In high school, volunteering was something I just did to meet my graduation requirements—I’m sure you can relate. Although I’ve always been passionate about various social causes, volunteering was something I just didn’t believe I had time for. It wasn’t until this summer, when I had the opportunity to work at a non-profit at home, and continue to volunteer for them here in Kingston, did I realize just how much I was missing before I carved out the time to give back. Before I dive into all the incredible things volunteering to meaningful causes has added to my life—it’s important to mention this one crucial thing: yes, it’s okay (it’s more than okay actually) to admit that volunteering makes YOU feel good.
Do we help others to feed our own ego or to actually give back?
Despite how ashamed we may be to admit this, there is very little we do that is not influenced by ego in some way. Of course, we give our friends advice and help them work through problems because we want to be a good friend and make their life easier. Yet there is nothing wrong in admitting that it does feel good to help out a friend, and that perhaps part of us wants to give advice because of the rewarding feeling that comes with it. Indeed, it’s often very hard to distinguish between purely good intentions and the ego, and I would make the argument that it actually doesn’t matter that much. Humans are social creatures. We thrive off of our relationships to others. Of course it feels good when we’re doing things to help others. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that helping out the people around you actually feels good—it’s a win/win for everyone. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that we should do help the people around us solely to feel good. This is simply just a loop—do good, make others feel good, then you’ll feel good as a result.
the benefits of volunteering
Let’s get into some of the benefits of volunteering.
- It helped my mental health: When you are doing acts of service for others, there is no room for your “monkey brain” that is consumed by fear and anxiety. Indeed, volunteering is such an incredible way to fully immerse yourself into something bigger than you, and to quiet down the parts of yourself that are so concerned and wrapped up in trivial matters.
- It allowed me to form connections I never would have otherwise: Through my volunteering endeavours, I have met some of the most beautiful people, from all walks of life. There is something very special about the fact that people can come together for the same goal of making the world a better place.
- It helped me pick my career aspirations: Through volunteering, I learned what I was passionate about. The opportunities I received through volunteering shaped me into a different person, and encouraged me to go after a similar career where I can continue to work with meaningful organizations.
- It allowed me to re-evaluate my priorities: My volunteering gave me so much clarity on what truly matters in life. I gained a newfound sense of gratitude for myself and my circumstances, and had even more energy to give to the people that I can help.