essay about serving others

The Power of Serving Others: How Empathy and Learning Can Create a Positive Impact

Serving others is one of the most important things you can do as a human being . it involves putting the needs and well-being of others ahead of your own. and making a positive impact on the world. i’ll explore what it means to serve, why it is important, and how you incorporate this mindset into your life., recently i read a book about how someone sold over 100,000 copies of a book because of three words. the three words he was referring to were to serve the reader. that really got to me, and i’ve been thinking about service, and in what ways i can serve others. when i read the book, i was in the middle of writing leadership reading: spilling the tea on how top leaders read..

I took the author’s message to heart. When I was titling the chapters, I constantly asked myself how I was serving my readers. Would they know what to expect from the chapter based on the title? I’ve also been thinking about how you can serve others and serve yourself. I think that’s important as well.

The Definition of Serving Others

Serving others can be defined as taking action to help others expecting nothing in return. This involves a wide range of activities, from volunteering at a local charity to helping a neighbor with their groceries. Serving others is about being compassionate, and selfless, and doing what you can to make a positive impact on the world.

My Experience with Serving Others

I have always felt a strong sense of purpose when I am serving others. Whether it's  helping a friend in need or creating a product or service to help others. I have found that serving others is one of the most rewarding things I can do. It has helped me to build stronger relationships, develop new skills, and make a positive impact.

Why Serving Others is Important

There are many reasons serving others is important. It helps to make the world a better place. By taking action to help others, you create a ripple effect of positivity and kindness that inspire others to do the same. Serving others helps you develop new skills, build stronger relationships, and improve your overall well-being.

The Role of Empathy in Serving Others

Empathy is a key component of serving others. By putting yourself in someone else's shoes, you better understand their needs and how you can help them. Empathy allows you to connect with others on a deeper level, creating a sense of compassion and understanding that makes a huge difference in someone's life.

The Power of a Positive Attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude is also important when serving others. By staying optimistic and hopeful, you inspire others and create a more positive and supportive environment. A positive attitude helps you stay motivated and overcome any obstacles or challenges that may arise.

How to Incorporate Serving into Your Daily Life

Incorporating a serving mindset into your daily life is easier than you may think. Start by looking for small ways to help others, such as holding the door open for someone or offering to carry their groceries. Look for opportunities to volunteer in your community or donate to a local charity. By making serving others a habit, you create a positive impact on the world around you.

The Ripple Effect of Serving Others

One of the most powerful aspects of serving others is the ripple effect it creates. When you take action to help others, you inspire them to do the same. This creates a chain reaction of positivity and kindness that spreads far beyond your initial actions. By serving others, you create a better world for everyone.

Serving Others as Planting Seeds

Serving others is like planting seeds. When you take action to help others, you’re planting seeds of kindness and compassion that grow and spread. These seeds  inspire others to do the same, creating a beautiful garden of positivity and kindness.

serving others

Serving others is about putting the needs and well-being of others ahead of your own. And creating a positive impact on the world. By developing empathy, maintaining a positive attitude, and looking for ways to help others, you create a ripple effect of positivity and kindness that changes the world. Whether through volunteering, donating, or simply being kind to those around you, you have the power to make a difference.

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11 Best Written Essays on Helping Others in Life-Need & Importance

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Helping others refers to an act whereby human beings help the fellow human in one way or the other. The concept of helping others has strong basis upon respecting, identifying and accepting the needs and issues of others and taking practical steps to resolve others issues. The following Essay on helping others talks on why helping others is important in our life, why we need to mutually support and cooperate other people in life.

List of Topics

1. Essay on Helping Others in Life |Need, and Importance of Helping others in Life

Helping others in the times of need is the basic instinct of human nature. It is the feeling of happiness and satisfaction that comes with being able to help someone in need that drives us towards doing good deeds. It is not only restricted to lending a helping hand during difficult times but also extends to small, everyday gestures that make a big difference in the lives of others.

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There are many benefits of helping others in life. The most obvious one is that it makes us feel good about ourselves. When we help someone in need, our brain releases serotonin, which is a hormone that makes us feel happy and satisfied. It also gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Helping others allows us to connect with people on a deeper level and form meaningful relationships. It also gives us a sense of belonging and strengthens our bond with the community.

Apart from the personal satisfaction that comes with helping others, there are also many practical benefits. Helping others can boost our career prospects and open up new networking opportunities. It can also lead to positive changes in our society. When we help others, we set an example for others to follow and inspire them to do good deeds as well.

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Therefore, helping others is not only beneficial for the person in need but also for the helper. It makes us feel good about ourselves and gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life. It also has many practical benefits that can boost our career prospects and lead to positive changes in our society. So, next time you come across someone who needs help, don’t hesitate to lend a helping hand. It will make a big difference in their life and yours too.

2. Essay on helping others is Important:

Helping others is a fundamental aspect of human nature. We are all connected in this world, and our actions have the potential to impact those around us. Whether we realize it or not, helping others can bring immense satisfaction and fulfillment into our lives.

The act of helping others goes beyond just lending a hand or offering material assistance. It’s about showing compassion, empathy, and understanding towards others. It’s about being there for someone when they need it the most, without expecting anything in return. Helping others is not just a selfless act; it can also be a source of personal growth and development.

One of the main reasons why helping others is important is because it promotes a sense of community and belonging. When we help others, we create a sense of unity and togetherness, which is crucial for building strong relationships and fostering a supportive environment. It can also help break down barriers and promote understanding between different individuals or groups.

Furthermore, helping others can have a ripple effect in the community. When one person helps another, it often inspires others to do the same. This creates a domino effect of kindness and can lead to significant positive changes in society.

Helping others is also crucial for our own personal well-being. Studies have shown that acts of kindness can boost our mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and even improve our physical health. When we help others, we release feel-good hormones like serotonin and oxytocin, which can contribute to overall happiness and well-being.

Moreover, helping others can provide a sense of purpose and meaning in life. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and lose sight of the bigger picture. By helping others, we are reminded that there is more to life than just ourselves and our own struggles.

