Workplace Culture, Culture Inspiration, inspiration, service, tips for happiness, Acts of Happiness, charity, community
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Our Everyday Happiness feature stories are about how the search for happiness has shaped who we are and how we live. This series is open not only to regular Delivering Happiness contributors, but to guest posters from the Delivering Happiness movement, Very Happy People, and….you. If you are interested in telling us about how happiness works in your life, please contact our Creativity Curator: lindsay@deliveringhappiness.com.
“…Nice to meet you, Vrere. So what do you do for a living?” I’m asked this question on a regular basis, perhaps daily at this point. My response? “Well…I volunteer for a living.” After losing my comfortable job as an assistant at a law firm, I had to figure out what to really do with my life.
I was tired of being comfortable; my soul suffered, and so did my mind. I felt that I lost that opportunity because I was suffering in a way I could not see, only feel. It was time for me to no longer just “exist”. From that moment, I made a choice to make a change, and I started seeking out opportunities to volunteer in my community, to help, to make a difference. This has been my purpose for almost 3 years now, and it will be my purpose for the rest of my life.
Volunteering was initially something to do to keep busy, but now I've come to realize that giving back genuinely makes my happy. I’ve become a better citizen of the world. Whether it’s helping a 40+ year old finally learn how to read or eating lunch with and mentoring 5th graders every Friday afternoon, knowing that I’m making an impact on the lives of those around me has improved my life in so many ways. I look at things differently. My mind is more open than ever before. I am truly here to help. Yes, I perform temporary job assignments to earn a living, but my free time is devoted to my commitment to volunteerism.
Volunteering is something anyone can do, and especially at this time of year, most of us do give it some thought, or might even go out and do something simple, one time. It takes a special being to understand the true reward in providing a service to someone/something without financial gain, and then make the commitment to continue to act in service of their community.What they gain lies in the improvement of their own well being. Through the improvements I've made in my life and to my life. I am a much healthier individual, and it all comes from doing something I'm already passionate about.
I believe that finding your purpose, knowing wholeheartedly what you are placed here to do, will make any person physically, emotionally, and spiritually enhanced, which can be very contagious. I want everyone to reach the point of no longer being content with their lives, but to be happy, and to pay that happiness forward. I have a long way to go before everything is “right” with my life but for me, volunteer work has allowed me to at least begin the journey towards true bliss.
About Vrere
Vrere (short for "very rare") is an active Volunteer Liaison in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. She has dedicated her life to service and giving back. As a Volunteer Referral Specialist with Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU), she connects the community to various volunteer projects. She is a member of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN Cleveland Chapter), and sits on the Young Professional Junior Board for Magnolia House, a nonprofit catered to those living with mental illness. Vrere graduated with a B.A. in Communications Management from Cleveland State University. To keep up with her volunteer efforts and life in Cleveland, visit http://vrere.wordpress.com
