Life's a Network

This week's speaker was Jackie Hendrix, the Chairman of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce and yet another UNA Grad.  He gave us a little advice to use when deciding where to volunteer.  He told us to go somewhere we have a connection with and are interested in, some place we can network.  What's the point in volunteering?  Well, something needs to be done, so be the one to do it, and do it well.  But it's not bad to volunteer for your own benefit as well.  It's okay to want to add it on your resume or use it for potential networking towards your future.

When volunteering, be aware of the 80/20 Rule:  80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.  So be part of that 20% that does the work.  Get involved, don't just be there.  I see this 80/20 rule in affect so often; I even see it in some of the organizations on campus of which I'm involved.  But getting involved will allow for you to take advantage of the networking and all of the other benefits from volunteering. 

Just one concern that I had was the attitude towards the idea of volunteering. I don't volunteer for my resume or for networking or whatever else I can get from it.  I volunteer because I know I can be a help for others, and in return, I have tons of fun.  All of those other benefits are great, but they just shouldn't be the main focus for serving others in the community.  Volunteering should coincide with something I am interested in and passionate about, and that will probably overlap some with my future goals because my future goals are also what I'm interested in.  But the focus of volunteering should not be to get ahead in life; it should be to give with a servant's heart.  I am blessed with time and talents and resources, and I need to use some of these gifts with others in my community.

Confession: Volunteering for things gets me in trouble because I can't say no.  Sometimes it's hard to say "No," and for me it's ALL THE TIME that it's hard to say "No."  I feel like I can help, and I should help; and if I don't help, then I'm being a selfish person.  But I'm trying to learn that there needs to be a balance.  I tend to volunteer for everything, no constraints, just something looks interesting and I join.  But maybe I need to be a little more focused and volunteer where I can network, like Mr. Hendrix was saying.  Maybe thinking about myself a little isn't selfish.  Going crazy with volunteering can be stressful and, at times, overwhelming, so if I focus my volunteering and activities and school all to one goal it will be a little more under control and I will be able to do a better job with what I sign up for.  Life's a network. I need to start weaving myself into it instead of perusing all of the options.