Alright, my dear fam, listen up!

Let me talk to you about an important activity, mostly ignored. Yes, I am talking about volunteering. 

In the United States (US), one cannot even think about scholarships or killer Statements of Purpose (SOPs) without flexing one's community service hours and showing that one has done some good for society.

But here in India? It's more like a "maybe" or a "nah". Most institutes do not really make it a prerequisite.

According to the National Education Policy (2020), each State/District is encouraged to establish "Bal Bhavans" – special daytime boarding schools where students can engage in art, career, and play activities. Additionally, the unutilised school infrastructure can be repurposed for social, intellectual, and volunteer activities within the community, fostering social cohesion during non-teaching hours. These spaces may also serve as Samajik Chetna Kendras.

But, does anyone really care about volunteering? That’s the million rupee question. But, guess what? The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is already on the bandwagon, making Class IX to XII students volunteer with the Red Cross. Not only are these kids giving back to society, but they are also levelling up their life skills in ways that you can never imagine.

Hence, this week, let's spill the tea on why schools should hype up volunteering.

'Cuz, kindness will never go out of style!

Here's a snippet from my life which I am sure will accelerate the impact of what I am trying to put across.

My grandfather Dr DG Benakappa taught me that, "Being selflessly genuine, and serving people unconditionally is what makes us humane and gives us the credibility to be even called as a human being." My mother Dr Asha Benakappa, who followed in his footsteps, taught me the importance of serving by ensuring that she leads by example and has proven in more ways than I can mention here that "volunteering and serving is where compassion meets action".

I shared this example to illustrate that the lessons taught by these two role models in my life pushed me to serve unconditionally and relentlessly in a field that I felt is crucial: Mental Health! 

Charity begins at home! Definitely! If it doesn't, you can be the hero and make a headstart towards it.

Start with baby steps and do what you love like volunteering in a pet shelter or an orphanage. Why? Read On...

Selflessness to sassy... The art of giving back is classy!
Volunteering or social Service, in my opinion, if done with pure intention, works like medicine, which is stronger than laughter. This is because of the one crucial virtue it teaches us in today's materialistic world — selflessness!

Developing selflessness is achieved when a plethora of other skills are learnt and experiences are imbibed. Let me break it down. To become selfless, the first trait that needs to be developed is empathy. Developing high levels of empathy warrants deep emotional intelligence and emotional quotient.

When you are motivated to become emotionally intelligent, you automatically develop an open attitude and focus on becoming more connected with others around you, which translates to the development of overall interpersonal skills.

"Volunteering — the ultimate selfie for our soul!"
Not just interpersonal skills, we develop amazing intrapersonal skills. Volunteering and serving others makes us understand how cool it is to support others and even discover ourselves in the process.

It helps us develop a deeper understanding of life and often leads us into meaningful introspection which makes us better in all aspects. 

Apart from unleashing good vibes all around, it also has one phenomenal benefit, it makes us count our blessings and understand how fortunate we are in more aspects than one, and we develop gratitude. 

We also learn to break the pattern of negativity. We become our own therapists, and talk about emotional independence!

Breathe freely!
Another amazing byproduct of volunteering is boosting of self-confidence! 

Volunteering helps us develop a sense of accomplishment when we do something for others and be it small or big, it slowly makes us realise that we are, indeed, good at something. When we continue this process, we often tend to break out of our limiting beliefs and focus on improving ourselves. We can make ourselves truly unchained and free!

My cheat codes for the game Of volunteering
Whether you create opportunities to serve or whether it's made mandatory, here are a few easy tips for you to ace it!

Use social media and digital platforms to organise and promote volunteering activities. Collectively join in to make the cause go viral, make volunteering cool and amplify the message with all the amazing social media tools at your disposal.

Volunteering is not just about giving back; it’s also about networking. Build connections with other volunteers, NGO leaders, and community members. These relationships can provide valuable experiences, learnings, and opportunities.

Don’t just participate, lead! Take initiative in planning and managing volunteer projects. Leadership experience in volunteer settings demonstrates your ability to handle responsibility and work effectively in teams. Plus, you are growing street smart peeps!

Look for ways to combine your academic interests with community service. For example, if you are interested in environmental science, join or start an eco-club that works on local conservation projects. I emphasise this point as it is the proven way to sustain motivation.

Focus on impact when volunteering and aim for projects that have a measurable impact. Be clear about the goals and outcomes of your volunteer work. This will help you articulate the significance of your contributions and also help pool more resources to further your cause from major organisations with funds allocated specifically for such CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities.

As I conclude, I'd like to end our conversation by reemphasising that volunteering is like the ultimate power up for personal, professional and social growth. If we want to become a prosperous nation, we have to learn the "art of giving back"!

So, what are you all waiting for? Dive into volunteering! Whether you're a student, teacher, parent, or professional, there are tons of ways to get involved. Let's build a more compassionate society together which is gonna be LIT!

With Regards,
Your beloved Coach here to serve,
Adarsh Benakappa Basavaraj