How Volunteering Changed My Life and it can change yours too!
You may not realize it, but you could be the one person to change the trajectory of another persons life. Help one person and you’ll help to change their relationships, their community and ultimately the world. Seem too much to grasp or believe? Look at the world around you and find a person, place or thing that could use some help and go lend a hand and see what happens. I look at helping others as the rent that I pay for my time on Earth.
Recently I have been volunteering at the local university in the country I am now residing in, which is Poland…and let me say if you don’t know this already, I do not speak Polish or any other language. The US State Department funds a program called the American Corner in 600 universities, libraries or city centers around the globe. The idea is to introduce democracy, American culture and literature with the world.
I set out at first by simply volunteering. New to this city, I was looking to meet some friends. Feeling very blessed in my life, I felt it is the least I could do, and I get to meet people from around the globe who just want to speak English better or meet their first American.
I participate in a workshop called, Conversation Club, that meets once a week and is meant for foreigners that want to improve their English. Pretty much we sit in a circle and begin talking about a specific subject. The idea is to get each participant to speak, which quite honestly can be challenging depending on the topic. People get all stuck in their heads about their English not being good enough. Where does that kind of thinking show up in your life?
People that go to the American Corner are from all different races, religions and ethnicities and I might add are from all ages.
The American Corner is free to the public and provides a small library and offers workshops and programs such as the one I attend. Each meeting different people show up, so it is really a mixed bag. The American Corner in Lodz, Poland is held in the local university so many of those that attend are students attend from around the world.
It is interesting to have Russians sitting next to Poles or Ukrainians. The history between these countries has been horrific at best and the wounds are still there. I have to say that I was a little nervous about being a room with strangers from opposing countries that are still at odds and at war. Afterall, what do I really know about war.
It is tremendously eye opening, not only for me but I hope for the participants as well. On one such evening I asked, “what you will do and where you will live after you graduate.” A Ukrainian student spoke up saying that he can not return to his home because it was just destroyed by the Russians last week and his family, some that were killed and others that fled, have nowhere to live. A young Russian student was sitting straight across from him and their eyes met.
The conversation that pursued was fascinating and you could see how words get misconstrued and how communication gets altered. As the facilitator I asked feeling questions to keep the conversation on the human side instead of finger pointing mis-truths. I began to ask others about their homeland and the conflicts that arise. The participants during this particular evening were from Turkey, Syria, and Azerbaijan and were all eager to speak up about the recent conflicts in their countries.
We were able to talk about problems and possible solutions, as well as the deep seeded problems of these different regions around the globe. These attendees were not mad at one other, they just wanted to understand why it was necessary to hurt one another or to take away what they had and then destroy it. War makes no sense to the people that live through it.
How do we then, each of us, place kindness toward one another? How can we put the past aside when such atrocities have happened? Can we learn to trust, after all the desecration? Have we learned anything from history? It seems to me that it just keeps on repeating itself. It’s the bully in the sand box that wants it all. How can we bring up children to be accepting of one another? What role as parents and grandparents can we play? The participants at the American Corner wanted to understand one another. How can we get that to play outside the doors of this program?
What fears or misunderstandings do you harbor against another race, religion or culture? What will it take to put down your fist and open your hand? Maybe just by volunteering and serving others that are less fortunate, you could begin to see that people are the same everywhere. We all want love, happiness and fulfilment. Our past should not define us. Be the change you wish to see in the world. You might just be surprised who will become your next best friend.
And BONUS….I now also facilitate paid workshops at the university on Women in Leadership, Building Confidence and Goal Setting!
How have volunteer experiences that have changed your life?
I hope you enjoyed this post. Follow along for more on manifesting change!
Cheers,
Merry
