i was explaining my work situation to my monday night class in a desperate attempt to gain insight for my constant struggle to find ways to motivate people to care about the organization.

i was given so much feedback (wow, grad school really works) and felt like i had the tools to begin making some risky career decisions (as if i need to be making any more transitions right now). the gold nugget from the discussion came from my professor though. as i sat frustrated and clearly passionate about making people in my organization care more about their responsibilities, my professor said: "i think you want more for people than they want for themselves."

my response: "so ... what's the problem? when did that become a bad thing?"

the class laughs.

did i miss something?

i have this belief that people want to be a part of something great. i believe that people want contribute and live fully engaged lives. now, i also believe that it takes certain people to help lead people into a better understanding of how to maximize their potential and channel their energies into things that matter to them. but what i think has happened is that people have suffered great disappointments in how they had hoped things would be for them. jan meyers asks,"how do we live and continue to give of ourselves - honestly, not out of duty but freely - in the midst of feeling a gnawing sense of incompleteness?"

i'm not just dealing with apathy, mediocrity or complacency. i'm dealing with people who have been gravely disappointed and have little energy to try and make other's dreams a reality ... especially when they haven't realized their own.