In the spirit of always needing to be reminded of the essentials, here are a few takeaways from the 2016 General Assembly of YMCAs sessions so far:
Compassion heals.
Kindness transforms.
Hope matters.
Children desperately need affection and touch in their first 1000 days. It shapes the rest of their life.
Do for one what you can’t do for all.
Be smart, use wisdom, don’t go with your gut when helping others. Often times our help hurts.
You can’t know what difference you will make by investing time and energy into others. Do it anyways.
Jesus models what love of neighbor looks like, especially in “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”
Generations as population groups ought to be closely paid attention to, if you are to understand future trends in religion, politics, economics, and war. They also matter for why your organization exists and what it is needed to do.
Social media is a tool that can bless and curse. At its best it connects people and expands your horizons; at its worst it undermines your presence with the people closest to you, and it reinforces your bigotry and fears.
Opportunity comes from preparation and readiness; we can know much about the future by deeply understanding the past. Humility, presence, and curiosity make it more likely you will be open to lessons of the past and readiness for the future.
* Thanks to leaders like Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristoff, Randi Zuckerberg, Seth Mattison, Allison Massari, Ken Gronbach for the reminders.
