"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Source: Stand Up to Cancer

Nearly everyone in the world has heard of the great Mahatma Gandhi and the impact he's made on hundreds of individuals who respected and looked up to him. He was a spiritual and political leader who fought for Indian independence through nonviolent, peaceful forms of civil disobedience. He taught many individuals to be kind and show that violence was not the answer.

I was never the best student in History, as many of my friends and family can tell you (hah), but I do know how influential he was. I'm a big fan of quotes and I've read numerous quotes from Gandhi, which include the above picture's quote, as well as this famous one:

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

I'm a strong supporter for service and giving back to communities who need the assistance. I knew since middle school that it was one of the things I would focus on as I grew up, even when all my career plans kept changing. From wanting to be a professional bird-watcher, to a veterinarian, to a dog breeder, to a doctor, and finally finding myself pursuing Public Health, I went through many phases where I was unsure of what I wanted to become. I wanted some way to "find myself" since I left lost and didn't have a set direction to where I wanted to head. I knew the one stable thing in my life was my passion for volunteering.

The picture quote reminds me that every day is a blessing, for we don't know what life has in store for us. Natural disasters and unfortunate violence and accidents happen when we least expect it, and we don't know if today will be the last day we are on this earth. Losing a loved one made that very clear to me, that every day I have is valuable and that I should be cherishing the people who I have in my life, because life is uncertain and I don't know if there will be a tomorrow for me to tell them "hello" or "I love you" or "let's catch up some time."

The second part of the quote offsets the first in my point of view, because it tells me that life has so much to offer us. We have so much to learn if we look in the right places, if we expose ourselves to unfamiliar territory and force ourselves to be outside of our comfort zone. That's how I feel when I decide to volunteer in or travel to other countries. It's a different experience than volunteering in our local communities and it's definitely a learning experience.

I am two days away from going to Mexico and I'm definitely scared but excited at the same time. The uncertainty freaks me out but I know that forcing myself out of the comfort of my home will be a great way to grow and help me find myself. I hope whoever reads this feels inspired to do good in the world, no matter how small the gesture may be, it only takes one action to get the ball rolling :)

"Volunteers are not paid--not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless."

I really like this quote because I think volunteers are one of the most selfless people in the world. I'm not tooting my own horn, rather I'm acknowledging everyone that I've had the chance to volunteer with because they each give up valuable time from their busy lives and give back to the community. I've done volunteer work in an animal shelter, in a church for a food pantry service, at swim meets, at a thrift shop, at a Health Education center in a health clinic, etc. Each of these opportunities allowed me to meet individuals I wouldn't have been able to meet if it weren't for my choice to volunteer.

Living in NYC for all of my life, I've seen how cold individuals can be. On the trains I see the majority of passengers closed off in their little bubbles with their headphones in their ears and their phones glued to their hands as they play the latest game offered on the Play or Apple Store. Many people in this society are so consumed in their own worlds that they don't see what's going on around them. Many of us live extremely privileged lives that we take for granted. It may be extreme to say but there really are people who are desperate for a bite to eat and some New Yorkers carelessly throw away their leftovers without appreciating that they have the ability to waste food like that. If we all cared a little more about what's around us we can see there is much improvement that can be done and it starts with us.

If you pass through my blog and read this post, I encourage you to spend an hour or two to try volunteering. It makes you feel so good and awesome that you were able to help at least one person during your time of service. I really appreciate this quote because volunteers give back without asking for anything in return; volunteers don't need money, they just want to help others.

Photo Credit: http://www.gapyearblog.info/blog/2013/1/4/ten-best-inspirational-quotes-for-volunteering.html

"You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you."

I would love to do something for someone who can never repay me. I want to be able to make that much of an impact where I can allow them the chance to believe that there is faith in humanity and there will always be a helping hand when they least expect it. :)

Photo Credit: http://www.gapyearblog.info/blog/2013/1/4/ten-best-inspirational-quotes-for-volunteering.html

"Work for a cause, not for applause. Life life to express, not to impress."

One thing I love about volunteering is knowing that I've done something to help another person or community. Whether it's helping students in Ecuador with their English pronunciation skills or organizing a food pantry off of Times Square, being able to put a smile on just one person's face makes volunteering worthwhile.

Photo Credit: http://www.gapyearblog.info/blog/2013/1/4/ten-best-inspirational-quotes-for-volunteering.html

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

Life is not worthwhile unless we contribute and give back to the community. We can take as much as we want but it's fleeting happiness until we actually do something for someone else that makes their life a little better and a little easier.

Photo Credit: http://www.gapyearblog.info/blog/2013/1/4/ten-best-inspirational-quotes-for-volunteering.html