect on the five keys to difference making success: serve authentically; serve with humility; be a team player; be a lifelong learner and make thoughtful commitments, then follow through.
Candace Gray’s life mission is to lead people and organizations to reach their God-given potential. This mission has been lived out as Candace has provided leadership in the nonprofit sector for nearly 25 years. After beginning her profession as a CPA in the corporate sector, she craved a career with greater meaning and fulfillment. She transitioned to the nonprofit field by working alongside a successful CEO in the real estate industry as he founded a nonprofit organization focused on an inner-city neighborhood in Dallas. Currently, she serves as a senior leader for a Dallas-based social services agency, serving nine cities in Texas and six international locations. She has traveled on assignment to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia.