Service

Service just feels good. Anyone that has ever done ANYTHING with selfless intentions can attest to this. Why do people donate to charities or volunteer time at a soup kitchen when oftentimes (except for an occasional tax write off) there's no tangible return for your work? Because it evokes the "warm fuzzies". That loving feeling that rings into the depths of your soul reminding you that you are capable of so much potential. It's the thought and call to action requiring you to get out of your own head and realize that there is a much bigger picture and so much more to live for. When defining service, different fields have differing opinions. According to Wikipedia service from an economic standpoint is defined as, "In economics, a service is an intangible commodity. That is, services are an example of intangible economic goods" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_(economics)#Service_definition). How interesting?! I would have never thought of the benefits of service as "intangible goods" and yet I love this because it specifically describes that their are "goods" that come of it; you just can't physically hold them or see them. I don't believe it is an accident that humans are wired to have that desire to serve and it certainly is not a coincidence that we are all on this earth simultaneously trying to get through life. We are here together and we are supposed to help each other. Being a Christian (I'm a Mormon in fact) I whole-heartedly believe the scriptures when it states that we are to "mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:9). I also sincerely believe that 98% of people truly desire to get involved in serving their community but they might just not know how to get started if its not Christmas time! Without the ringing bells of the Salvation Army's Santa Clauses in front of grocery stores, people may not know where to donate that money or how to volunteer at a soup kitchen. So! I want this blog to attempt to solve that problem, at least for my current community. I want this to be a reference point if someone is wanting and willing to serve! The saddest thing would be for someone not to dedicate time because they had too hard of a time finding a proper institution to volunteer with or simply didn't have the time to do the research. Thus, each day I will attempt to portray a personal story highlighting something positive in my life  as well as spotlighting a local charity and how to get involved.