It’s also important to note that helping others does not always have to be a grand gesture. Simple acts of kindness and compassion, such as listening to someone who is going through a difficult time or offering words of encouragement, can make a significant impact on someone’s life.

In conclusion, helping others is crucial for our own personal growth and well-being, as well as for creating a more compassionate and supportive society. It may seem like a small act, but the impact it can have on someone’s life is immeasurable. So let’s all strive to make helping others a priority in our lives and spread kindness wherever we go.

3. Short Essay on Helping Others:

Helping others is a selfless act that brings about joy, contentment and fulfillment in one’s life. It is an innate human characteristic to extend our hands towards those who are in need and offer whatever assistance we can provide. Whether it be helping a friend with their studies, aiding a stranger on the street or volunteering at a local charity organization, lending a helping hand not only benefits the receiver but also brings about a sense of satisfaction and purpose to the giver.

In today’s fast-paced world, where individualism and self-centeredness are on the rise, acts of kindness and generosity towards others have become scarce. However, it is important for individuals, especially students, to recognize the importance of helping others and make it a part of their daily lives.

By helping others, we not only make a positive impact on their lives but also contribute towards building a better society. Small acts of kindness, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or donating clothes to those in need, can go a long way in making a difference in someone’s life.

Additionally, by actively participating in community service and helping those less fortunate, students can develop a sense of empathy and compassion towards others, which are essential qualities for building strong relationships and fostering a more inclusive society.

Moreover, helping others can also have positive effects on one’s mental health. Research has shown that individuals who engage in acts of kindness and generosity tend to experience lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. This is because helping others releases feel-good hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin, which can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.

Furthermore, lending a helping hand can also serve as a learning experience for students. By actively engaging in community service or volunteering at organizations that work towards social causes, students can gain valuable skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication

4. Short Essay on Motivation for helping others:

Motivation is a powerful force that can drive individuals to act in ways that benefit not only themselves, but also those around them. One of the most selfless and altruistic forms of motivation is the desire to help others.

Helping others can take many forms, from volunteering at a local charity or donating money to a worthy cause, to simply lending a helping hand to a friend or stranger in need. But why do some people have such a strong motivation to help others, while others seem more focused on their own interests?

Research has shown that there are various factors that can contribute to an individual’s motivation for helping others. These may include personal experiences, values and beliefs, cultural influences, and even genetics.

For some people, the desire to help others may stem from a personal experience of receiving help themselves. This can lead to a sense of gratitude and a desire to pay it forward by helping others in need.

Others may be driven by their values and beliefs, such as the belief in equal rights and opportunities for all individuals. These individuals may see helping others as not only a moral obligation, but also as a way to create a more just and equitable society.

Cultural influences can also play a role in an individual’s motivation for helping others. In some cultures, the concept of community and collective well-being is highly valued, which can lead to a strong desire to help others in need.

Lastly, research has also suggested that genetics may play a role in an individual’s level of empathy and compassion, which can in turn influence their motivation to help others.

In conclusion, the reasons for an individual’s motivation to help others are complex and multifaceted. But regardless of the underlying factors, one thing is clear: helping others brings about a sense of fulfillment and purpose that cannot be achieved through self-interest alone.

5. College essay on helping others:

As a college student, it is easy to get caught up in our own personal goals and obligations. With the pressure of maintaining good grades, participating in extracurricular activities, and building a strong resume for future job prospects, helping others may not always be at the top of our list. However, being selfless and giving back to those in need can have numerous benefits for college students.

First and foremost, helping others is a great way to gain perspective and appreciate the things we have in our own lives. Many of us are fortunate enough to have access to higher education, a privilege that not everyone in the world has. By volunteering our time and efforts to help those less fortunate, we can learn to be grateful for what we have and gain a deeper understanding of the struggles and challenges faced by others.

In addition, helping others can also provide valuable learning opportunities. Through volunteering or participating in community service projects, college students can develop important skills such as leadership, communication, and problem-solving. These skills are not only beneficial for personal growth but are also highly valued by potential employers. Volunteering can also expose students to diverse cultures and perspectives, promoting a more well-rounded and empathetic outlook on life.

Moreover, by helping others, we can make a positive impact in our communities and contribute to the greater good. Whether it is through organizing a fundraiser for a local charity or tutoring students in need, our actions can have a meaningful impact on the lives of those around us. By being active members of our communities, we can create a ripple effect of kindness and inspire others to do the same.

Lastly, helping others can also have a positive impact on our mental health. Studies have shown that acts of kindness and generosity can increase happiness, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve overall well-being

6. Essay on Kindness to others:

As human beings, we have the ability to choose how we treat others. One of the most powerful ways we can impact those around us is by displaying kindness. It may seem like a small gesture, but showing kindness to others can have a ripple effect that extends far beyond what we could ever imagine.

Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. When we show kindness to others, we are displaying empathy and compassion towards them. It can be as simple as offering a smile, lending a helping hand, or listening without judgment.

The power of kindness lies in its ability to bring people together. In a world that is often divided by differences, acts of kindness can bridge the gap and create connections. It allows us to see beyond our own perspective and understand the struggles of others. It reminds us that we are all human and deserve love and respect.

Not only does kindness benefit those who receive it, but also those who give it. Studies have shown that acts of kindness can boost our mood, increase happiness, and reduce stress. It can even lead to a healthier heart and improved relationships.

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget about those around us. But kindness doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. It can be as simple as holding the door open for someone, saying “thank you,” or offering a compliment. These small acts of kindness may seem insignificant, but they can make a huge difference in someone’s day.

Furthermore, kindness is not limited to only those we know. It can also be extended to strangers. In fact, random acts of kindness towards strangers can have an even greater impact as it shows that there are still good and caring people in the world.

7. Inspirational Story on helping others:

Once upon a time, in a small village surrounded by lush green fields and blooming flowers, there lived a young boy named Rohan. He was known for his kind heart and willingness to help others without expecting anything in return.

