Finding Myself Through Service: Three Key Lessons
Introduction
Volunteering taught me more about myself than a self help book ever could. Volunteering is like a magnifying glass, showcasing the fine print of your skills and values. Similarly, it also tends to bring out and highlight the areas where you need to improve. I learned this the hard way when I started my volunteering journey in 2022. I volunteered at a Christian camp for a Spanish organization called Vida Joven in the Dominican Republic. Over the last 2 years, I have volunteered around 10 times for this organization and around 4 times for another organization. My experience with volunteering has definitely taught me many things about myself and about others. In this post, I will be diving into 3 of the most important lessons I've learned throughout my journey so far.
Improvement Comes From Baby Steps
After quarantine, I have become very socially anxious. I lost all of my conversational abilities and all of my confidence. Volunteering wasn’t a super foreign concept to me, but the thought of working on a team with only one or two people that I knew terrified me (it still terrifies me). The first time I volunteered, I took a tiny step out of my comfort zone while gripping tightly onto my friend's hand. I didn’t know it then, but that small step into the unknown led to an avalanche of self-discovery and growth. Every time I decided to go back to volunteer, it was another step. Over time, the steps got bigger and bigger until I was practically jumping into foreign and uncomfortable situations.
Volunteering was simply the first step. It was the step that led to many more steps. For example, volunteering led me to take a step by trying to join a group conversation. That didn’t go well, but it is the step that matters, not necessarily whether you trip or fall. The best thing that volunteering did for me was make me comfortable putting myself in uncomfortable situations. I learned that staying in my comfort zone would prevent me from growing, so I had to learn to be okay with not being comfortable.
The first lesson I learned while volunteering is that it is worth the uncomfortableness to take a small step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes all you need is one step to experience great self-improvement.
Reflection is Key
The very first time I volunteered, I half-assed everything I did. I thought, “Why put in all my effort when I’m not getting paid?” and “I’m in physical pain, so why should I work hard if it doesn’t even benefit me”. This made the work harder, not only for myself but for everyone on my team. I became a hindrance for my team.
I started to take notice of this one lady who worked super hard. She looked glad to be there and like she wasn’t in pain. This confused me because I knew she was in pain, we had just talked about it. The way she worked showed me what kind of person she was and her values. She was a hard worker. She valued her time and her effort, and because of this, she made sure not to waste her time. The way she worked was the exact opposite of the way I worked. She brought the team to life and inspired others to work harder.
The second time I volunteered, I remembered the impact the lady had on me. I was determined not to be a hindrance again and to inspire others. When I look back now, I realize that that moment was a pivotal moment in my development. I didn’t simply start working harder, if anyone tells you they simply started working harder, that would be a lie. I reflected on my actions and behaviors. This allowed me to realign how I worked with my true values. It even helped me prove to myself what my values are.
The second lesson I learned while volunteering is without reflection, there is no growth. If you are in a constant state of reflection, you will never run out of things to improve.
Attitude is Everything
As you may have already figured out, my attitude when I first started volunteering was very pessimistic. I have always been a pretty pessimistic person. That was definitely highlighted when I first started volunteering. The world has always been a negative place, and I have always been one to highlight that and point that out to others. I used to start my day with, “It's a great day to suffer” or “It’ll probably rain, and I'll get all wet. Which will ruin my day”. One day that all changed, I began starting my day off with “it could be worse” or “at least the sky is pretty”. This slowly, over time, turned into “What a beautiful day” and “Wow, I’m glad I get to enjoy this breeze”.
This is a drastic change, my entire way of viewing a bad or even a good situation has flipped. All the positive changes in my life can be pinpointed to the moment I started viewing the world through a grateful lens. After this I had tons more energy, I worked harder, I was kinder to others, and I was able to help so many people. I would say this is all thanks to volunteer work, but that wouldn’t be true. Volunteer work simply guided me into a position where I could learn from others and grow. This change was simple due to a switch in mindsets and attitude. I stopped looking for things to worry about and instead started looking for things to be grateful for.
The third lesson I learned from doing volunteer work is that attitude is everything. Learn to look on the bright side, and you yourself will become brighter!
Conclusion
I started my volunteer journey around 2 years ago, and since then I have learned many things from my time volunteering. The three most important lessons I have learned are:
Improvements come from baby steps. One small step out of our comfort zone can lead to an avalanche of new discoveries.
Reflection is key. Being in a constant state of looking for new ways to improve will inevitably lead to more growth and higher understanding of yourself.
Attitude is everything. A small word of encouragement to yourself and saying one thing you are grateful for can mayorly help improve the way you work and live.
If you were to only take one thing from this post, I would want you to remember that a good attitude and a grateful heart are the keys to making a good day great! What are some lessons you have learned through hard work?
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