Passion vs. Commitment: Which is the key ingredient to successful organizing?

Passion is contagious. When we walk into a room and see an individual speak about any issue with genuine enthusiasm and authenticity, they can be so powerful that we feel ourselves rise to our feet in applause. For many of us, it was the passion of an individual that first brought us into social justice movements.

While passion may be the motivator for involvement, it is difficult to sustain through trials and tribulations endured when organizing a community. Results don’t come together as quickly as we’d like, volunteers don’t stay involved to help us in our efforts, and unforeseen challenges inevitably arise. Anyone who has attempted to organize their community around better addiction policies — or any other key issue — can relate to and understand these challenges. Every one of us has been there. And while our passion has gotten us into the game, it often simply cannot be sustained at all times, and especially during our most troubled moments.

This is when the key ingredient of commitment must be blended with passion. One without the other is a formula that cannot be sustained. This is the moment when we must declare, or renew, our commitment to the greater good.

When combined, passion and commitment can produce endless results that can contribute to saving innumerable lives form substance use disorders. When our personal passion marries itself to sustained action over a substantial duration of time, the sky’s the limit.

Passion is defined as an emotion — specifically, an emotion that is barely controllable. The depth of this sentiment can be contagious, in particular when seeking to empower those who may share a similar level of passion for an issue that binds us together. As a person in long term recovery who has seen the depths of active addiction, and experienced the utmost joys of a recovery lifestyle, it’s hard to explain in words the passion I feel for recovery. But my passion is not what will contribute to helping the person who still suffers. This is the critical moment when commitment comes into play. Will I return that person’s call when I’ve missed it? Will I meet that person for coffee, at the set time and location that was predetermined — even if it’s not the most convenient? Will I actively connect that individual to others who are willing to make a similar commitment? Will I show up to be of service to that person (and others) regularly?

The difference we make for our communities lies not only in the passion we feel for bringing about change, but in the commitments we make to actively seek that change. Without the commitments, the passion simply gets lost in the complex sea of emotions in which we all exist.

The example given of helping an individual in need is no different than, say, a community whose leaders have not been proactive in combating the addiction epidemic that is taking our sisters and brothers, wives and husbands, loved ones, close friends, and neighbors. We passionately feel the need to change the policies implemented by elected leadership — but passion is not the sole ingredient to get us over the finish line.

Passion must be wed with commitment — and commitment means taking action. Passion gets us in the door — and our commitments keep us coming back. Passion gets us talking about the need for change — our commitments make that change happen.

Michael King is the creator of The Communities Project, a national initiative sponsored by The McShin Foundation with the primary aim of training individuals and organizations in community organizing in order to more effectively combat addiction in our communities. Michael is the former Director of Outreach & Engagement for Facing Addiction with NCADD. He spent over a decade in the political arena, working on Presidential, Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and local campaigns, from county to state legislative efforts. He is a past Campaign Director, Field Director, and Communications Director for the Washington State Democratic Party, and the former Executive Director of the Washington State Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.

Throughout his career, Michael has worked to organize numerous constituencies, including organized labor, veterans and young people. He is the co-founder of a Washington state based not for profit organization aimed at empowering young people to become engaged in the political process, and a past Public Policy Committee Co-Chair for Faces & Voices of Recovery. He is also a 2018 alumni of JustLeadershipUSA’s Leading with Conviction program, a program dedicated to furthering the leadership capabilities of formerly incarcerated citizens.

Michael’s passion lies in empowering individuals to find their full potential and reach for the power necessary to bring about social change. He is the proud father of two young children, and a person in long term recovery. He can be reached at michael@communitiesproject.org, and followed on Twitter @michaelking1981.