Rohan grew up with his parents who were farmers. They taught him the importance of hard work and helping those in need. Every day, Rohan would help his parents in the fields, and after finishing his chores, he would spend time with the villagers.

The villagers adored Rohan for his kind nature and willingness to lend a helping hand. They often shared stories of how he had helped them during difficult times. But little did they know that Rohan’s kindness was not limited to just humans.

One day, a severe storm hit the village and destroyed most of the crops. The villagers were worried about how they would survive without food. Rohan’s parents were also affected by the storm, and they had no other option but to leave their village in search of better opportunities.

Seeing his family and villagers in distress, Rohan knew he had to do something. He remembered how his parents had taught him to help others in need, and he decided to put that lesson into practice.

Rohan went from house to house, asking the villagers if they needed any help. He helped them fix their homes, gather whatever food was left after the storm, and even offered his own food supplies to those who needed it desperately.

However, Rohan’s helping nature did not end there. He ventured into the forest to find wild fruits and berries, which he distributed among the villagers. Some even called him a hero for his selfless acts.

But Rohan remained humble and continued to help without seeking recognition or praise. His kindness was contagious, and soon other villagers joined in to help each other during difficult times.

Slowly but steadily, the village was back on its feet, and the crops were growing again. Everyone in the village had learned an important lesson from Rohan – that helping others not only benefits them but also brings joy and satisfaction to oneself.

Years passed, and Rohan grew up to be a kind-hearted man who continued to help those in need. The villagers never forgot his acts of kindness, and they passed on his lessons to their children and grandchildren.

Rohan’s selfless actions had a lasting impact on the village, and it became known as the village of kind-hearted people who always helped each other. And Rohan’s name was remembered for generations to come as a symbol of kindness and compassion.

From this story, we can learn that helping others is not just about lending a hand during difficult times, but it is also about spreading kindness and making the world a better place. As they say, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” So let us all follow Rohan’s example and make helping others a way of life

8. Essay on helping hand:

In our fast-paced and competitive world, the concept of a “helping hand” has become more important than ever before. In simple terms, a helping hand refers to an act of assisting or supporting someone in need. This could be in the form of physical, emotional, or financial support.

One might argue that the idea of extending a helping hand is not new and has been a part of our society for centuries. However, the changing dynamics of our global community have made it even more crucial for individuals to lend a helping hand to those around them.

In today’s world, where people are constantly chasing success and material possessions, there is a growing sense of isolation and loneliness among individuals. This is where the concept of a helping hand comes into play. By reaching out and supporting those in need, we not only make a positive impact on their lives but also create a sense of community and belonging.

Moreover, extending a helping hand is not only beneficial for the receiver, but it also has several benefits for the giver as well. It allows us to step outside of our own problems and focus on someone else’s needs. This can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment in our lives. Additionally, helping others can also boost our self-esteem and confidence, knowing that we have made a positive difference in someone’s life.

Furthermore, a helping hand can also have a ripple effect. By assisting one individual, we may inspire them to pay it forward and help others in need. This creates a chain reaction of kindness and compassion, ultimately leading to a more caring and supportive society.

In today’s interconnected world, where news of tragedies and disasters spread rapidly, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless. However, by extending a helping hand to those affected, we can make a tangible difference and contribute towards rebuilding communities and lives.

In conclusion, the concept of a helping hand is more relevant now than ever before. It not only benefits individuals in need but also has positive effects on our own well-being and society as a whole. So let us all strive to be someone’s helping hand and create a world where kindness and compassion are the norm rather than the exception. As the saying goes, “A helping hand is no farther than at the end of your sleeve.” So let us all extend our sleeves and lend a helping hand whenever possible. And remember, every act of kindness matters.

9. Short Essay on how helping others benefit you:

Helping others is a fundamental human trait that has been ingrained in our society for centuries. It is an act of kindness that not only benefits the recipient, but also brings immense joy and satisfaction to the person who is offering help. In this short essay, we will explore how helping others can have a positive impact on your life.

Firstly, helping others allows us to develop empathy and compassion. When we lend a helping hand to someone in need, we put ourselves in their shoes and try to understand their struggles. This helps us build stronger connections with others and become more understanding individuals. Moreover, by seeing the impact of our actions on others, we learn to appreciate what we have and not take things for granted.

Secondly, helping others can boost our self-esteem and confidence. When we use our skills and knowledge to assist someone, it gives us a sense of purpose and accomplishment. This, in turn, helps us feel more confident about ourselves and our abilities. It also reminds us that we are capable of making a positive impact on others’ lives.

Thirdly, helping others can improve our mental health. It is a well-known fact that acts of kindness can release feel-good hormones in our brain, such as oxytocin and endorphins. These hormones are responsible for making us feel happy and content. By helping others, we can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression levels in ourselves and others around us.

In addition to the above benefits, helping others also allows us to expand our social circle and make meaningful connections. When we volunteer or engage in acts of kindness, we meet like-minded individuals who share the same values as us. This can lead to long-lasting friendships and a sense of belonging.

Lastly, helping others is a powerful way to contribute to society and make a positive impact on the world. By giving back to our communities, we can create a ripple effect of kindness and inspire others to do the same. This can lead to a more empathetic and compassionate society, creating a better world for future generations.

10. Short Essay on Satisfaction Comes from Helping Others:

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s better to give than receive.” And while it may sound cliché, there is truth to this statement. There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from helping others. Whether it be through volunteering, lending a helping hand, or simply being there for someone in need, the act of helping others brings a sense of fulfillment that cannot be replicated by any material possessions.

So why is it that helping others brings us satisfaction? One of the main reasons is that it gives us a sense of purpose. In today’s fast-paced world, we often get caught up in our own lives and forget about the needs of those around us. By taking the time to help someone else, we are reminded that there is more to life than just our own personal pursuits. We are able to make a positive impact on someone else’s life and in turn, feel good about ourselves.

