Finding happiness in serving others

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I’m more a social worker than a technical person. I sometime wonder if I have studied the right course and got the right job. But of course no matter where we are, there is always something we can do to help others.
The recent voluntary work I did was the Blood Donation Campaign organized at the JDWNR Hospital, Thimphu. I always feel panic worrying if it would go well but of course, it is no match to the happiness I feel afterwards. The feeling you get later is so rewarding that you can bask in the sun, look at the stars or sing a song and forget that you will need to worry about what you will eat tomorrow. 

I organized and participated in several cleaning campaigns too. I sometime tell my friends that I’m gonna die looking for volunteers. But it is not that I don’t enjoy it. I feel completely fulfilled and happy when I am able to help the society and the people through such small effort. It is not like you need a lot of money or you need to be extremely skilled to do such small things for the society. 

In the village, especially during the construction of a house, people go to help their neighbor for at least a day. Imagine what huge a contribution it is when one person from every household goes for a day. This way the community thrives beautifully around human relationship and their thoughtfulness for one another. We have the old saying that if you make one person happy, even a tiger cannot carry that happiness. This kind of voluntary help does not only make the volunteer happy but the person who receives the help. When happiness is what we are looking for, why shouldn’t we pick it up right now when it is at our doorstep? 

Number of days volunteered is one of the indicators of Community Vitality Domain in GNH.

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