Everyday I see people put a price on their future and decide not to pay it…yet. I’m not talking about this from a theoretical standpoint (you could argue that every single decision we make in our day from choosing meat for dinner to choosing to walk rather than drive will impact on our future) I’m experiencing the practicalities of what it looks like when no entity will fund something that will make a difference.
At this point in the blog I want to make clear that it seems so obvious that within a short time this situation will change but while I’m in the middle of it there are things I’m noticing which are leaving me wondering- is this normal? Is it normal that people will say ‘we don’t have money for that’ when it is something obviously needed. Their “We don’t have funds for that” sounds exactly like they are saying “We haven’t budgeted for new opportunities to improve our future”
Yesterday I had a phonecall from someone asking for a strategy to be written for a body which could change the direction of shared human future (honestly they are that influential). “There is no budget for this but you know what needs to happen” were the words I was told and he is right I do know what needs to happen and I can live on bread and water but what does it say about the value we place on our future that we want a free strategy to address a need for our future?
Over the last 2 weeks I have been in non stop conversations to identify funding for an initiative that is needed (I will save the details on the initiative for another blog) The amount of money required is less than the average drinks reception. Everyone has said ‘This is a great idea and it will happen”, but no one has budget for it. They have budget for marketing, foundation donations and many other usual business costs. Do business and other entities need a line item in their budgets so there is money for our future rather than a marketing campaign?
My faith in humanity comes from the fact that individuals are taking action to pay a price for our shared future. In the last few weeks a growing number of people have purchased education materials or tickets to Positive Impact webinars knowing that 100% of the price will be used on funding an initiative vital for our shared future. To each of them I say a huge thank you for putting a price on our future and paying it because knowing that gives me the energy to keep having the conversations with the bodies for whom it is not yet the norm to pay a price for a future that works for us all.
PS For opportunities to pay for a future that works for us all see Http://www.positiveimpactevents.com