Moreover, helping others allows us to step outside of our comfort zones and gain new perspectives. It’s easy to get stuck in our own routines and thought patterns, but when we help someone else, we are exposed to different ways of thinking and living. This can broaden our understanding of the world and also help us appreciate what we have.

Another aspect of helping others that brings satisfaction is the connections we make with people. When we lend a helping hand or volunteer, we are often working alongside like-minded individuals who share similar values and goals. These shared experiences can lead to meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging.

Furthermore, the act of helping others can also boost our own self-esteem and confidence. By making a positive impact on someone else’s life, we are reminded that we have something valuable to offer. This can give us a sense of purpose and worth that may have been lacking before.

In conclusion, while it may seem counterintuitive, true satisfaction does not come from acquiring material possessions or achieving personal success. It comes from the act of helping others and making a positive impact in their lives. So, let us strive to be kind, empathetic, and selfless individuals who find joy in giving rather than receiving. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

11. Short Essay on My Greatest Passion is Helping others:

My greatest passion in life is helping others. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a strong desire to make a positive impact on the world around me. Growing up, my parents instilled in me the value of kindness and compassion towards others, and this has stayed with me throughout my life.

I believe that there is no greater joy than being able to bring a smile to someone’s face or make their day a little bit brighter. Whether it is through small acts of kindness, volunteering my time, or using my skills and knowledge to help those in need, I am always looking for ways to lend a helping hand.

One of the reasons why helping others is my greatest passion is because it allows me to connect with people from all walks of life. I have had the opportunity to work with individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, and each interaction has taught me something valuable. By helping others, I am also able to learn and grow as a person.

Furthermore, helping others is not just about making a difference in someone else’s life; it also brings immense fulfillment and happiness in my own life. Knowing that I have made a positive impact, no matter how small, fills me with a sense of purpose and motivates me to continue helping others.

In today’s world, where there is so much negativity and division, I believe that acts of kindness and compassion towards others are more important than ever. My greatest passion for helping others will always be a driving force in my life, and I hope to inspire others to do the same. After all, as Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Q: How do you write an essay about helping others?

A: To write an essay about helping others, start with an introduction that highlights the significance of the topic, provide examples and personal experiences to support your points, discuss the benefits of helping others, and conclude with a strong summary.

Q: Why is it important to help others essay?

A: An essay on why it’s important to help others emphasizes the value of compassion, empathy, and the positive impact that helping others can have on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.

Q: What is the importance of helping others?

A: The importance of helping others lies in fostering empathy, building stronger communities, and creating a more compassionate and interconnected world.

Q: Why am I passionate about helping others?

A: Your passion for helping others may be driven by the sense of fulfillment, the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, a desire to contribute to positive change, and personal values or experiences that underscore the importance of altruism and empathy.

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Gleb Tsipursky Ph.D.

Is Serving Others the Key to Meaning and Purpose?

Recent findings show the role of serving others in finding meaning and purpose.

Posted July 14, 2016

What Is the Meaning of Life for You? By Gleb Tsipursky Ph.D.

Ghar Smith/Flickr

I remember how in November 2013 my wife (and fellow Intentional Insights co-founder) and I, together with a great bunch of people, organized a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at our Unitarian Universalist church in Columbus, OH. The event was a big success, with more than 120 attendees, a music program, a raffle and silent auction. We raised over $2000 for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank . It might surprise you that the dinner organizers and volunteers came from Columbus secular humanist, atheist, and skeptic groups, including the UU secular group , as this religious denomination embraces believers and non-believers alike . The dinner honored the Flying Spaghetti Monster , a light satire meant to promote reason-based scientific education in biology classes. No belief in a deity was required to participate in community-oriented civic engagement at this dinner – in fact, the event was explicitly oriented toward secular-minded folks.

Studies indicate that opportunities to serve others , whether in civic, private , or professional settings, as well as charitable giving , result in a stronger sense of purpose and meaning in life, leading to better mental and physical well-being . This does not mean that serving others is necessary for a strong sense of meaning and purpose, but such civic engagement generally helps contribute to gaining this sense. Volunteering together with others in your community enables the creation of strong social bonds , which adds further to a sense of meaningfulness. In the United States, religion offers the main venue for community belonging, and also for working with others to pursue civic engagement. Civic engagement ranges from donating one’s time to bring about a better world such as through the spaghetti dinner fundraiser described above, to pursuing social justice through advocacy and lobbying, as exemplified by BREAD , the main interfaith social justice organization in Central Ohio. No wonder that the majority of the research indicates that church-going believers in the US generally have a stronger sense of life meaning . However, as my research illustrates, other societies create many alternative venues besides religious ones that provided similar opportunities and the benefits that can result (check out this brief video based on my research to learn more).

So is there something similar happening in North America? Here’s the thing: there are more and more secular communities around, and they are actively participating in social justice activities. Just here in Columbus, besides the FSM dinner, the Humanist Community of Central Ohio does regular blood donations , which were featured in the main newspaper in Central Ohio , participates in LGBTQ activism , and promotes other forms of social and economic civic engagement . The local chapter of the United Coalition of Reason hosted a walk-a-thon to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, part of a broader national effort by the Foundation Beyond Belief . And COUNT, a Columbus secular group, is explicitly dedicated to volunteering. My wife and I have also led a year-long effort to get BREAD to open up its doors to secular folks , and then successfully mobilized a large contingent of non-believers to attend this event. National secular organizations, such as the Secular Student Alliance and the Secular Coalition for America , increasingly promote civic engagement. More and more opportunities are emerging for nonbelievers who want to volunteer together with others who share their value system, whether for more secular-themed causes such as Camp Quest, reason-based summer camps for children and youth , or social justice in general.

A particularly promising new trend in civic engagement is Effective Altruism . This movement is devoted to using well-reasoned, evidence-based approaches to find the most effective ways to improve the world, especially through charitable giving. Prominent secular notables are turning to Effective Altruism as the most reason-based, rational strategy of giving. Effective Altruism is endorsed by prominent secular philosophers such as Peter Singer . It includes organizations such as Giving What We Can , GiveWell , and 80,000 Hours . Your dollars will do the most good for the world through Effective Altruism!

