Monkeys on Our Backs

The whole idea of a monkey on our back is something that really speaks to me as member of many organizations that I feel pretty passionate about. It is an interesting thing to consider, as when I joined the organizations that I am now a part of, I felt very excited about participating in the activities that I now often look at as monkeys on my back. These activities involve meetings, rehearsals, philanthropy events, sisterhoods, and various other commitments that are all a part of being involved actively in an organization. Often, during a week when I have what feels like a zillion other things to stay on top of, these commitments begin to feel like obligations, or as the book refers to them, monkeys on my back.
I guess it's a normal part of life to feel like our responsibilities are things to simply check off of a list, but it makes me a little bit sad when I think that I am simply racing through life, not looking forward to the things that I initially was excited to do because they have become time consuming or not as much of a priority on my list of to do's. However, it is these monkeys that make our organizations go round, it is the rehearsals that make my acapella group sound good together, it is the sisterhoods that bring the girls in my chapter closer on many levels, it is our commitment to service and philanthropy that makes us stand out in the PHA community, and that attracts a lot of girls to join our house. So even though these monkeys can feel burdensome, they are what make our organizations go 'round.
There is something to be said for the people who have committed themselves to being an integral part of our organizations, who take multiple monkeys on at any given time and tackle them because they want to, not just because they have to. They are the people who encourage us to take part in these monkeys with them, so that we all end up working toward the same goal. Unfortunately, in many instances, they end up carrying the load for everyone and work independently to carry out the tasks that everyone should be working on together, so the community aspect of these tasks becomes overlooked, and the responsibility of one or just a few.
I don't think that there is any way to MAKE people look differently at the monkeys on their backs, I believe that this is the kind of thing that people have to choose to prioritize, to look at as something they want to do, not something they are obligated to do. No amount of encouragement, bribery, or coercing is going to change someone's attitude. It has to be their decision to look at their obligations toward their organizations as something positive, something they want to do because they believe in it.