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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Two years ago today, I was boarding a plane to Kabul. I was going to work on one of the many post-conflict development programs being implemented in Afghanistan. I believed that I was going to help its citizens define a new future for their country.

The decision to go to Afghanistan was a difficult one for me to make. Even though I had much experience traveling and working in developing economies, this assignment would be different. The issue of safety and security on this trip was of much greater concern. However, at that time, I could assure my friends and family that I would not be a likely target for violence myself.

read the rest of this article at The Huffington Post

I wanted to follow up on my last message about this year’s Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), in which I promised to let you know this year’s total amount raised and donated to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute by the PMC. Last Thursday, that total was revealed at the check presentation held by the PMC at Harvard Medical School: (insert drum roll…) $35 Million!

This record-breaking amount represents the largest gift that the PMC has made to Dana-Farber over the past 29 years, and it is also the single-largest gift to charity made by any athletic fundraiser in the country! Many of you contributed to this success through your support of my ride, and those of others, and I thank you.

I wrote a short piece about my experience with the PMC over the past year which was published by The Huffington Post yesterday.

We intend to continue to count on The Huffington Post as a way to spread the word about our work with The Purpose Project and to share more pieces of the stories of the leaders with whom we are working. Please find the story here, and, if you are so inclined, click on the “buzz up” button near the top (which helps build our prominence on the site).

Thanks for your continued support!
Michelle

Boston, MA-On Thursday, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received a check for $35 million from the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC), the most successful athletic fundraising event in the nation. Some of these dollars will be used to treat a portion of the 1.4 million children and adults who will be diagnosed with cancer this year. And some will fund Dana-Farber’s pioneering research which provides patients with increasingly high odds of survival. But all of them, according to Dana-Farber President Edward J. Benz, Jr., MD are “critical to our mission to eradicate cancer.” And, what makes this gift remarkable is that most of it came from people just like you and me, despite the squeeze that we are feeling on our personal finances.

Read the rest of this entry at The Huffington Post

I wanted to share some exciting news: my colleague and co-author Michelle Cote was selected from 3000+ applicants to represent The Purpose Project at Women Rule!—a joint initiative of The Oprah Magazine and The White House Project to support 80 women, each with an “idea that could change the world.”

Michelle applied and was selected earlier this year, but we had to wait until now to share the news since O! Magazine was the first to “announce” the women in the October issue of their magazine, which hit newsstands Tuesday.

This is a great achievement for Michelle and a great opportunity for The Purpose Project. In addition to a three-day leadership workshop earlier this year, Michelle will receive ongoing access to mentoring, coaching and a great network of women changemakers. (It also moves us one step closer to getting our book on Oprah’s book club list one day!)

You can check out the short profiles of Michelle and the other women in the online version of O! Magazine here. The Hartford Courant also had a short article in yesterday’s paper, which is available here.

Warmly,
Matthew

A few weeks ago, we told you that we would be participating in the 2008 Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) as part of our efforts to capture the story of its founder, Billy Starr. Many of you have asked since then how it went, and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the personal reflections that I collected along the two day, 192-mile pedal from Sturbridge to Provincetown.

As Matt and I set off for the opening ceremonies on the eve of the ride, I was filled with anticipation and more than a little trepidation. Even after more than four months of dedicated training, I still didn’t know how I was going to fare over the next 48 hours, or how I was going to make it past the first fifty miles of hills. But, when we arrived at the Sturbridge Host Hotel, my focus quickly shifted away from the physical challenge that lay in front of me. The PMC’s opening ceremonies–presented to an emotionally charged, standing-room-only crowd in the hotel’s ballroom that evening–were a reminder of why the event is so much more than a test of physical endurance. Read the rest of this entry »

One Challenge Met
We want to thank you for your response to our recent challenge grant. Together, your contributions pushed us past our $20,000 goal and secured the matching funds! This achievement comes at a critical time for us and helps us establish a base of funding for the project that we will be able to draw on into the coming year.

One More to Go
This weekend, we will participate in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC)–a 192 mile bike-a-thon supporting cancer research–as part of our efforts to share the story of its Founder, Billy Starr.

Shortly after losing his mother and two other family members to cancer during his final year in college, Billy lost his direction in life–for a while. And it was cycling, his favored outlet for coping with his grief, that brought him back on track. After graduation, Billy began getting up before dawn and setting off on a new personal challenge: to bike 140 miles from his parents’ house in Newton, MA, to Provincetown in time to catch the 3:30 PM ferry home. Read the rest of this entry »

The story behind the story of this year’s primary elections has been the power and influence of America’s youth vote. Record numbers of young adults are turning out to make their voices heard; in some states, turnout rates among young adults have doubled or even tripled. Barack Obama, in particular, has struck a chord among young adults with his message for change: among the under-30 crowd, voters are breaking almost 2:1 in his favor.* We’ve found these statistics interesting not only as indicators of political strategy, but as evidence of a new level of growing civic participation among young adults. According to Peter Levine, director of the civic engagement research group CIRCLE, rising youth turnout rates are reflective of this generation’s “deep concern about the critical issues at stake and the impact of this election on our country’s future.” Young adults are anxious for change and are now considering voting as one way to play a role in determining our collective future. Read the rest of this entry »

An Overview of Our Vision and Plans for the Next Two Years

April-September, 2008: Fundraising and Research

During this period, we will work to fundraise and establish a solid base of support for the project. Both of us will meet with prospective funders and work to establish partnerships with publishers, college and university faculty and student groups, community groups, and organizations promoting civic engagement. Our secondary focus will be on continuing to conduct interviews and writing the next two chapters of the book with Billy Starr, Founder of the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, and Liz Titus Putnam, Founder of Student Conservation Association. Read the rest of this entry »

Our Key Accomplishments: Fall 2006 – Spring 2008

Fall 2006: The Idea is Born

• Project concept formed through conversations with each other and Matt’s mentors, Bob and Alice Evans (founders of Plowshares Institute).
• Developed preliminary goal: to capture and disseminate the wisdom and experience that Bob and Alice had acquired over their careers.
• Quickly expanded our mission to include a diverse selection of accomplished changemakers whose stories could inspire and equip a new generation of social leaders.
• Began researching the extent of our generation’s social involvement, and studying and talking to members of our “target audience” to define the challenge and opportunity. Read the rest of this entry »