Guest post: Success is in the journey…
By Lincoln Crum
I first came in contact with volunteers when I was a young child on the football field. I had two coaches that volunteered their time 4-5 days a week teaching young men the fundamentals of youth football. I remember riding home one day from practice with my dad and asking him how much my coaches got paid to teach us the game. Dad kind of laughed and said, “They’re volunteers, they donate their time.”
I couldn’t get my little 10 year old mind around the concept. I was raised by a family of farmers and entrepreneurs. I had never been given the challenge of understanding what it meant to donate your time…until Coaches Phil Bates and Alvin White walked into my life. I spent three wonderful years every fall with these men, learning the basics of football. Some 30 years later I’ve come to discover that each lesson they taught me could be applied to everyday life. I see both of these men on a fairly regular basis and every time I do I make sure to thank them for the time they invested in me as a member of our community.
Progressing through the teenager years I came in contact with more and more volunteers and the concept of helping people without any hopes of monetary return on my time investment. As I became a young man I always made it a priority to find a way to give back to the community that had given so much to me.
When I was asked to write a guest blog for www.LiveUnitedYall.org I immediately started thinking about all of the different volunteers, staff, organizations and groups that come in contact with Metro United Way on a daily basis. Perusing the www.MetroUnitedWay.org website I was floored by all of the Agencies and Partners. I scrolled down the list and came across at least 10 that I’ve had an experience with, on both a personal and professional level.
The late Arthur Ashe said it best…“Success is found in the Journey, not the Destination.”
Our Metro United Way would not be able to achieve the success it has if everyone focused solely on the end result. The core element of helping one another is found in the daily routine of our lives. All of us working together, day in and day out, one foot in front of the other. The wide array of Agencies and Partnerships allow us to create a sum that is greater than its parts…thanks to the vision created and maintained by OUR Metro United Way.
- Lincoln Crum is a professional speaker, writer and 2nd generation entrepreneur based out of the Louisville, KY area. Lincoln believes first and foremost in the power of positivity and all of the wonderful things it can do for our lives. Contact Lincoln directly at ReachLincoln.com for information on blog posting and speaking.