VOP’s mission is, above all, to bring more and more Virginians into the world of organizing — acting strategically with other Virginians to make Virginia more fair. We hope that there will be thousands of Virginians who will know what to do when an issue comes up that matters to their community, or to the whole Commonwealth.

Obviously, that would be good for the Commonwealth. The more people there are in Virginia who know how to make democracy work effectively, the more economically fair, environmentally friendly, and more just to each of its residents Virginia will be.

But what about the individuals who learn to organize? Are we better off? Or are we just sacrificing our time and energy so that the community in general is better off? We all know that those among us who are skilled leaders get called on by our community to help solve problems. We all know the feeling of frustration when others who could help fail to step forward.

By learning to organize, by becoming a person who knows how to make strategic change, are you condemning yourself to a less happy life, to doing the right thing on behalf of others but not for yourself?

Well, let’s not kid ourselves. Any time you take on a role that really matters, be it teacher or health care worker or parent, you do commit yourself to giving to other people even when it’s tough. But still most of us do choose to be parents, and over the generations, people have stepped forward to take on other tough jobs. Why? Because there are benefits, and not primarily financial ones, to these jobs. So what are the personal benefits to becoming part of the world of organizing?

1. Working with wonderful people on something that matters.
2. Learning self-discipline — becoming able to speak up (or stay quiet) when it’s the right thing to do, even when our emotions push us.
3. Learning how to do research — knowledge isn’t power by itself, but too many people in this society know very little.
4. Having great stories and experiences — the history of organizing, including labor struggles, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and other efforts, is part of your legacy — and we keep adding to it every day.
5. Understanding how society really works — in the fog of fake news and half-baked theories, it’s a great thing to know that you know who, what, when, where and why.
6. Strengthening your self-respect — organizing is a process that gives you feedback, and that shows not only the world but yourself that you really are Somebody.
7. Strengthening your personal belief system — as you organize, you go more deeply into what moves you to act. Your values aren’t just words, they are something you do.

Most of the magazines at the checkout counter in the supermarket have articles on Seven Ways to Improve Your Life. People apparently read those articles, but don’t take them too seriously – since pretty much the same article will come out in the same magazine every year or so.

VOP doesn’t think anyone is going to become a leader just to have a better personality or personal quality of life. But we do think that organizing is not just a way to get a more just society. It is also a path of personal development.

As life goes on, we all change and develop – but for some of us, life is pretty hard. Many of us become less happy and feel less powerful as time goes on. The environment we live in matters to us, and it is getting worse. Many of us cannot choose our jobs. For some of us, even family life includes sorrows that we cannot control.

Organizing is a positive and active approach to some of life’s problems – an approach we choose, an approach that gives us strength and companionship, and an approach that can strengthen our fundamental beliefs and help us carry them out.

Organizing comes from our hearts and our values. It’s not something we choose one day because Dr. Phil suggests it. It’s about community values, working for the common good.

Once we realize we are all in this together, we organize because we have to — because an immediate issue moves us, or because we see a whole society that needs changing. And in doing so, we connect to forces in ourselves and in those around us that can heal and strengthen us.