To start with, let me ask you a question. Do you know who is this man printed on this note? He was the most important political and ideological leader of India , Ghandi, who led India to its independence and freedom across the world. Today, I’m not going to start by talking about his biography or what he did, but a famous quotation said by him. This famous quotes has two simple letters, which are two Ls. Live and Learn. “ Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. ” I’m sure many of you here are busying planning your own future path since you will soon graduate from HKCC.
Some of you will continue to study your bachelor degree, some of you may be choose to you step into the society etc. Doubtlessly, Life is getting busier then before, schoolwork, part-time job etc. Its easy to forget what is really meaningful in our life. However, have you ever thought of taking time to do something meaningful that you will not regret or even can learn? Volunteering is one of the best ways to Live and Learn. Many people think that volunteering is only the action to help those who are in need.
Indeed, not only it has a positive impact to your society, it also brings a lots of benefits for you. First of all, you can learn and develop a new skill. As Ghandi says, Learn as if you were to live forever. Its never too late to learn a new skill. There is no reason why you should stop adding to your knowledge just because you have finished education. For example, planning and leaderships skills learnt from organizing a fund raising event are very useful for your career. Secondly, you can explore new interests and hobbies. Sometimes we do get locked into the boredom of life.
However, volunteering can that help us to escape from everday routine and create a balance in our lives. Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing. Last year, I participated in a magic show in a elderly home. Before that I know nothing about magic. However, after I was fascianated by magic and it became my new interest and hobby. Sometimes a volunteer experience can lead you to something you never even thought about or help you discover a hobby or interest you were unaware of.
You can strengthen your personal/professional mission and vision by exploring opportunities and expanding your horizons. Most importanly, volunteering can advance your career. A survey carried out by among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses shows that 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without. 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills. 94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted.
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. If you want to start living meaningfully and learn continuously, volunteering is the first step and the ideal option for you. Last but not least, I want to introduce Nick to all of you. From this photo, he looks like everyone of us, but if you look carefully. He is not. Without arms, without legs, Nick came to the world without any medical warning.
However, he didn’t give up himself. He would like to do something to the society and himself. He summon up his courage, start inspiring and motivating people around the world by giving out speeches in over 20 countries whilst gaining himselves self-esteem and confidence. Even a person without limbs can inspire and help people , what about us, as a energetic youth? I hope all of you can know more benefits by volunteering, then live meaningfully with endless learning. Thank you! [pic][pic][pic]
