Let Your Yea Be Yea, and Your Nay Nay

We are natural champions. Finding pleasure in accommodating people, we easily nod to requests. A lady needs a handyman to fix a broken faucet, someone would surely volunteer his expertise to end the flooding, to the relief of the damsel-in-distress. My Honda Bravo won't start, and Brother Nelson heeded my S.O.S. and solved my dilemma twice already; had my bike running in no time.

The church needed people to refurbish the parsonage. Men, and women, and youngsters readily volunteered their time, and voila, the unit was sparklingly made-up and squeaky-clean. Very heartwarming, indeed.

But what about nodding to a series of volunteer work? Will one stand up to the long road of continuous effort of delivering quality performance? In the church, for instance, there are many opportunities to volunteer help besides the repainting of the Pastor's house. Oftentimes, they require more than a day's work. These 'jobs' would need persons or people to insert the item/s in their regular schedule. Like designing and printing worship bulletins for one, or volunteering oneself to a weekly feeding program.

Personally, I am the Scarce Volunteer. And I guess I have disappointed many people many times. I can live with that. Rather than take a job and shove it, I beg out. I only say yes to work I know I can do well and have the time to spare with. I hate myself whenever I do not deliver. Thus, I take few responsibilities and volunteer very selectively hoping those works can be appreciated as being "well-done."

To many, I guess, opting out is politically incorrect. One has to be perceived as very accommodating and reliable. "Brother Mario, A Friend In Need, A Friend Indeed." "You never say 'NO' to a lady" because "You're the Man!"

It is "Ooh!"so good being such a nice guy. But at the moment you realize that you became inefficient, it's time to be counted out. Sure, you have given your word and you give much credence to it. That's good. But it is not wrong to admit you have become less than able, nor reliable at that. Maybe your day job , or your family suddenly occupied much of your time. Opt out of your volunteer work. Do not worry that there is not another soul to be entrusted with to play the role effectively; or that no one would even give it any concern. It is better that a job be vacant, for the post will most likely be acted on upon the discovery that no one is manning it; rather than you in there repeatedly performing poorly due to many reasons beyond your control (traffic, lack of time, health reasons, heavy school or work load, or simply, just negligence or wane of interest), or maybe you just grew tired of it.

People will understand. Nothing is permanent. They may even appreciate that you have opened the opportunity for another to fill your place and thereby keep the process going. I also find myself in same situations. Twice already, I gave up a church work that takes up considerable time preparing. That is because I have other primary duties that need my concentration. Now, another person took my place. Rather than not delivering the goods satisfactorily, I let it go, for it to be handed over to another who can and has fresh new ideas to go with it.

Too many things get neglected because people cannot manage to stick to their word. Nodding and accepting easily without really considering if they can perform. I say do not be pressured into accepting any work you're not sure you can do nor have the time to spare with. Because it is better to disappoint people once (by refusing) than to commit, then disappoint them again, and again, and again.

Now, are you still up to it? Make your move. Live up to your word. Don't be the bottleneck. No one is irreplaceable. Leave it or love it.