Developing a Better You

Tag: volunteering

Need a Pick Me Up? Get Back in the Serving Groove

Once you’re knocked out of your groove, it’s hard to get back in.

I’ve volunteered in various capacities for years now. When a local center for people experiencing homelessness was forced to stop scheduling volunteers early in the coronavirus pandemic, I wasn’t able to continue serving lunch there. I looked for other ways to volunteer remotely but nothing seemed like the right fit.

Months went by, and eventually we moved to another state. The busyness of the move and getting settled further delayed my return to volunteering. But once I was fully vaccinated, I knew I was out of excuses. It was time to get back to giving back.

To be honest, it was a struggle. I’d grown accustomed to my new volunteer-less routine. It seemed like such a chore to find someplace new to serve, go through the learning process, and take all that time out of my schedule. But I forced myself to do the research, pick a place, attend the orientation, and show up to serve.

Unsurprisingly, my shifts at a local food bank have quickly reminded me why volunteering is important. The people I meet are literally struggling for their physical survival, something that never even occurs to me in my overly blessed life. My heart broke for the downcast homeless gentleman, the mentally challenged person, the veteran desperate for someone to listen to his stories, and the elderly woman walking slowly with her cane as she struggled to collect food for her nine-person family. These are real people, just like me, deserving of dignity, respect, and help.

But the magic of serving is that the people being served aren’t the only ones who benefit. I’ve rediscovered the joy and gratitude I feel when volunteering for a cause I believe in. Energized, I literally ran through my last shift as the line of people waiting for food in the hot Arizona sun stretched down the sidewalk. I was motivated by their courage, and by the positive attitudes of so many. I returned home tired in the best sense and found myself appreciating my beautiful, privileged life in a whole new way.

So how about you? Are you intentionally serving others? If not, why not start today? A simple internet search of “volunteer opportunities near me” is a great place to begin. I’ve volunteered at a number of places using volunteermatch.org, which allows you to filter opportunities by location and area of interest. Try helping out at a food bank or a homeless shelter or a school or a church. Maybe your way of serving isn’t through an organization at all, but by mowing an elderly neighbor’s lawn or dropping off cookies or writing encouraging letters to lonely relatives. Find what feels right to you. It may take a few times to find a good fit, but don’t give up. Keep going. Give back. If you do, you’ll feel good while making the world a better place, and you’ll take another step toward Becoming Yourself.

Want a Better Life? Take a Moment to “Clean the Glass”

The sliding glass door was filthy. Our apartment’s balcony has a great park view, but Sacramento’s rainy season had given the door a film of splotchy dust. I stared at it for weeks thinking, “I really should clean that.” Every time, I shrugged my mental shoulders and thought, “It’s good enough.”

About a week ago, I had a little time between commitments, and the slider door once again caught my eye. I decided I’d put it off long enough and finally took fifteen minutes to clean the glass. The difference was amazing. The view became so vibrant and clear that I couldn’t stop looking at it. And of course, the thought that went through my head was, “That was so worth it. Why did I put this off for so long?”

The view from our apartment balcony

How often have I done the same thing with my personal growth? I know there are things that need a little work – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual windows that have gotten dirty through the rainy seasons of life. Areas that need attention. But when I look at them all, I get overwhelmed. I feel paralyzed, so I put off doing anything. I rationalize and say, “Good enough.” My friendships are “good enough.” My physical health is “good enough.” My level of fear and anxiety is “good enough.” My relationship with God is “good enough.” But a “good enough” perspective won’t get me the life I really want.

I’m not talking about perfectionism or chasing an unrealistic ideal. I’ve fallen into that trap before, and it just leads to feeling like a failure most of the time. And I don’t mean a measurement of personal worth either, as in whether or not I am “good enough.” I believe my worth and personal identity comes from who I am, or more specifically, whose I am – God’s child. Regardless of what you base those things on, that’s a different category than what I’m talking about here.

As I did with cleaning the slider door, I’ve procrastinated taking personal growth steps so many times. Like finding a new place to volunteer helping people who are struggling with homelessness. I had an organization in Phoenix I regularly worked with, but I’ve put off starting up again since I moved to Sacramento. I’d gotten out of the habit. I told myself I was too busy. Too tired. In reality, I was scared to try someplace new. Eventually, I told myself to volunteer just once with a local group I’d read about. I finally did, and I loved it.

I needed to break down my bigger goal of helping to address the homeless crisis in Sacramento into smaller steps and then tell myself I only needed to take the first one. Now the feeling of accomplishment motivates me to keep going. As usual, the hardest part was just getting started. Like when I took in the view through clean glass, I wondered why I had put off volunteering for so long.

So what sliding glass door do you need to clean in your life today? It it a mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual one? What small step can you take in just one area? Maybe it’s going for a walk to kickstart your physical goals. Or meditating for 3 minutes with the Calm phone app to work on your anxiety. It might be checking out the website of that church you’ve been meaning to try. Sending that text to a struggling friend you’ve been thinking about. Tidying up that one room. Start small. Do that one thing, then enjoy the beautiful view through the glass. If you do, you’ll take another important step toward Becoming Yourself.

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