In Your Fundraising Career, 'To Thine Own Self Be True'

"To thine own self be true" is a famous quote by William Shakespeare. It originated in the play "Hamlet" Act 1, Scene 3.

Polonius:

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

One of my many roles in life is to mentor and provide counsel when asked. I have a weakness in that I care deeply about others and want to help. There is not a week that goes by without someone calling or asking to meet with me for advice. I always say I am glad to help but also advise people to counsel with others to obtain the broadest perspective.

In the last several weeks, I have talked to individuals who have lost their jobs, are about to lose their jobs, not happy in their current jobs and those seeking a career advancement position. Each case was different, but unfortunately I saw a common thread.

It didn't matter what age or sex of the individual I talked to, the questions asked of me showed a lack of self-confidence, self-desire, confusion and reliance on others to set a personal course of action. I noticed sadness, fear, uncertainty and a lack of direction. In some cases, I previously knew the individuals when they were confident, clear in purpose and knew where they wanted to go. Because of poor choices, bad work situations and bad advice from too many people, I noticed broken and shaken professionals.

In some of these meetings, I could not completely help them because of their lack of focus and direction. They could not ask me questions; they were expecting me to provide them with their personal road maps for the future. To thine own self be true rang in my ear.