Self Care for Major Gift Fundraisers (Part 3 of 3)
When I prepare to meet with individuals of high net worth, knowing our conversation will center around their potential giving, this is my earnest prayer.
“God, give me as much love and compassion as I can bear for the people that I’m going to meet today.”
Why this prayer? Because, I understand how tempting it can be to feel suspicious, jealous, insecure, and sometimes even hostile. Doing this work for close to 30 years, I’ve come to know that these regrettable feelings do not diminish on their own. This prayer reminds me to be aware of them, to be open to hearing and seeing them with love and compassion.
We can choose where to focus our minds and hearts daily. Sometimes I refer to this as “The Hitchhiker Experiment”. It goes like this: Today I’m going to keep an eye out for hitchhikers on the side of the road. Whether or not I choose to stop and help them, I will eventually exclaim, “Wow, hitchhiking must be making a comeback! I’ve seen more today than in a long time!”.
I think we all know there weren't actually more hitchhikers. It was about making a choice to be on the lookout. I believe this holds true when choosing to focus your heart on love and compassion for those you are going to meet with.
Here is another meditation to help center your heart and mind:
“God, give me eyes to see and hear… who needs to hear about this vision?”
Sometimes I’ll spend five minutes repeating this phrase, notebook and pen by my side, listening to the names that come to my heart and mind. As names arise, I write them down. Perhaps they will simply remain a name on the list for a while. However, I can now pray and think about them regularly (at least weekly). Sometimes I’ll write a name on my list, then, a few days later, discover they “happen” to be in the same coffee shop I’m visiting. Needless to say, these moments now go from “oh that’s a silly coincidence” to “this is a sacred sighting”. Or perhaps I see someone whose name hasn’t come to mind in a long time and, guess what? Their name goes on “the list”.
Prayer and meditation. Some of the most miraculous self care you can engage in!
May these practices become a vital resource in your journey:
❤️ Pray, “God, give me as much love and compassion as I can bear for those I am meeting with today.”
🙏 Meditate on, “God, give me eyes to see and ears to hear… who needs to hear about this vision?”.
📝 Have a pen and notebook handy to make a list of names as individuals come to mind.
What prayer and meditation practices do you engage in on a regular basis? I would love to hear about your sacred practices!
Until next time…
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Now is the time to take advantage of these resources!
I look forward to hearing about your good work.
Blessings,
