“Khalil Gibran, the Lebanese-American writer and poet, famously wrote, “It is the pleasure of the bee to gather honey from the flower and also the pleasure of the flower to yield its honey to the bee.”
Nature is a great teacher of organic cycles of giving and receiving. If you have ever spent time near the mountains, watched a spectacular sunrise or sunset, witnessed the elegance of a bird in flight, or even smelled the fragrance of a flower in full bloom, you have experienced the giving-and-receiving natural order of the Earth.
Much like the flower and bee, we as humans are part of nature and, in the same way, hardwired to serve. Whether we give of our time, money, knowledge or guidance, we have an innate ability and desire to support others with our resources.
In case you are planning to volunteer or engage in community service, here are the top 5 questions to consider to make the most of your endeavor.
1. What are my interests? What activity makes me happy and lose track of time?
2. How can I use my existing skills and aptitude?
3. What is my greatest strength? How can it help me volunteer?
4. What do I most want to learn from the experience?
5. How much time do I have? How many hours can I volunteer each week?
(Adapted from the book, “Spark: Journey from Success to Significance” by Azim Jamal)