What are the practical takeaways here? Whether you are a believer or secular, to gain a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life it helps to participate in civic engagement with others from your community. It might be more challenging if you are a non-believer, but there are plenty of local secular groups around the United States that offer opportunities to contribute to social justice on a local level. Take the initiative to push your local communities to do service for the social good. You will likely help yourself and others find a more powerful perception of life meaning, increase mental and physical well-being for yourself and others, and you can gain greater agency through achieving your personal and social goals . Here, altruism and self-orientation combine for the win!

_____________

P.S. For additional resources, check out this workbook with exercises on finding meaning and purpose using science-based strategies; this free science-based web app to evaluate your current sense of meaning and purpose; this free online class on finding meaning and purpose using science; and the wide variety of other resources on meaning and purpose available at Intentional Insights.

Bio: Dr. Gleb Tsipursky runs a nonprofit that helps you reach your goals using science to build an altruistic and flourishing world, Intentional Insights , authored Find Your Purpose Using Science among other books, and regular contributes to prominent venues; and is a tenure-track professor at Ohio State. Consider signing up to the Intentional Insights newsletter ; volunteering ; donating ; buying merchandise . You can support him personally on Patreon . Get in touch with him at [email protected] .

Gleb Tsipursky Ph.D.

Gleb Tsipursky, Ph.D. , is on the editorial board of the journal Behavior and Social Issues. He is in private practice.

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Can helping others help you find meaning in life, new research is finding that being kind and giving to others can make our lives feel more meaningful..

The idea that helping others is part of a meaningful life has been around for thousands of years. Aristotle wrote that finding happiness and fulfillment is achieved “by loving rather than in being loved.” According to the psychologist Carol Ryff, who reviewed the writings of numerous philosophers throughout history, relationships with others are “ a central feature of a positive, well-lived life .”

Yet today many of us seem to be struggling to find meaning by gathering up achievements, spending so much time at work that we’re cut off from other people.

Are we headed down the wrong path? New research is providing more and more evidence that kind and helpful behavior causes us to feel that our lives are meaningful, and discovering what we can do to reap those benefits.

Relationships and the meaningful life

essay about serving others

Often, psychologists have distinguished between two types of well-being: hedonic well-being (a sense of happiness) and eudaimonic well-being (a sense of meaning and purpose). Although happiness and meaning overlap significantly, researchers suspected that helping others is especially crucial to developing a sense of meaning.

A recent study by Roy Baumeister at Florida State University sought to investigate this and other differences between happiness and meaning. In a survey of over 300 participants, the researchers looked for traits and behaviors that were related to happiness (but not meaningfulness) and vice versa. The researchers found that having strong social connections was important for both happiness and meaningfulness. However, helping others in need and identifying oneself as a “giver” in relationships were related to meaning alone. 

Baumeister points out that a meaningful life is different for everyone (since the cultural messages we have been exposed to can impact what we see as meaningful). However, the research on meaning in life points to one factor that appears to be important for all of us: developing high-quality relationships.

Does helping promote a sense of meaning?

But does behaving in a kind and helpful way (“prosocially”) actually cause us to feel that our lives have more meaning? While it may seem intuitive that helping others goes along with a meaningful life, it’s possible to imagine a variety of different explanations for this: Perhaps those who feel like their lives have meaning are more motivated to help others, or perhaps some other factor (for example, being religious) causes people to be helpful and experience more meaning in their life.

A recent article published in The Journal of Positive Psychology by Daryl Van Tongeren and his colleagues sought to examine this relationship. In a preliminary study, the researchers asked over 400 participants to report on how frequently they engage in different altruistic behaviors (such as volunteering) and how meaningful their life feels. Participants who were more altruistic reported a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

More on Kindness

Practice kindness (and boost your sense of meaning in life) with these practices:

  • Random Acts of Kindness : Feel happier by doing things for others.
  • Feeling Connected : A writing exercise to foster connection and kindness.
  • Loving-Kindness Meditation : Strengthen feelings of kindness and connection toward others.
  • Reminders of Connectedness : A subtle way to induce kindness, particularly in kids.
  • Encouraging Kindness in Kids : Praise kids in ways that make them more kind.

In a second study, the researchers sought to assess whether expressing gratitude , which is considered a prosocial emotion , could actually cause participants to report a greater sense of meaning. In this study, some participants wrote letters of gratitude to someone who had impacted their lives, while some participants wrote about other topics. The researchers found that participants who wrote gratitude letters subsequently reported that their lives were more meaningful than did other participants. Importantly, this study addresses the issue of causality; since participants were randomly assigned to write about gratitude or other topics, it appears that expressing a prosocial emotion actually increased their sense of purpose.

Why does helping make life more meaningful?

According to Van Tongeren, engaging in altruistic acts may allow us to find fulfillment because it improves our relationships. To test out this idea, the researchers asked participants about their prosocial behavior, meaning in life, and level of relationship satisfaction. They found that prosocial behavior and meaning in life were linked, and that relationship satisfaction—in other words, the quality of people’s relationships—partially accounted for that link.

Another factor that might come into play is detailed in a 2010 study published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology . According to this article, when we choose to engage in prosocial actions, it helps to meet our basic psychological needs: for autonomy (feeling that we have freely chosen our actions), competence (feeling that we are good and capable), and relatedness (feeling close to others).

In one study testing this idea, participants were either allowed to choose to give money to someone else in the study, or told by the researchers how much money to give. For participants who freely chose how much to give (although not for participants who were told how much to give), giving more money was related to higher well-being and to feeling that their psychological needs were met. Importantly, that feeling accounted for the link between giving and well-being, suggesting that giving may improve well-being because it helps us meet our psychological needs.

Taken together, these two studies suggest that helping others is beneficial because it fulfills basic human needs—and that altruism may be especially important for strengthening our relationships and connecting us with others.

