Paying it forward with your time

​By Chita

Maybe it is a “me” thing, but I’ve always enjoyed volunteering. Although I am aware that doing unpaid work is a privilege in itself, I would like to highlight how volunteering could make us happy. Volunteering allows us to exchange our time for a rewarding feeling when we help someone or do something meaningful for our community. To me, this is the “payment” from volunteering, and we need to have this “good” feeling. I believe that as human beings facing a lot of challenges throughout our lives, doing good things and feeling good are crucial to make this life happier.

An American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, believed that humans are psychologically motivated by needs. This led to the creation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which pictures five levels of human needs. See the picture below to understand the Hierarchy of Needs further.
Picture: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Source: Bitesize Learning

Maslow’s theory of needs is called “Hierarchy” and pictured as a pyramid because it is not possible to fulfill the higher needs without fulfilling the basic ones. Like I mentioned, being able to volunteer is a privilege in itself. To be able to volunteer, one must have had their basic needs for survival and security fulfilled first. I would say that volunteering is our way to fulfill our needs for love, belonging, and esteem – the third and fourth tiers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. 

I believe doing some voluntary work is a necessity for us as humans. Not only will it make the world a bit better by doing something good for the environment or the people around us, but volunteering also allows us to be a bit better. When we relate it to the Hierarchy of Needs, I believe that eventually we will need to do some sort of voluntary work or activity to help us achieve our needs of esteem and self-actualisation.

Personally, as I struggled with feelings of belonging and having a meaning in life, volunteering gives me some sense of purpose. When I look back through my life journey and count all the blessings I have experienced, I realise that many of them happened because of someone else’s kindness. Hence, I would like to do something with my life that would allow me to become a blessing for the people around me - to have a sense of purpose. By doing some voluntary work wherever I go or live, I have more opportunities to engage with people, learn their culture and way of life, and eventually learn to fit in, building a sense of belonging. As a bonus, I also make friends through volunteering activities I have done! 

Therefore, if you have the chance, I would strongly recommend doing some voluntary work. It is a great way to find friends, to know the local community, to fit in and feel that you belong, as well as to gain some confidence and build some respect and reputation. I think of volunteering as a win-win solution that will bring positivity to yourself and your surroundings, and as an important part of your self-actualisation journey that constitutes your personal needs as humans.​

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