Finding time for others
View(s):It’s not easy juggling commitments with many people demanding your time and attention, assignments for university, deadlines at work and of course commitments towards friends and family. It’s getting increasingly harder to find any ‘ME’ time where you can do something for yourself, to relax. But along the rocky path of learning how to balance life, I realized was that, regardless of how many commitments we have, one single thing we enjoy can transform our whole outlook towards life. That’s why people have hobbies I suppose, they paint, they sing, they cook. And in my case, I volunteer.
Most wonder how it’s possible to find time for others when there’s no time for themselves, but believe me, that’s the beauty of it. There is no greater feeling than making time for someone else whom you hardly know, just so that you can see them smile. The adrenaline going through your veins when you plan a project that will help children learn a new language, the excitement and anticipation of planning a valentine’s day party for a group of elders, these are little things that don’t mean much in the greater scheme of the world with pressing issues such as cancer and world hunger, but they do matter. More for us, than for whom it is targeted.
So you find yourselves juggling schedules, staying up a little more late, skipping a few meals, just so that you can make time for something more. And that, makes all the difference in the world, because your sacrifice, however minimal, is for someone who needs it. And in their eyes, you’re a hero. And when things start crowding in, and you start suffocating under the pressure of coping up with your oh-so hectic life, looking back and remembering the crinkly eyed smile of the grandpa whose hand you held while singing to him, makes everything a little more bearable. That’s the beauty of volunteering I guess.
This article was written by a Stitch volunteer. For more information visit ww.stitchmovement.com or find us onFacebook or Twitter (ID: StitchMovement)