How Volunteering Changed My Life

"We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill's words have great meaning. They show that in the process of helping others, you help yourself as well. Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, help others, and help yourself. It can help you learn more about yourself or put you on the right track to a possible future career. I know this from my own experiences. I started volunteering a few years ago and I believe it has truly changed my life for the better. When I was younger, I did not know what I wanted to be when I got older. So I took up a few hobbies to see if I showed any interest in pursuing them as a career. I took up basketball, reading, writing, and tutoring. I loved to play basketball, but could never see it turning into a career. Reading and writing I was not into at all. But tutoring seem to spark an interest, not for teaching, but for that breathtaking feeling I felt when I helped someone else accomplish something.
I decided to take up volunteering to see it helping others would give me that same experience.
At first I helped my mom and aunts at their work. It gave me a feeling of satisfaction but not that awe-inspiring feeling I was looking for. So I choose to join this volunteering club at my school. Our first event was to help out an equestrian event. This meant giving up my Saturday to volunteer, but I was willing to help out the cause. My job was to help set up for the event and man a booth with my fellow classmates during the event. After the day was over the people in charge of the event came over and thanked us from the bottom of their hearts for helping out. Their reaction moved me so much that I realized that I love to help people in any way I
can. I started to look for volunteering opportunities that I could do in my spare time, when my mom suggested to turn my volunteering into a career. This was the perfect career path for me. I started looking into careers that would help me achieve that incredible feeling that I love. I found that a doctor had a very rewarding outcome and fulfilled my other interest of learning more about the human body. So I made the decision to become a doctor. During the process, I will still volunteer in any way I can. Volunteering with many different people and groups has motivated me to obtain a career that I truly love. Through volunteering, I have made a difference in my community while discovering who I am and what I want to be. Volunteering has taught me so many life lessons and experiences that I truly value and would never trade for the world. I have also met many people that have changed my life for the better. They have given me such valuable advice that I use as motivation to reach my new found goal in life. I now realize that I have gotten so much, none of which would have happened if I had not decided to give back to my community. Volunteering has also changed my attitude toward life. It has opened my eyes to what is around me and not to take what I have for granted. It has shaped my heart, mind, and soul. Volunteering has also showed me how one person, one voice, and two hands can make a difference in someone else's life.