The payoff of working for free.

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Maximus, Gladiator


What would the world be like if everyone; every man, woman and child spent one hour a week dedicated to a worthy cause? A cause they felt passionate about? Whether assisting the elderly, aiding the homeless, making a sick child’s life happier, or preserving the environment, imagine the net benefit to the world.

We cannot hope to motivate the entire world; however, we can start here and now in our own lives. Do not underestimate the power of dedicating a small fraction of your time to a cause you support, like a stone thrown into a pond, simple actions create ripples in the lives around you.

But I just don’t have any time! I would rather spend the time with my family! I have my own problems! They don’t need my help! I’m too tired at the end of the day! These are all common rationalizations for not getting involved.

Believe me, everybody on the planet can relate to these sentiments at some time in their life. What we don’t realize is that making time to dedicate to a cause can actually help resolve these problems.

· Devoting time to a cause we care about gives us a time to focus on what we believe to be the important things in life. It can be this kind of push that helps us to realize our true priorities in life and adjust our schedules accordingly to more accurately reflect what is truly meaningful and fulfilling in life.
· Family is one of the most important influences in our lives, and duty to family is a high priority for many people. Why not make your volunteerism a family event? An hour spent together working toward a common goal strengthens bonds within the family and reinforces.
· It’s true we do all have our own problems. Volunteerism lets you get a glimpse at just what kind of problems life presents to the people and world in general around us opening our eyes to the fact that our personal issues may not be as troublesome as we feel them to be, enlighten us to options we may have overlooked, and help us to build a support network of caring friends.
· While an organization may appear to have plenty of volunteers, never assume that your help would be unwelcome. Perhaps that one crucial area they need assistance in is your specialty. Don’t feel that you have to over-commit. Don’t feel like something is beneath you, you may have 2 college degrees, but swinging a hammer, picking up garbage, or serving food can be amazingly therapeutic when you can see the immediate impact of your actions.
· We are all tired at the end of the day, it is called bedtime! What we sometimes do not realize is that how we spend our time tiring ourselves out is completely up to us! You may find that dedicating time to a cause actually improves your mood and uplifts your spirits. When you know that you have spent your time making the world a better place, you might just find that you rest better at night.

We are inescapably human. While our purpose here on Earth may be open for debate, it IS possible to make a difference in the world around us. If we as individuals strive toward a better world, together we may succeed.

A great place to find an exciting volunteer opportunity is at www.ecoteer.com. Fun Luggage supports grassroot organizations, if you have a worthy cause please contact us through www.funluggage.com