How to increase your sense of meaning

The research described above suggests that giving helps us feel more connected to others, which imbues our lives with a sense of meaning. Do you want to live a more meaningful life? The suggestions below can help you take the first steps.

  • Start small. You don’t need to begin with grand gestures; even small, everyday behaviors can have an impact on others and on your own sense of well-being. For example, in a study published in Science , spending just five dollars on someone else led to boosts in happiness. The Eliciting Altruism practice includes strategies for starting a habit of kindness and generosity, such as reminding yourself of your connections to others and identifying with individuals who may need your help.
  • Make your helping count. It turns out that not all types of giving have the same effects on us. The Making Giving Feel Good practice offers strategies for how to help others in a way that boosts your own sense of happiness and well-being. In particular, helping others can be especially effective when you can see the specific impact that your actions have.
  • Take time to thank others. As the research presented here has shown, expressing gratitude towards others can be a prosocial act, too. When others take time to do something nice for you, making them feel appreciated can help build your relationship with them and make your life more meaningful. This exercise offers suggestions for how to write a Gratitude Letter like the ones in Van Tongeren’s study.

Recent research has provided evidence to support the idea that helping others goes hand in hand with meaningfulness. It’s not just that people who have already found their purpose in life enjoy giving back. Instead, helping others can actually create the sense of meaning we’re seeking. Rather than ruminating on what makes our life worthwhile as we work toward burnout, we can find the answer outside ourselves, in human connection.

About the Author

Elizabeth Hopper

Elizabeth Hopper

Elizabeth Hopper, Ph.D. , received her Ph.D. in psychology from UC Santa Barbara and currently works as a freelance science writer specializing in psychology and mental health.

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Essay on Helping Others in Life

Helping others is a fundamental aspect of human life and is closely tied to personal growth and fulfillment. By offering aid and support to those in need, individuals can improve their own lives and those of others, leading to a more harmonious and prosperous world. This essay will explore the various benefits of helping others, including the impact on personal development, the benefits to mental health, and the impact on society as a whole.

I. Personal Development

A. Increased Empathy and Understanding

One of the key benefits of helping others is the development of empathy and understanding. By reaching out to others and offering support, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by those in need. This can lead to an increased sense of compassion and empathy, helping to build stronger relationships and foster greater understanding between people.

B. Improved Sense of Purpose and Fulfillment

Helping others can also have a positive impact on personal development by providing a sense of purpose and fulfillment. By making a positive difference in the lives of others, individuals can find greater meaning and satisfaction in their own lives, helping them to feel more fulfilled and content.

C. Enhanced Self-Esteem and Confidence

Another key benefit of helping others is the positive impact on self-esteem and confidence. By taking action to help others, individuals can feel more empowered and confident in their own abilities, leading to greater self-esteem and a stronger sense of personal identity.

II. Benefits to Mental Health

A. Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Helping others can also have a positive impact on mental health, as it has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. By focusing on the needs of others, individuals can shift their attention away from their own worries and concerns, leading to a more relaxed and content state of mind.

B. Improved Mood and Happiness

In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, helping others can also lead to an improvement in mood and happiness. By providing support to others and making a positive impact on their lives, individuals can experience a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, leading to greater happiness and well-being.

C. Increased Social Connections

Finally, helping others can also have a positive impact on mental health by fostering greater social connections. By reaching out to others and offering support, individuals can form stronger relationships and build a sense of community, leading to increased feelings of belonging and connectedness.

III. Impact on Society

A. Strengthening of Communities

One of the key ways in which helping others can impact society is by strengthening communities. By working together to help those in need, individuals can build stronger relationships and foster a sense of solidarity, leading to more resilient and harmonious communities.

B. Promotion of Social Justice

Another way in which helping others can impact society is by promoting social justice. By offering support to those who are marginalized or disadvantaged, individuals can help to address social inequalities and work towards a more fair and just society.

C. Encouragement of Generosity and Altruism

Finally, by helping others and setting a positive example, individuals can encourage others to be more generous and altruistic, helping to foster a culture of giving and compassion in society as a whole.

what are the ways of helping others

There are numerous ways to help others and make a positive impact in their lives. Here are some common ways you can lend a helping hand:

  • Volunteering: Offer your time and skills to organizations, charities, or community projects. Volunteer at local schools, hospitals, shelters, or environmental initiatives. Your efforts can contribute to a variety of causes and make a difference in the lives of those in need.
  • Donating: Consider donating money, goods, or resources to charitable organizations. Financial contributions can support causes such as education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, disaster relief, and more. Donating goods like clothing, food, or household items can also benefit individuals and communities.
  • Mentoring: Share your knowledge and experiences with others by becoming a mentor. Offer guidance and support to individuals who can benefit from your expertise, whether it’s in academics, career development, personal growth, or other areas.
  • Fundraising: Organize or participate in fundraising events to support specific causes or organizations. This can involve activities such as charity runs, bake sales, auctions, or crowdfunding campaigns. By raising funds, you help create resources for initiatives that assist others.
  • Advocacy: Stand up for causes you believe in and raise awareness about social issues. Use your voice to advocate for marginalized communities, human rights, environmental sustainability, or any other cause that you feel passionate about. Write to policymakers, join advocacy groups, or engage in peaceful protests to drive change.
  • Offering Support: Be there for people in your life who may be going through challenging times. Offer emotional support, lend a listening ear, or provide practical assistance when needed. Simple acts of kindness, such as helping a neighbor with their groceries or offering to babysit for a friend, can go a long way.
  • Sharing Skills: Teach others a skill or trade that you possess. This could involve tutoring students, conducting workshops or classes, or offering professional services pro bono. By sharing your expertise, you empower others and enable them to improve their lives.
  • Random Acts of Kindness: Engage in small acts of kindness on a daily basis. These can include complimenting someone, holding the door for others, offering to help a stranger, or participating in community clean-up efforts. Random acts of kindness create a positive ripple effect and contribute to a more compassionate society.

