Meeting Outside the Box: Volunteering
- Tuesday, February 02 2010 @ 08:28 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 2,463
In today's world of telecommuting, non-traditional work and home environments, people tend to feel that their dating options are increasingly limited. If you work from home, don't like the bar or club scenes, don't attend a church and aren't having much luck on the Internet, where can you turn?
My proposal: volunteering. Not solely as a means to find a date – that's a little like the sitcom boy joining the sewing team because it's full of girls. I'm suggesting that those who are having trouble meeting people of any sort – friendship counts too – turn to something they're passionate about, and volunteer a bit of their time.
When most people think of volunteering, they think of building homes or serving at a soup kitchen. Those are certainly worthy causes, but there are countless additional ways to volunteer. For example, a group of musicians might stage an instrument open house for children. Someone who's had their life affected by an illness or disease might want to help out with one of the many marathons. If you're into comics or science fiction, many areas have local conventions that can always use volunteers. And, of course, various holidays and seasons provide additional opportunities to help out.
Volunteering helps in countless ways. First, there's the obvious benefit to whatever cause we're working for, whether it's playing checkers in a nursing home or taking care of rescued animals. Then there are the lesser benefits: we're thinking about someone other than ourselves, so it can often lend some needed perspective to our busy lives. Helping out a cause we feel passionate about makes us feel good, so we're generally at our best. And, finally, working side-by-side with others who have the same passions means we're meeting new people, and we've already got something in common.
So if you're feeling down about the way things are going in your life, volunteering for a cause you care about is a great way to turn it around. It's also a fantastic way to meet people who could become friends – or maybe even something more.
My proposal: volunteering. Not solely as a means to find a date – that's a little like the sitcom boy joining the sewing team because it's full of girls. I'm suggesting that those who are having trouble meeting people of any sort – friendship counts too – turn to something they're passionate about, and volunteer a bit of their time.
When most people think of volunteering, they think of building homes or serving at a soup kitchen. Those are certainly worthy causes, but there are countless additional ways to volunteer. For example, a group of musicians might stage an instrument open house for children. Someone who's had their life affected by an illness or disease might want to help out with one of the many marathons. If you're into comics or science fiction, many areas have local conventions that can always use volunteers. And, of course, various holidays and seasons provide additional opportunities to help out.
Volunteering helps in countless ways. First, there's the obvious benefit to whatever cause we're working for, whether it's playing checkers in a nursing home or taking care of rescued animals. Then there are the lesser benefits: we're thinking about someone other than ourselves, so it can often lend some needed perspective to our busy lives. Helping out a cause we feel passionate about makes us feel good, so we're generally at our best. And, finally, working side-by-side with others who have the same passions means we're meeting new people, and we've already got something in common.
So if you're feeling down about the way things are going in your life, volunteering for a cause you care about is a great way to turn it around. It's also a fantastic way to meet people who could become friends – or maybe even something more.
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