The Transformative Power of Volunteering: Overcoming Fear

with No Comments

You need one breakthrough, just one tiny breakthrough, and you can live the life you always dreamed about.

With this one breakthrough, you can change the future for the better. For yourself. For others.

So, what is stopping you?

Chances are, the number one reason you do not live a life true to yourself is none other than fear.

But what is fear?

Fear is arguably the most primal emotion we have as humans. It keeps us safe from danger.
The problem with fear starts when it stays true to its acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real.

Our minds create false narratives of how situations will turn out. Facing it is a foolproof way to experience your breakthrough moment.

Don’t know how to? Why not give volunteering a try? 

Volunteer to overcome fear

The easiest and most rewarding way to overcome your fears is through volunteering. Volunteering is a powerful catalyst.

When given the chance to volunteer, doubt may arise.

I doubted, too.

But then again, I saw the need to help improve the quality of education around me and abroad.

To further develop my skills and challenge myself, I chose to volunteer. And I did so in Mexico City. Giving young adults hope for better opportunities by sharing my German language skills with them.

It wasn’t always easy.

The language barrier was challenging. I wondered if I was doing the right thing and mixing multiple languages at a time to make my point come across since I wasn’t speaking the local language. But with each of those situations, I learned something new. My classes taught me how to communicate with images and become more creative. 

Proving yourself wrong

I still doubted my abilities by the end of my volunteering exchange.

One thing, however, was sure. By helping them, I helped myself more than I expected.

I feared failure. No way did I want to be laughed at. Nor be judged by other volunteers or the participants.

But it turned out that everyone was more than welcoming.

And the outcomes were better than I envisioned them to be.

Sitting with discomfort every time I visited the center made me more comfortable with the feeling step by step.

Soon enough, I took on other roles and opportunities I didn’t feel I was a good match.  Because it became more manageable, I experienced it before. My volunteering experience in Mexico proved to be my breakthrough moment. 

Bottom line

Earlier, we discovered that fear can stand for a false reality, but at the same time, fear can also mean:
Forget everything and run. Or: Face everything and rise.

The easiest way out is always to run. However, overcoming your fears will teach you more. And it doesn’t even have to be complicated. Like me, you can always volunteer and experience the breakthrough moment. You can always contact your local AIESEC chapter or any other NGO fighting for a cause you are invested in.

It is up to you. Will you be the one running like everyone else, or will you face your fears and bring a positive change?

0

Leave a Reply