Remember, helping others doesn’t always have to involve grand gestures. Even small acts of kindness and support can make a significant impact on individuals and communities.

In conclusion, helping others is a vital aspect of human life, offering numerous benefits to personal development, mental health, and society as a whole. By reaching out to those in need and offering support, individuals can experience greater fulfillment and satisfaction, while also making a positive impact on the world around them. Whether through volunteer work, charitable giving, or simply lending

a helping hand to a friend or neighbor, there are countless opportunities to help others and make a difference in the world. Through these acts of kindness and generosity, we can strengthen our communities, promote social justice, and encourage a culture of compassion and altruism.

By taking the time to help others, individuals can also find personal growth and fulfillment, as they develop empathy, understanding, and a sense of purpose. Whether through big or small acts of kindness, helping others has the power to transform lives and improve the world we live in.

In short, helping others is not just a noble pursuit, but a vital part of our shared human experience. It is through our actions and our willingness to reach out and support others that we can create a more just, peaceful, and fulfilling world for all.

The Significance of Helping Others: A Comprehensive Exploration

As a firm believer in the power of empathy and compassion, I am thrilled to delve into the topic of why helping others is profoundly important. Throughout history, individuals and communities have recognized the intrinsic value of extending a helping hand to those in need. In this essay, I aim to shed light on the various aspects of helping others, including its psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. By taking a holistic approach, we can gain a deeper understanding of the impact that acts of kindness have on both the giver and the receiver.

  • The Psychological Benefits of Helping Others:

It is undeniable that engaging in acts of altruism and kindness holds remarkable psychological advantages. Firstly, helping others boosts our own sense of self-worth and purpose. By making a positive difference in someone’s life, we experience a profound sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Furthermore, studies have shown that acts of kindness stimulate the release of endorphins, often referred to as the “feel-good” hormones. These endorphins contribute to a state of happiness and overall well-being.

Moreover, helping others can combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. By connecting with individuals in need and fostering meaningful relationships, we create a support system that nurtures our own emotional health. Additionally, practicing empathy and compassion allows us to develop stronger emotional intelligence, enhancing our ability to understand and relate to others.

  • The Social Impact of Helping Others:

Beyond the personal benefits, helping others has far-reaching social implications. When we extend a helping hand, we contribute to the creation of a more compassionate society. Acts of kindness ripple through communities, inspiring others to follow suit. The collective impact of these actions can bring about positive social change and foster a sense of unity among diverse groups.

Furthermore, helping others promotes the establishment of strong social networks. By engaging in philanthropy or volunteer work, we connect with like-minded individuals who share our values and passions. These networks not only offer support but also open doors to new opportunities and collaborations, amplifying the impact we can make together.

  • The Spiritual Dimensions of Helping Others:

For many, helping others transcends the realm of psychology and sociology; it becomes a deeply spiritual practice. By extending kindness, we align ourselves with core human values such as compassion, love, and selflessness. These acts of service can foster a profound sense of connection with something greater than ourselves.

Additionally, helping others allows us to cultivate a sense of gratitude for our own blessings. When we witness the challenges faced by others, we gain perspective and appreciation for the abundance in our own lives. This awareness serves as a reminder to be grateful for what we have and to approach life with humility and generosity.

  • Overcoming Challenges in Helping Others:

While the importance of helping others is clear, it is essential to acknowledge the challenges and complexities associated with this endeavor. One common challenge is finding the balance between offering assistance and respecting the autonomy and dignity of those in need. It is crucial to empower individuals rather than perpetuating a sense of dependency.

Furthermore, navigating cultural and societal barriers requires sensitivity and cultural competence. Understanding the unique needs and perspectives of diverse communities is vital to providing effective support. By actively seeking to educate ourselves and engage in meaningful dialogue, we can bridge gaps and ensure our assistance is truly impactful.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, helping others is of paramount importance due to its profound psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. By engaging in acts of kindness, we not only improve the lives of those we assist but also experience personal growth and fulfillment. Additionally, our efforts contribute to the creation of a more compassionate and inclusive society. It is through our shared commitment to helping others that we can bring about positive change and foster a world built on empathy and understanding.

My Passion in Life: A Journey of Helping Others

From a young age, I have been drawn to the profound satisfaction and joy that comes from helping others. It is a passion that permeates every aspect of my life and serves as a guiding force for my academic pursuits. In this comprehensive essay, I will delve into the depths of this topic, showcasing my in-depth knowledge while maintaining a friendly and relatable tone. By exploring the various aspects of helping others, I aim to shed light on the significance of this altruistic pursuit and its impact on both individuals and society as a whole.

  • Understanding the Essence of Helping Others: Helping others is an innate human instinct that goes beyond simple acts of kindness. It encompasses empathy, compassion, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of those around us. By delving into the psychological underpinnings of helping behavior, I have come to realize the profound impact it has on fostering stronger interpersonal connections and building a more cohesive society.
  • The Importance of Selflessness: Helping others often requires selflessness, as it involves prioritizing the needs and well-being of others over our own. By examining the concepts of selflessness and sacrifice, I aim to highlight the transformative power that lies within acts of service. Through personal anecdotes and examples, I will showcase the positive ripple effect that even the smallest acts of kindness can have on individuals and communities.
  • Empowering Through Education and Mentorship: Education serves as a powerful tool in transforming lives and enabling individuals to reach their full potential. By focusing on the role of education and mentorship in helping others, I will explore how these avenues can pave the way for personal growth and societal progress. Drawing upon research and personal experiences, I will illustrate the transformative power of knowledge and the profound impact that mentors can have on shaping the lives of others.
  • Building Stronger Communities: Helping others extends beyond individual acts of kindness; it encompasses community-building and fostering an inclusive environment. By examining the dynamics of community engagement, I will explore the ways in which collective efforts can bring about positive change and address societal challenges. From volunteering to grassroots initiatives, I will delve into the strategies and approaches that contribute to creating thriving communities.
  • Overcoming Challenges and Nurturing Resilience: Helping others is not without its obstacles. It requires resilience and an unwavering commitment to making a difference, even in the face of adversity. By sharing personal stories of overcoming challenges and setbacks, I will provide insights into the importance of perseverance and resilience in the pursuit of helping others. This section will serve as a source of inspiration for readers, encouraging them to navigate the inevitable obstacles they may encounter on their own journeys.

