WHAT?
The December challenge >>>
Volunteer!
Give your time, skills or ideas to an organisation this month.
WHY?
Tell me more...
Why volunteer? The short answer is, that there are people and organisations who need volunteers. We live in a world which, simply put, needs meaningful social action.
The more interesting answer is that people who engage in altruistic activities feel a greater sense of meaning in their lives. They benefit from improved mental wellbeing through connection to other people and volunteering can counter the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. Not to mention learning new skills and being good for your career.
As Action for Happiness put it, "when we give our time, energy and kindness to others it not only helps them, it's also great for our wellbeing too."
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Mahatma Gandhi
This month, the season of goodwill, seems a fitting time to engage in volunteering and a positive way to round off the year.
HOW?
The basics
Follow the Revolution Twelve mantra - define, share, do... Define what you intend to achieve, then share it with your team or friends, then do it!
This month, that might be just connecting with a local charity and going along to a meeting to find out what volunteering opportunities there are. It could mean a weekly shift at your local night shelter or singing carols at a community event. Maybe it means committing to help fundraise for a local charity, or just doing a litter pick around your local streets for half an hour.
A fun interpretation of this month's challenge might be setting yourself the target of commiting weekly random acts of kindness...
As always, a good starting point can be a little bit of online research. Visit do-it.org for a database of volunteering opportunities close to where you live.
Take it a bit further...
If you're feeling particularly motivated this month you could use it as an opportunity to recruit some more people to join Revolution Twelve next month!...