16 Nov Do something and expect nothing
Why does it feel so good to do something and expect nothing?
Lately, especially in these tougher economic times, it seems that so many people are all about ROI (return on investment) and delivering tangible, quantifiable benefits (read outcomes that you can see and measure). So you would think that volunteering would be out of fashion. Far from it. According to Volunteer Australia, around six million people volunteer their time and skills every year.
This weekend I volunteered at Park Run. This little jog around Sandon Point is something that the GWS* and I have recently become a fan of. You turn up just before 8am run five kilometres and just hours later you find out if you beat you own pb. It’s not just us who think it’s great. It is now a worldwide phenomenon.
Why volunteer?
Taking part in something like Park Run is amazing. You become part of a worldwide community of like-minded people. There’s a great sense of belonging with just a pinch of competition and achievement thrown in. Without volunteers there would be no Park Run.
My Park Run volunteering job wasn’t hard. All I had to do was scan barcodes and time places but when I thought about it’s not all I did.
To the 5772 Australian runners who have taken part in Park Run since it started, well done you are amazing. It was amazing to help 70 of you get a time for your hard work and I hope you felt a great sense of achievement and self worth.
One of the big attractions to volunteering is the opportunity to share a part of yourself with others. Being able to share, connect and give back a little bit of yourself to a community that you’re passionate about is amazing. To have the chance to inspire passion in others is a privilege you can’t ignore.
I saw passion in Russell ‘s PB (personal best time) of 15 mins18sec time (seriously? how on earth do you do that!). I marvelled at the ten year old who had beaten my 28.41sec PB by three minutes and I aspired to a new PB. I met Bec, Nic and Courtney. Angus gave me a great tip to lengthen my stride and improve my PG. So what are the other groups you can volunteer for?
Who can you volunteer for?
- Friends and family
- Neighbours
- Clubs and groups that you are a part of
- Religious institutions
- Charities
- Organisations that you’d like to work for
- Educational organisations
- Medical aid groups
- Community events and projects
- Hobbies and interest groups
The list is long these are just a few options
There are hundreds of other events, projects, charities and organisations that need your help every day, week, month and year all round Australia and the world. Stuck finding somewhere to volunteer? There are great websites like govolunteer.com.au where you can register your interest to help. The list of places where you can volunteer is endless. Go do something and expect nothing. You’ll be amazed how good it feels.
Ten reasons why you should volunteer?
- To give back
- To meet people
- To help someone
- To learn something new
- To get experience that might help get you back in the workforce
- To keep yourself busy
- To gain new skills that could help you get a new job
- To fulfill a dream
- To change careers
* Great white snorer