‘Tis the season of giving… but wait… what are you really giving?
Spending money you don’t have on gifts you’re not sure people will actually like? Hmmm… sounds like time to evaluate how you really want to be giving.
I invite you to pause your holiday shopping for a minute and take time to evaluate a different kind of gift giving–your volunteer work. (I’m not suggesting you don’t give presents to your loved ones during the holiday season–but what I am suggesting is that you step back and look at the bigger picture of your life and how you want to share your gifts with the world.)
Because giving your time is really the
BEST kind of giving there is, right?
Time is the most precious commodity that we have in our society. It’s the only thing we are given that once it’s gone, we can’t get it back. So you want to spend your time wisely and positively, doing things that you love and enjoy!
When we volunteer, we give the gifts of love, caring, wisdom, connection, patience and respect. But we receive just as many, if not more, gifts than we give. Those presents include learning, insight, gratitude, inspiration, new friendships, learning new skills and feeling good about ourselves.
We make other people’s lives richer and more joyful by the time that we give. In turn, we make our own lives healthier, happier and more meaningful.
As you finish up your holiday shopping, consider how you might give a gift of time instead of a material gift (read this great article for some tips on how to do that!). And as you finish up this calendar year and set your sights on 2016, I invite you to consider how you can revitalize your business and your life by volunteering!
10 Revitalizing Reasons to Volunteer Your Time
10. It’s good for your health! People who volunteer experience decreased stress, increased energy, less depression and better sleeping and eating habits. Who doesn’t want that?!
9. It connects you with others. You learn about teamwork, camaraderie and you often learn about people who are different from you. You learn that we’re all connected in this big web of life. Think about volunteering in a business group or civic organization.
8. It allows you to see outside yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day details of our lives and volunteering helps you to see the bigger picture about being human and connecting with others and reaching out a hand to help others in need. Have you ever volunteered at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter or domestic violence center?
7. It strengthens your community. We support our schools, our children, our families and our environment. We all benefit.
6. You are a good role model for your children. The more you volunteer, the more you model good citizenship and good stewardship to your community so that your children will grow up understanding the importance of giving back. Start ‘em young!
5. There’s a chance to be creative. When you are in another environment volunteering your time, you can let your creative juices flow because you are not bound by the constraints of your ordinary routines.
4. You feel good about yourself. When you volunteer, you increase your self-esteem and develop a sense of pride in the work you do. It’s a win-win.
3. Volunteers learn a lot. Whether it’s learning a new skill, gaining a new perspective on a topic, or making a new friend or networking connection, there is much to be learned by volunteering.
2. It’s cool to be a volunteer! Look around you… don’t you admire your friends and colleagues who volunteer their time? They feel the same way about you.
1. You make a difference! Volunteers touch the lives of so many people! Not only are the people receiving a service directly impacted, but so are our fellow volunteers, our friends, neighbors, teachers, families and children. You make the world a better place!
Revitalizing Action: Think about your volunteer activities right now–are they personal, profession or both? Are you involved in causes and organizations that you believe in and support 100%? Is there a group that you’ve been curious about volunteering with but you haven’t made the time to check them out? Or maybe you haven’t made the time to volunteer lately because life is simply very busy. If you know it’s something you want to reintroduce in your life in 2016, start evaluating your time so that you can free up some space to include volunteering in your world.
Here’s to giving the gift of YOU!
Elizabeth
P.S. And if volunteering is one of your goals for 2016, you can add it to the list that we’ll be working on during my January 8th Virtual Business Planning Retreat. If you’ve been too busy shopping and preparing for your holiday season, you probably haven’t had time to plan your 2016 business goals yet, have you? Take a minute to schedule yourself the gift of an entire day devoted to your business, your life and your goals. You’ll be glad you did!