Benefits of Volunteering: More than a Good Feeling

Volunteering feels good. 

People need help, so you help them, you do something that needs to be done, and it pleases them and it pleases you, and you're all satisfied. Good; good all around.

That good feeling is just the start. 

1. You do something that needs to be done. Tasks completed.
2. People who asked feel positivity. Thanks for helping! Gratitude.
3. You feel good. I'm kind and capable. Self-confidence.
4. You interacted with people and made connections. Connections are vital.
5. People saw that you are a good person who has some skills. 

And there's more!

If you've offered to use skills you already have, you'll be brushing them up. But most likely, you'll be updating them. This is important for us older folks. There's so much to learn after the COVID years! Almost everything can be done electronically now, without paper and without face-to-face meeting. If you join a team, chances are you'll be communicating electronically and working with electronic documents. I gained a ton of computer experience at my job, but I'm always learning more from the people I volunteer with. I had never used Google Forms before, but it's so easy and useful for so many things! There are always new Excel tricks to learn, new Word hacks, new software, new apps, always new stuff. There are new and improved tools of all kinds that you can try out. Plus, you can meet people who are different from you who can open your world to new ways of seeing things: younger people, older people, people from different backgrounds, all with unique experiences and talents.

For all of us who want to age with positivity, here are three important ways that volunteering supports that:

1. Happiness: Pleasure, purpose, and pride (Blue Zones wisdom)
2. Continuous Learning: "use it or lose it"
3. Connecting with people and technology: "stay in the game"

Jump in. Join a committee, a club, a team, an executive or a board. There are long-term and short-term opportunities. Try a few different things until you find somewhere you can feel good and do good. 

Happiness: Pleasure, Purpose, Pride

 I just finished reading The Blue Zones of Happiness by Dan Buettner, 2017 

It was so inspiring, and validating! 

I'm on the right track, and my instincts about happiness and positivity are very good, solidly backed by research. 

I highly recommend this book (and all of Dan Buettner's writing).

I like the clean conclusions that Dan makes. There are three strands of happines: Pleasure, Purpose, and Pride. 

This resonates with me so well. Pleasure, purpose, and pride: I think about when I've got all of those happening in my life, and mostly that's when I'm in front of my choir, or surrounded by my family, and those are my happiest times.

These three strands of happiness are examined and then a Happiness Power 9 is developed. Here's the list: Love Someone, Inner Circle, Engage, Learn Likability, Move Naturally, Look Forward, Sleep Seven Plus, Shape Surroundings, and Right Community. Throughout, there are ideas for individuals, communities, and governments (ending with 10 clear policy recommendations) for ways to increase well-being. 

I loved the Blue Zones documentary on Netflix, and have been reading about the Blue Zones since the first days on National Geographic, 2005 I think? National Geographic is beautiful, and the articles on the Blue Zones there beautiful and inspiring. The Blue Zones work suits my Old Pollyanna vibe perfectly. Happy Longevity is my thing. 

I love how research started to look at how places that had the most centenarians- which were named Blue Zones- ate, and then looked at activity, environment, and community, and learned that there's more to healthy longevity than diet and exercise.  They identified "The Power 9" (registered trademark) factors, best practices, the original Power 9. 

You can see in the infographic below that they are: Move Naturally, Purpose, Downshift, 80% Rule, Plant Based, Wine at 5, Right Tribe, Loved Ones First, and Belong. They fall into 3 categories: Right Outlook, Eat Wisely, and Connect. It's so clear. I like how the Happiness book is also condensed into the 3 strands and the 9 factors. 

I'll let you discover what all that means on your own. Here's a link to the Blue Zones website. There's so much to learn on that website that you can spend many happy hours there. 

Here's what Amazon says about the Blue Zones of Happiness:

New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner reveals the surprising secrets of what makes the world's happiest places—and shows you how to apply these lessons to your own life.

     In this inspiring guide, you’ll find game-changing tools drawn from global research and expert insights for achieving maximum fulfillment. Along the way, you'll:

 • Discover the three strands of happiness—pleasure, purpose, and pride—that feature prominently in the world's happiest places.

 • Take the specially designed Blue Zones Happiness Test to pinpoint areas in your life where you could cultivate greater joy, deeper meaning, and increased satisfaction.

 • Meet the world's Happiness All-Stars: inspiring individuals from Denmark to the United States who reveal dynamic, practical ways to improve day-to-day living.

 • Discover specific, science-based strategies for setting up a “life radius” of community, work, home, and self to create healthier, happiness-boosting habits for the long-term.

I think I'll be writing more about the things I learned in this book. I'm very happy to report that I'm very happy. 

Focus on The Light, Like a Sunflower

"Some people get addicted to chain-smoking their problems. They spend all day going from sorrow to sorrow. It doesn't have to be that way. You can live each day going from joy to joy—like a sunflower that turns to face the sun as it moves across the sky. It's not about having a problem-free life, but about focusing on the light. Sunflowers still have shadows, but they are always behind them."

This quote came by email today from James Clear. I subscribe to his newsletter, 3-2-1 Thursday. Every week there are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider. This is one of Clear's "ideas," a quote of his. It's another good way to describe how being positive is healthy, and kinder to yourself and others.  How clever it is to compare negativity to chain smoking! It hurts you and those around you when you focus on problems. I am highly sensitive to cigarette smoke and also to doom and gloom. Luckily, I never started either of these habits, because quitting either of these is a difficult thing to do. I'm lucky to be a sunflower.

I enjoyed reading James Clear's book Atomic Habits, and often feel inspired by things in these Thursday newsletters. Here's a link to this week's newsletter. Mabye you'll find something on the website there that you like, and maybe you'll sign up yourself. 

Surround yourself with other sunflowers.