Go ahead and volunteer!

In these difficult economic times, it can be so easy to feel sorry for yourself. The threat of unemployment, the discouragement of not being able to find a job, the increasing gulf between your wages and your bills, or a general concern regarding how much more belt-tightening you can do can take a toll on your good humor and overall state of mind. Sometimes, as I have noted previously, you need to take a breather and find a different perspective. I think Booker T. Washington-a man who was born into slavery in 1856 and yet became the founder of Tuskegee Institute after the Civil War-said it best:

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.

There is a lot of wisdom in those words. If you have ever volunteered, really done something for a cause because you believed it was the right thing to do, you know how amazingly good you feel about it. Not because it was necessarily easy, comfortable or convenient, because odds are, it wasn’t, but because you walked away knowing you helped. Yes, it’s corny, but it is so very true.

You can volunteer time, money, and even goods you no longer need. For instance, we recently donated our dog kennel fencing to Puppy Angels, an organization that does animal rescue and adoption. During the pickup of the fence, we met Dora, a young Pitbull. She was lithe and bright and energetic, she is the dog you see here with her pal Kelly, and Dora is available for adoption.

How are you feeling these days? Stressed? Down in the dumps? Feeling sorry for yourself? My prescription for you would be to get out and volunteer. You can find opportunities everywhere: your community, your church, your neighborhood, and you can do it once, or on a continuing basis. Reach out and help someone today. You really will be glad you did.