Volunteer Voluntarily !

Volunteer

 

by Sakhi Bansal

There is a joy in Volunteering, there is pride in volunteering for something you are passionate about. There are many things that are mandatory in life, and even though at times we like doing them, there is a certain itch at the back of our mind that says “you were made to do that”. I smile whenever I read or hear the word Optional, it makes me look in my heart and decide what I wish to choose. There is pleasure in choosing, there is satisfaction in opting. Old people are often seen doing volunteer work as they have free time at their disposal and they need some pastime. They do their part, get to meet new people, it gives them excitement and a positive experience. It helps raise awareness and develop new hidden talents. It gives a purpose their lives, they grow from the experience, they learn as they serve.It gives personal satisfaction when they work for a cause and become part of a team. They get to face new challenges and pass their wisdom, it even helps to preserve yourself and stay active.

 

There was this quote I read in Harry Potter :

“It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew — And so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents — that there was all the difference in the world.”

So true, it makes all the difference, whether it was thrust upon you or you chose to do it. That gives you immense courage and resolve to face everything and anything that comes your way. In India, parents often find the match for their children, and sometimes this very fact that this choice was made by them and not voluntarily, makes them despise the match, whereas, in love marriage, the know what they have opted for and they prepare themselves for the oncoming happiness and hardships. When we volunteer, we condition our mind to take pleasure in it, to find happiness in it.

Some people opt for being hospice voluntarily, while sometimes family members wanna get rid of the sick and ailing. Why ? Because the former decides to do it them, while the latter was trapped in that situation. Volunteering is giving, and giving gives happiness, and in the process, we receive more than we have given. The willingness to give is a selfless act, and selflessness brings contentment.