It doesn’t matter what stage you are in your life; teenager, college student, college grad, parent, it doesn’t matter, you can still help someone.
I’m going to let you in on one of my philosophies on life. I believe that we are all on this planet for a purpose: to help others. I refuse to believe we are on this planet to just wander around and only care about ourselves. Yes, we are born alone but we don’t exist alone.
So let me ask you: What are you contributing to your community? Anything? It doesn’t have to be monetary. You can donated your time and talents as well. Volunteering is a very rewarding experience, no really, it is. And I must add that it bothers me when people don’t get involved in anything that is going on in their community and then are the first to have a complaint.
“If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.”
A guy I was dating asked me: “If you saw someone getting shot or robbed would you tell the authorities?” My response was “Hell yeah!” His response: “You’re stupid. If you open your mouth and say something you’d get yourself killed. People need to mind their own business.” Needless to say we are not dating anymore, not just because of that comment but for various other reasons, but I digress. The thought that he would not say anything if he saw something horrible happen really bothers me still. I’m sure if something happened to a family member of his he would want someone to help them but people don’t think that way. The majority of people, unless it directly concerns them, are not going to go out of their way or even in their way to help. But let something happen to them. That’s when they want someone to care about them.
The world won’t get no better…
About eight years ago, me and two friends were driving through the Lincoln Tunnel in Manhattan. NY. Before we entered the tunnel, Teddy Pendergrass was starting to sing “Wake Up Everybody.” If you’ve driven in a tunnel before you know that there is barely if any radio reception, it’s mostly static. But no lie, when Teddy sang, “The world won’t get no better if we just let it be. The world won’t get no better we got to change it yeah, just you and me” it was crystal clear and loud. And then the radio went back to static and become clear again when it came to the chorus. We all laughed and said that Teddy was telling us to go out there and do something. Secretly, I took that as a sign that I needed to do more. You can call me crazy but ever since then I have really dedicated myself to making the world a better place.
It is such a wonderful feeling to know that you are helping someone, at least is it for me. All non-profit organizations rely heavily on volunteers to continue providing their much needed services. For those of you who are thinking, “I would love to volunteer but I just don’t know where” my U.S.A people can visit www.volunteermatch.com and my British peeps can visit www.volunteering.org.uk, and to find opportunities around the world visit www.volunteertoday.com. You are sure to find an organization that will help you shine in your area of expertise. There are some organizations that just need someone to visit seniors or bring them their groceries, feed the needy, write press releases, help in the office, create a website, be a mentor to a young child, and more.
And so you don’t think I’m telling you to do something that I don’t, I work with foster kids through my sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, and prepare meals for the ladies at St. Luke’s LifeWorks, in Stamford, CT every third Sunday of the month, and basically anything else that anyone asks me to help them with.
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