Hello everyone, I'm Ezgi. Today is my 9th month as a volunteer at Associazione InCo. I learned a lot during my volunteering. I would like to share them with you. Maybe you can share what you learned with me.
1. Redrawing my boundaries with more empathy : As we all go through the ups and downs of life, our experiences, limitations and abilities are very different. On the way, we meet people from very different backgrounds and lifestyles.
While I wanted to expand my boundaries with more empathy, I learned that it was about understanding the needs and feelings of other people and that it was necessary to take time to understand them. We all follow a different path, the more empathy we develop in our borders the more we support and uplift each other.
2. Acquiring new skills :Acquiring new skills means being open to trying new things. Being open to new things means not being afraid of failure. Volunteer projects always offer tasks that will take you out of your comfort zone. You may not be able to do these easily at first, but over time, you can acquire and develop it as a skill by practicing and learning.During my volunteering period, I had the opportunity to do many things that I had not tried before. For example, interviewing our project partners within the scope of a project. For the first time, I was the moderator in a meeting.
3. “There is always a way” :Volunteering has taught me to think broadly, not to worry. I usually always think darkly when I'm feeling stressed or scared. I peel off my self to disperse the dark clouds in my head. "There is always another way possible. Please try to see the light."
Because volunteer projects are a hope, a light for other people. InCo continues to produce projects that will give hope to young people.
4. Self-confidence:My self-confidence developed when I allowed myself to make mistakes and tried to learn from them without trying to make things perfect. Volunteering is a fun way to prove yourself. It's really empowering to see what you can do. You step out of your comfort zone and meet another version of yourself. You try without fear. Every time I try something, I ask myself, "I may fail at the end of this road. So even when I fail, when I look back, will I regret trying it? If my answer is no, I'm on that road."
5. Every person is a book and it teaches you something :A project of InCo taught me this. You choose a person in the project called Human Library and you have half an hour. You listen to that person and it means ‘you read’. As we spend time with people and approach them without judgment, we can learn something from that person over time through good or bad experiences. The important thing is that we use our experiences to improve ourselves no matter what. And it is important that we integrate what we have learned into our lives because knowledge is alive.
6. The ability to make a home wherever you go :If the volunteer project is taking place away from home, you miss your home. After going on a trip and returning to my project city, Trento, I have the feeling of being at home. Because I know every inch of the city, sometimes I meet an acquaintance on the way. Wherever we go, we build our own home with other people we choose, love and empathy.
7. Consciousness of living in the present :When I am here and find myself thinking about what to do after the project, I remind myself that. “You are here now. You are now a volunteer and will not volunteer after 3 months. At the moment, it will be possible to do what you want to do as a volunteer.”
Anyway, life consists of a lot of "now". Focusing on the present instead of wasting time worrying about the future or regretting the past.
8. Witnessing your own change and transformation :Volunteering is done to change the society, keep it aware and develop it. It is also something you can see your own change and development.
Volunteering allows you to push your own limits, determine your priorities, discover and develop your talents, feel your inner satisfaction, change your perspective, and sometimes find your purpose. it's like meeting a different version of you on the path you walk.
9. Some things must end for good things to begin :Life is in flux. The beginning of new things means seeing new opportunities, improving oneself, being renewed. Everything has its time.We create a new comfort zone during each experience. Sometimes we have to leave those comfort zones one by one in order to discover new seas and to meet new people and learn from them. I know that I will meet all my volunteer friends and people that I met during the volunteering process in better tomorrows. Sometimes you have to say goodbye to be reunited.
