Volunteering is good for your health and has many benefits that can provide satisfaction in more than one way.
Giving back is good for the mind, body, and soul and as we are in the holiday season what is a better way to make one feel the love. In this day and age many are so focused on the monetary gifts then just giving themselves meaning time, effort, even the ever so forgotten smile. Just these things alone will release endorphins in your body that give you a positive sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to go to Arizona for the Activeight Summit/Retreat sponsored by ReebokOne. While there with over 100 other Fitness Professionals we got the chance to work with STRENGTH TO SERVE project. During this event we partnered with Mentor House a foundation for underprivileged and at risk youth in the inner city area of Phoenix. We helped clean up a field that was being turned into a park as well as played games with them and later had dinner together. Such joy to see the excitement in their eyes and the love in there hearts. If you have a local school, boys and girls club, or YMCA I highly advise you reach out and find a way to help. It will make you feel a way you never imagined. You can go to any of your local shelters, Boy Scout groups, food pantries and lend a helping hand, it may change someone’s life and show them a light they never had lit. We also at one point broke off into groups and made toys for the kids that they will be receiving over Christmas, I can’t wait to see the joy on their faces. Now you don’t have to go to that level of what I did but do what you can to give back no matter what it is.
You can do so much right now or even after the holidays..look in that closet and maybe give away some of those old clothes, cook an extra meal for someone. These may seem like small things but in reality:
5.Treat others just as you would want to be treated.
At the end of the day we are put on this earth to be a blessing to others, to be a giver, so SERVE..take everyday as a gift and have an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.