Service is a HIGH - and the world's best kept secret

Anyone who knows me knows I am an ubervolunteer.  Name a committee, name a need, "I'll do it!"  Before you can even finish describing it, "I'm in!!"

People ask me all the time,"How do you do it? WHY?" Why? I will let you in on a secret. Volunteers of the world, forgive me.

Serving others is a high.  When you do work for the good of other people, selfless work, usually unpaid work, something happens inside of you.  You feel good. You feel amazing. You feel needed, worthy and appreciated. When you do things for others, without that expectation of a return, you are giving the best part of yourself. And when you truly do this, you get a feeling inside better than any drug - almost like a hug from within. You can lift your head up higher, you can skip a little in your step.

Example?  Here's a perfect example of paying it forward.  And Karma. I am known to buy cups of coffee for the stranger behind me in the drive thru line at Starbucks. I've been doing this for years. I just get up to my spot in line, and say,"I'd like to buy the person behind me coffee too." They don't look shocked,the Barista's. This is something folks do.  And I do it just because I have a few extra bucks that day. I do it knowing the person behind me has NO WAY of thanking me, because that's not why I did it.  So, I've been doing that on occasion over the last few years, and the other day, I got in line to get some coffee and there was a woman trying to turn into the line from the opposite direction that everyone normally goes in.  About 3 cars pass her in line without letting her cut in.  Naturally, I let her in.  And low and behold, she bought my coffee for me!  That's NEVER happened to me before, and let me just tell you, it made my day.  It made me feel like I'm not the only one who does it, and that one good turn deserves another. Loved my coffee!

I volunteer for lots of things.  I am the Reunion chair for my high school class. I organized the 10 year, and now, this year is our 20 year.  I am a Girl Scout leader. I volunteer with my local Golden Retriever rescue, and the list goes ON. I'm not going to continue the list because I think you get the point.  I love it. Its very rewarding. So, here's what I want to say to people who say, "How can you do that?"

I want to say, "How can I not?" It's fun, its rewarding, its appreciated. And I can go to bed at night knowing I did my share.I don't understand people who don't reach out. Who singularly focus on just themselves.I can't relate.  They are MISSING OUT!!!