This week, community service has been more popular than ever. Monday, millions of Americans from coast to coast joined forces to complete over 11,000 officially-registered community service projects designed to “bridge barriers, strengthen communities, and empower individuals” as part of the 2009 King Day of Service. Although the King Holiday and Service Act was signed more than 14 years ago, this year public involvement in active observances of the holiday doubled 2008 levels. This spike in civic participation is no accident.

President Obama has repeatedly called for our service during his campaign and transition period, and simultaneously pledged to do his part by making service the cause of his presidency. His first action towards that goal has been the creation of USAService.org. Support of President Obama’s mission to re-engage Americans in their communities is vast. ServiceNation has issued a Declaration of Service, the Huffington Post made service the theme of it’s pre-inaugural ball, and MTV has created a Be the Change online community.

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Our generation is often referred to as the young and invincible–full of ambition, and ready and willing to throw ourselves headlong down the path of our dreams. Some may even call us brazen. We have entered the professional world with great expectations about what we will accomplish and plenty of energy to get us off to a good start. But how are our drive and dedication affected when things don’t go according to plan?

Recently, I have discovered that the path between our aspirations and accomplishments can be longer and more complicated than anticipated. And, as we move from inspiration to action, most of us will encounter at least a few detours and dead-ends along the way. The question that we must ask ourselves when this happens is, will we allow these obstacles to lead us off course, or will we use them as guideposts that reveal a more productive direction?
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