There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it. ~ Denis Diderot
I am a member of many organizations that are committed to community service and leadership. We stand side by side and proclaim to reject all that is wrong in our community and be models for all that is right. We profess to reject violence, discrimination, every 'ism' you can name, and infractions against humanity. In other words, we reject what my daughter describes as 'mean people' and the mean things they do. Why is it then that more often than not, it gets harder to hear this unified voice of peace and unity? I suspect that for every person who is truly trying to do the right thing, they are trumped by the scores of people who simply don't have time to join them. I'm careful not to say they don't care because I believe most people do. As this weeks quote highlights however, doing the right thing absolutely involves some element of doing the convenient thing. I've often wondered how leaders are able to use the word 'fantastic' to describe their mood EVERY DAY! After the fifth day I walk away wondering what they've avoided addressing in order to keep their harmony. While I shouldn't assume that they've avoided anything, it is something that gives me pause considering the plethora of issues we need to address in our places of business and community.
My challenge to you this week is to do one thing for someone that you know needs to be done but is inconvenient for you personally. You may choose to help an elderly person register to vote, take your neighbor grocery shopping, or give someone feedback that they absolutely need to hear. For all the things that make our leaders great, both past and present, it is their ability to do what is too inconvenient for the rest of us that stands out most. I dare say that everyone reading this email is great. What we must do this week is practice the skill of embracing inconvenience to be ready for anything that comes our way. It’s the inconvenient times, not the smooth times, that our leadership is needed most.
Alonzo Kelly
President Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
