Volunteering from my perspective
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
American educator Helen Keller overcame the adversity of being blind and deaf to become one of the 20th century's leading humanitarians. And she did it with her lifelong teacher and friend Anne Sullivan. Their first memorable moment was when Keller learned to spell "W-A-T-E-R" with the help of Anne. That beautiful moment opened her to an entire whole world she did not know existed. Here is one of the rare videos recorded sharing their experience together:
Later Helen wrote world-renowned books like The Story of My Life (1905) with help of Anne and her husband, The World I Live In (1908), Out of the dark (1913), Light In My Darkness (1927), and many more. She traveled to over 35 countries and changed the lives of millions with hope and courage. She taught the world even those who are differently able can help others, bring lasting change, and share happiness.
It is strange but true, by giving we are happy. As we are social creatures, we have an inherent need to ask for help and give help as well. With an analysis of the biography of Helen Keller (or say video), we could realize how happy Helen and Anne were together. They had initial struggles, conflicts and yet they stood together through thick and thin. They proved wrong to those who claim it was impossible for a blind and deaf to have a normal and happy life. They proved that helping each other; one with invaluable guidance and another with the meaning of life can lead to happiness together. Furthermore, it leads to the discovery of nonverbal communication, it is learning, and uses i.e. a far-different from that which was conventional then.
Volunteering means helping those in need. In border sense, it means working with people; often from a different background and nature. It is a give-and-take process. It is an opportunity to connect with people, teach-learn from each other, and basically develop social awareness. We can have more fun with others rather than being alone. Simultaneously, we start to feel happy as we can make difference though how small it might be. Thanks to research done by the University of Minnesota, we now know that volunteering in fact creates social gain which “leads to more interaction, engagement, and trust” which all significantly impact a person’s mental health.
First and foremost, volunteering instills a sense of purpose. None even think of volunteering which is work without pay (except basic expenses) without a purpose; be it personal or professional. It develops people skills, personality, problem-solving, teamwork, and such. Volunteering with purpose leads to self-confidence and this leads to a positive view of one's goals in life. International volunteering has gained momentum as people can travel to new places, taste new cuisine and culture, immerse in the community and learn by doing. Whereas national volunteering leads to furthering the understanding of those who aspire to further their career in social work. Or just to see the country and community they are familiar with from a different perspective. Both of these aim to improve the overall well-being of the community through work in a particular niche.
Likewise, it is good for both the mind and body. It provides opportunities to make a meaningful connection. Meaningful connection motivates people to open up to new experiences. This leads to improvement of mood and lessening of depression. It is hardwired into humanity to help those who are less fortunate. Getting help makes people feel valued and there arises gratitude. Gratitude leads to the feeling of happiness. Volunteers live longer especially those who are "other" oriented rather than "self" oriented. Also, studies have shown volunteering makes people physically healthier. They cope with day-to-day tasks as well as have relaxing moments. Unlike office work, volunteers are more physical and are not as stressed. They have more time to exercise or get engaged in physical activities which promote physical well being
Soft skills are very important in any kind of workplace. "Soft skills are a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, attitudes, career attributes". They complement hard skills which are basic skills that can be or have been tested and may entail some professional, technical, or academic qualification. Volunteering is the best opportunity to develop those soft skills. Furthermore, volunteering not only entails social work, people volunteer as interns in different professions like banking, accounting, and such. There they practice the theoretical knowledge they have gained in a controlled environment. Thereby they develop hard skills as well. Also, those who are highly interested in new careers can try out without being committed. Exposing to a new field, gain necessary knowledge before taking that career path is highly desirable rather than blindly wasting time and energy.
However, before volunteering one needs to critically question whether it is worth pursuing in terms of goals, skills, and time/energy. Whether it is enjoyable or not and whether the organization's aims align with your own. The most valuable thing in the world is time. Everyone has got some time but different priorities. Thereby it is necessary to have a consideration before joining any kind of work that includes volunteering. It is about working with people, people are complex and subjective. Working with the "Right People" with the "Right Purpose" makes volunteering meaningful and time well-spent.
And yet, volunteering is for dedicated people who encourage participation regardless of incentive. It is a way to bring positive change through sharing different ideas, their communication, then improving them, and at last implementation. Everyone has different ideas/knowledge/experience i.e. unique to the individual. Participation complements different perspectives and leads to the transfer of skills between volunteers-community and all stakeholders. This ignites passion among people regardless of age. Passion leads to enjoyment, dedication to the improvement of life as we know it, and brings sustainable change. Sustainable change is the way to the empowerment of self and others. Thereby, we find ourselves and know what we need to do to make life worth living for.
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