For several years now we have been attending Orange Conference. Every year it allows us to hear new innovative ideas, meet new people and get refreshed to go back and impact our communities. This year was different for me though. Coming back home it was tough. I had all these awesome ideas and left Orange inspired. On the drive home, there is this spot that I see and since I was a little kid it always marked that I was home. This year, I panicked. All these thoughts of doubt, dread, and the feeling of being isolated started to creep in. I started to process all that was going on and decided to come up with some ideas to keep me motivated after Orange Conference.

One of the things that I did to stay accountable and start to look at ways to implement what I had learned into my work with youth was simply to talk to friends. I love being able to connect with old friends from Orange and making sure I touch base with them afterwards helps me to stay motivated. We talk about different situations, ideas and I can share about new ways to help youth. There is a sense of accountability that forms when I can reach out to community of people that I trust

I don’t always have the answers though so I have been committed to reach out to Orange Specialists. This group of people get it and want to use their knowledge, resources and expertise to help you out. From touching base with rural strategy to urban strategy to all age groups, reaching out to Orange Specialists has given me a new way to move forward.

I have also decided to attend Orange Tour. Sometimes, it is tough to actually get to go to Orange Conference. With Orange Tour the party comes to you. I am excited to go this year, get refreshed and find out what people are doing in my region to impact youth and communities. Check out more about Orange Tour here. 

If you are having trouble staying motivated or feel isolated in the work that you’re doing, then find your tribe. Find the people that are working with a similar goal in mind and have the same passion as you. The impact you can have collectively is more than you can do alone.