NeighborScapes

I’m very fortunate to have a loving, encouraging support network. I connect with people on both personal and professional levels, and maintain those connections as I grow and mature, sometimes over the course of years. My third-grade teacher, who helped me through a particularly rough spot, still talks to me regularly over letters. I’m always very grateful for the support and guidance these mentors give me.

It helps that I always have something new to show them. I am happiest when very busy, and I am very dedicated to my projects, so I have a tremendous sense of accomplishment whenever I do well on one. It helps, too, that I work in nonprofits, and my projects directly translate to others’ well-being. I’m also much more people-oriented, both with my personality and with the specific work I do, so I can see that every day, I am directly improving the lives of individuals, rather than abstract groups who I never see. I have been spoiled on visible results that appear without significant delay.

This has a lot of pressure, sometimes. By definition, I’m working to improve other people’s lives, and if I do a bad job, either their needs won’t be met or they’ll be in worse shape than they were before I interfered. And, like everyone, I have “off” days. It’s very easy, when I’m not doing as well as I’m used to, to panic. This, of course, usually makes the problem worse, either because I can’t focus or because others think I’m mad at them.

It’s usually then that I take a moment to relax. I am beautiful, smart, funny, and caring, and I’m doing the world objective good. Even when I have doubts, myself, I can pick up my phone and call any of my mentors or close friends, and they will tell me the same- and I respect them and trust their judgment. And I will get absolutely nowhere by panicking or doubting myself. So, even when I’ve lost faith, I can run on their faith in me and my own dedication long enough for the confidence to return.

It’s very important to me, then, to make sure to pass on the good, patient, empowering mentoring I’ve experienced to others. I love identifying people who, with encouragement, could reach phenomenal heights, overcome unbelievable obstacles to do real, meaningful, and good things- and then I give them the encouragement and resources they need in order to do so. I’ve seen the difference it made for me, and love watching what it does for others. It’s much easier to get over discouragement at someone else’s problems, because I’m so driven to be helpful- I don’t see failures, I see things yet to be achieved. There’s a layer of disconnect allowing me to look at others’ problems lucidly and logically. And I am generally empowered to overcome my own obstacles by helping others overcome theirs.

I am hopeful that I have passed on the same encouragement and empowerment to my own mentors.

Chris Furuya is the program coordinator for NeighborScapes, a volunteering, community organizing, and civic leadership nonprofit located in the South suburbs of Chicago. Her twitter handle is earthangelNS.