By Lindsey Meier
Endorsed By Endorphins
Doing great things will make you feel great. Everyone has a need to live a meaningful and joyful life, and nothing boosts one's natural joy and sense of purpose more than helping others. Like dancing, laughing, and hugging, volunteering supports a healthy and happy body and soul. Volunteers experience a release of endorphins, the feel-good chemicals in the brain that reduce pain and depression and increase strength and happiness. So when you're feeling down and out, don't binge on chocolate and depressing movies. Get out and find something meaningful that you can help with! You may find that you benefit as much or even more than the ones you help.
Find Somebody To Love
Finding a place to help is the first step toward a rewarding lifestyle of volunteering. Take a look around your church, your kids' school, the local hospital, and the yellow pages. For more ideas, online networks like
www.volunteermatch.org can help match you with an nearby organization that fits your interests and abilities. When one opportunity doesn't work out, try another one. Finding the place for you is well worth it. For us moms, some organizations are happy to have little ones around, and teaching your children to care for others is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
Search for a cause that you truly believe in. If you are missing your dear grandmother, look for opportunities to help the elderly. If animals hold a special place in your heart, call the local shelter. Perhaps you long to protect and promote freedom, and have been waiting for a chance to get involved in politics. Go ahead! Learn something new or do what you're good at. Special skills and abilities such as planning events, speaking, gardening, tutoring, and accounting are always needed somewhere. Become an activist for the causes you hold dear, and be a blessing in your community.
The Hardest Work You'll Ever Love
While the rewards are great, volunteering can be far from easy. Romantic ideals of being thanked by appreciative children, playing with cheerful puppies, and receiving accolades from your family for your good deeds can set you up for disappointment. You might need to be prepared to get yelled at by grumpy and thankless people who don't seem to realize that you are trying to help them. You may even score some battle scars like calloused hands, a serious dog bite, or head lice. If the organization you work with doesn't have a volunteer coordinator, or is run entirely by volunteers, the logistics might be a little crazy. Don't lose heart, though. Keeping a positive attitude and being encouraging are part of the volunteer's unwritten job description and are what keeps the good work going. Remember, part of the joy is in the challenge, and you may find exhilaration in the risk. Despite the difficulties of volunteering, living what you believe is satisfying in itself.
A Life Changing Experience
Serving others and improving the world we live in is a job that will never be finished. After a few months or even hours as a volunteer, you may discover the that you never want to stop the good work. Your life may never be the same again. Circumstances that used to depress you may become trivial in the light of the sufferings of others, and the things that you used to value may become silly vanities to you when you find deeper meaning in meeting real needs. With time, you may become a full-time volunteer or even hired staff as you work to enrich the world with love. Make time to advance the causes you believe in, find ways to help the needy in your community, and attain the deep joy of volunteering.
Lindsey Meier lives in Texas with the love of her life and their two children. Between diaper changing and dish-washing she enjoys writing, reading and art. Lindsey and her husband aim to live productively and purposefully but don't mind having a little fun along the way.
