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We've all heard the old adage: "We help ourselves by helping others."
Turns out it's true.
And I'm not just saying that as a guy who's transformed his life by advocating on behalf of others facing adversities similar to my own. Nor am I just saying that as a guy who's networked with dozens of fellow advocates who've done the same thing. I'm saying that also as I guy who's spent the last several years collecting research corroborating this notion.
Experientially, empirically, the proof is there. And I'm determined to spread the word about the power of this process of turning adversity into advocacy--so determined, in fact, that I'm putting out a National Call for A2A Stories through the just-launched nonprofit Adversity 2 Advocacy Project. I hope YOU will answer that call!
More on that in a moment. But first a few words about the new project and how it came to be.
As readers of this blog know, I nearly lost everything to OCD and the unforgiving grip it had on me in the 1990's. I was fortunate to have found my way to proper treatment, but still I stumbled along on my road to recovery. I needed something more--something to get and keep me motivated. And that something proved to be service to others with OCD. The more I shared my story, and the more I reached out to others in the OCD community, the stronger I got.
Through my outreach, meantime, I began networking with a wide variety of remarkable individuals who had turned their particular adversities into service to others facing challenges similar to their own. I quickly discovered that, regardless of the adversity--cancer, addiction, depression, or so many others--those who had found a way to be of service to others with their challenge had reaped powerful rewards. Fascinated by this adversity to advocacy process (and what I came to call the "Greater Good motivation" it provides), I began researching the concept. What I learned was that a growing body of empirical research exists supporting the very phenomenon that I and so many other adversity-driven advocates were experiencing--namely, that we help ourselves by helping others.
Last spring, I found myself in a lengthy conversation with a dear friend, Patti Lowery, about the potential for a web-based outreach project showcasing the concept of turning adversity into advocacy. Patti, a Toronto mother of two children with mental health challenges, had long been supporting other parents of children with similar challenges, and knew firsthand the power behind the A2A concept. She was instantly on board, and before either Patti or I knew it, we were formulating a vision for The Adversity 2 Advocacy Project.
Now A2A is a reality, and we couldn't be more excited about our all-volunteer organization, backed by dozens of leading advocacy experts and researchers at U.C. Berkeley and Harvard, and aiming to promote and foster the power of transforming adversity into advocacy. As a first step, we are putting out a National Call for A2A Stories, and from that, we hope to build the world's largest online collection of inspiring stories of people who have turned personal challenges into service to others facing similar challenges.
So, how can YOU help? Visit us online at our website. Follow the easy steps to point us toward A2A news features, books, movies, videos, etc. And tell us about YOUR A2A story or those of people you know or know of. If you would, please also help us spread the word far and wide....by "liking" us on Facebook and following us on Twitter at @a2aStories
Together, we can do so much to show the world how we help ourselves by helping others.
Gratefully,
- Jeff
