Dear Readers-

I spend a lot of time thinking and working to make the world a better place. Through my advocacy work, volunteer work, work work and blog work, I am constantly striving to understand what small part I can play to make things a bit kinder, a bit sweeter, a bit more Social Age.

Lately I’ve been super busy with all this work. Recently, I organized a workshop called “Using Innovation and Creativity to Solve Social Problems” and co-hosted a conference for Echoing Green, the leading organization for start-up social enterprises. I’m building a new program at Harvard called “Leadership & Social Change” which looks to help students develop the skills necessary to lead and work in social enterprise and social activist organizations. And I’m just concluding the seminar I teach at The Kennedy School called “Social Enterprise: Leading at the Intersection of Private Initiative and Public Purpose”. Every day I get to meet interesting people who are changing the world.

Sometimes it’s exhilarating. Sometimes it’s intimidating. Sometimes it’s inspiring, and sometimes it’s just exhausting. As in all pursuits, somedays I make huge leaps, and some days crawling an inch feels like a mile. Today feels particularly up hill, so I’m looking to you guys for inspiration.

So do me a favor. I ask that each one of you take a minute to write a comment on this page telling me why the fight is worth it. Not just for me, but for all of us. What inspires you to think outside of yourself and toward the betterment of society? What organization or movement compels you to act differently? Is there a person who motivates and inspires you through their works and deeds? I’d love to hear about your sources of inspiration. And of course, I will continue to share mine.

I look forward to your thoughts.

Susanne