(Hint: It’s not just gaining experience)
We all want to find our purpose. Back in the day, helping the larger community was a natural part of our lives. Today, we don’t live that kind of slow and deliberate life. Even with all the mindfulness practices, we spend so much time trying to catch up with the rest of the world around us.
The idea of volunteering as only for those who are unemployed to gain exposure is a thing of the past. Thanks to social media, exposure and experience can be acquired in so many different ways. Here are a few ways volunteering has helped me beyond my full-time job and regular life:
1. Perfect place to experiment
Being a volunteer meant I had people to listen to my ideas. Even though some were good and some were bad, I received genuine feedback. The diverse backgrounds of our team members made for different points of review. Being able to experiment gave me insight into issues I didn’t even know existed and sharpened my skills to find solutions for them.
2. Make life-long connections
As a volunteer for Green Schools Green Future for a few years now, I have met many amazing volunteers from different backgrounds. Hearing their stories and seeing them grow has been pivotal in forming friendships even outside our work. This happens because we share common values. Today these connections are my constant source of support.
3. Find my passion
Volunteering is how I found my spark. After leading an unmotivated life and going with the flow, being able to assist someone with a purpose led me to my purpose. I had to volunteer at different organizations with different motives to understand what I wanted to do. Being able to work with them and understand the nitty-gritty details of such organizations opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me.
4. Triggers a new awakening
An entirely new side of the world I was living in opened up to me when I started volunteering. Seeing people who needed me helped me embrace my ability to make a change. I’ve taken a deeper look at my life and goals. We often forget or avoid thinking about our life habits or making ourselves available for others. Volunteering strengthens our fundamental connections and broadens our perspectives. It provides educational lessons everyone needs. It elevates our emotional capacity in a way this uncertain world doesn’t. In a way, volunteering has aided me to equip myself with the emotional intelligence much needed in today’s world.
Conclusion: Volunteering For a Better World
At Green Schools Green Future, we are a group of dedicated volunteers committed to building schools that teach children how to live in harmony with nature, cultivate practical skills, and foster a sustainable future. Our children will be a generation where uncertainties will not deter them from their paths.
Join our growing team of passionate volunteers! Together we will help children become responsible green leaders through sustainable education, paving the way for a better future.
