Serving Does The Body Good
I love the quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., that says, "Anybody can be great because anybody can serve." Though spoken in year 1968, I would consider it one of the best explanations of the qualifications of greatness, reminding us of the value of helping others. If you think about it, our world is centered around service. Whether non-profit or for profit, we start businesses because we believe we have a skill or a product that will meet a need; and if your product doesn’t help someone, entertain someone, or make life more manageable for others, you don’t make a profit. I find it interesting that many are aware of how serving benefits others, but do not understand that helping others is actually good for them as well.
Benefitting us all the way down to the molecular level, serving others actually serves us really well.
- When we help others, our bodies release endorphins. Endorphins are our "happy" hormones. Once released, these hormones act as natural pain and stress relievers for us. Are you feeling stressed? Find a way to help someone else!
- Helping others also brings fulfillment, allowing us to do what we are passionated about even if our current circumstances won't allow us to do so full-time. Are you feeling stuck? Volunteer for a cause or serve in an role you're passionate about!
- Serving allows us to make an impact and one of the best things about it this impact is, it’s free. We help others using something we’re freely given and that something is our time. Do you dream of using your time to make a sustainable impact on the word? Find somewhere to volunteer!
- Volunteering our time allows us to develop skills and gain experience in other areas of interest and teach us a lot about who we are. This can often lead to further understanding of our purpose on earth. Ready to move into purpose, but need more preparation? Help someone who is doing what you want to do!
About a week or so ago, Cultivating Kerri completed its first service project. Me and small group of volunteers served in an urban farm in inner city Atlanta, a community named a food desert, where residents live more than one mile from the nearest supermarket. The Good Samaritan Health Center created the farm to provide its community with excess to fresh produce. Building healthy communities is a huge component of Cultivating Kerri’s overall mission and at the beginning of this year, I decided that I would help to alleviate the impact of food deserts in urban communities. Despite the mosquito bites I took home with me, the experience was unforgettable. I often have the chance to volunteer on behalf of other groups and organizations, but it was quite fulfilling to be able to gather a group of people to help make a difference on behalf of Cultivating Kerri. In his sermon, Dr. King went on to say, "You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." Maybe you've heard of this quote before, maybe you haven't, but it reminds us that service and greatness isn't necessarily about what you have, it’s about compassion and willingness to use what you do have to make the world a better place. Live whole and live well folks.
Love,
Kerri