Jennifer Schramm

“Get out there and serve, help people, give your time away”, a mentor once said to me.  I was whining and complaining that I didn’t have a boyfriend, I was feeling depressed and empty, things weren’t going my way, I wasn’t happy and I didn’t feel fulfilled.  These words of wisdom dramatically changed my life.

So focused on improving myself and stuck in my own head, I had forgotten the value of serving and contributing to the world.  When I began volunteering my time, my state changed almost instantly.  I started to feel better and felt first hand the true value of helping others. Being in service opens up our worlds and our hearts and leaves us feeling purposeful and empowered.

For example, my change in career began with volunteer work.  I was working for an investment firm and started mentoring a teenager in trouble with the law through an organization called PLEA.  This work inspired me to go back to school and made me realize that I truly wanted to embark on a new path.  When I graduated from school, my work helping people with eating disorders began with a once a week receptionist volunteer position at a local support centre.  This quickly led to a paid facilitator position.   Modeling in a fashion show to raise money for a cancer support centre led me to a job leading psycho-spiritual groups for people affected by cancer.

Volunteering granted me the confidence to change careers, allowed me to have beautiful connections and conversations, gave me a sense of purpose and fulfillment, showed me the way to develop my business and led me to many of the  facilitation positions I have held over the years.

Serving doesn’t have to be a big thing or a huge time commitment.  It can be as simple as setting an intention to smile at each person that crosses your path today, letting someone go ahead of you in a line, reaching out to a friend in need, buying a coffee for a stranger, raking your neighbours leaves, babysitting a friends child.

Or you can choose to volunteer your time with an organization.   www.charityvillage.com  is a great site for searching volunteer positions.

Cheers to getting out there and serving:)

Jenn xxoo