I value citizenship—the ability we each have to make a difference through our actions around something we care about, in the company of others. Yet, from over at least a decade of witnessing people trying to make the world a better place in one form or another, I find the thing that seems to plague most “do-ers” is that ugly phenomenon called “burnout”: A person who’s passionate about something takes on more and more responsibility, becoming isolated in and consumed by that responsibility. Eventually, they give up, heartbroken and alone in [...]

As I shared in previous articles (like this one), I’m on a personal mission to make my neighborhood a caring, connected place.  Besides the enjoyment I get out of it, I’ve also seen and experienced what a drastic change these connections can make in how we live, and in how our communities function overall, from increased safety and economic thriving to better health, education, and use of resources.  This is all tied to my work as a community-builder, but I feel it’s something that anyone can do. To that end, one of the [...]