My passion for helping others has shaped my identity and academic pursuits. Throughout this comprehensive essay, I have explored the various facets of this passion, drawing upon personal experiences, research, and a deep understanding of the topic. From understanding the essence of helping others to nurturing resilience, I have showcased the transformative power of acts of kindness and their far-reaching impact on individuals and communities. By embracing our innate desire to help others, we can contribute to a more compassionate and inclusive world. Let us embark on this journey together, united in our shared goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others.

speech on helping others

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, I want to talk about a fundamental aspect of our humanity – helping others. The act of extending a helping hand to those in need is not only a noble endeavor but also a fundamental part of what it means to be human. It’s a simple yet profound gesture that can make a world of difference in the lives of those we touch.

Helping others is not confined to grand gestures or extraordinary acts of charity. It can be as simple as lending a listening ear to a friend in distress or offering a warm smile to a stranger. It’s about showing empathy, compassion, and kindness in our everyday interactions.

One of the most remarkable things about helping others is that it’s a win-win situation. When we help others, we not only make a positive impact on their lives, but we also enrich our own lives in the process. Here’s how:

  • Fosters Connection: Helping others creates bonds and strengthens relationships. It builds trust and deepens connections with friends, family, and even strangers. It reminds us that we are all part of a larger human family.
  • Boosts Happiness: Numerous studies have shown that acts of kindness trigger the release of endorphins, the “feel-good” hormones, in our brains. So, helping others actually makes us happier and more content.
  • Fosters Personal Growth: Helping others challenges us to step out of our comfort zones, develop new skills, and broaden our perspectives. It can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery.
  • Creates a Positive Ripple Effect: When we help someone, they are more likely to pay it forward and help others in turn. This creates a positive ripple effect that can spread far and wide, making the world a better place.
  • Enhances Our Sense of Purpose: Knowing that our actions can have a positive impact on others gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life. It reminds us that we have the power to make a difference.

In a world that often seems divided and troubled, helping others serves as a beacon of hope. It transcends barriers of race, religion, and nationality. It reminds us of our shared humanity and the potential for goodness that resides in each of us.

But let’s not forget that helping others is not just about the grand gestures or the occasional act of charity. It’s about cultivating a mindset of kindness and empathy in our daily lives. It’s about being there for our friends, family, and community when they need us most. It’s about recognizing that even the smallest acts of kindness can have a profound impact.

So, as we go about our lives, let’s remember the power we hold within us to make the world a better place through acts of kindness and helping others. Let’s choose empathy over apathy, compassion over indifference, and love over hate. In doing so, we not only enrich the lives of those we help but also contribute to a more compassionate and connected world for all.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a great community service essay.

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College Admissions , Extracurriculars

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Are you applying to a college or a scholarship that requires a community service essay? Do you know how to write an essay that will impress readers and clearly show the impact your work had on yourself and others?

Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for writing a great community service essay that will help you stand out and be memorable.

What Is a Community Service Essay? Why Do You Need One?

A community service essay is an essay that describes the volunteer work you did and the impact it had on you and your community. Community service essays can vary widely depending on specific requirements listed in the application, but, in general, they describe the work you did, why you found the work important, and how it benefited people around you.

Community service essays are typically needed for two reasons:

#1: To Apply to College

  • Some colleges require students to write community service essays as part of their application or to be eligible for certain scholarships.
  • You may also choose to highlight your community service work in your personal statement.

#2: To Apply for Scholarships

  • Some scholarships are specifically awarded to students with exceptional community service experiences, and many use community service essays to help choose scholarship recipients.
  • Green Mountain College offers one of the most famous of these scholarships. Their "Make a Difference Scholarship" offers full tuition, room, and board to students who have demonstrated a significant, positive impact through their community service

Getting Started With Your Essay

In the following sections, I'll go over each step of how to plan and write your essay. I'll also include sample excerpts for you to look through so you can get a better idea of what readers are looking for when they review your essay.

Step 1: Know the Essay Requirements

Before your start writing a single word, you should be familiar with the essay prompt. Each college or scholarship will have different requirements for their essay, so make sure you read these carefully and understand them.

Specific things to pay attention to include:

  • Length requirement
  • Application deadline
  • The main purpose or focus of the essay
  • If the essay should follow a specific structure

Below are three real community service essay prompts. Read through them and notice how much they vary in terms of length, detail, and what information the writer should include.

From the Equitable Excellence Scholarship:

"Describe your outstanding achievement in depth and provide the specific planning, training, goals, and steps taken to make the accomplishment successful. Include details about your role and highlight leadership you provided. Your essay must be a minimum of 350 words but not more than 600 words."

From the Laura W. Bush Traveling Scholarship:

"Essay (up to 500 words, double spaced) explaining your interest in being considered for the award and how your proposed project reflects or is related to both UNESCO's mandate and U.S. interests in promoting peace by sharing advances in education, science, culture, and communications."

From the LULAC National Scholarship Fund:

"Please type or print an essay of 300 words (maximum) on how your academic studies will contribute to your personal & professional goals. In addition, please discuss any community service or extracurricular activities you have been involved in that relate to your goals."

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Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Even after you understand what the essay should be about, it can still be difficult to begin writing. Answer the following questions to help brainstorm essay ideas. You may be able to incorporate your answers into your essay.

  • What community service activity that you've participated in has meant the most to you?
  • What is your favorite memory from performing community service?
  • Why did you decide to begin community service?
  • What made you decide to volunteer where you did?
  • How has your community service changed you?
  • How has your community service helped others?
  • How has your community service affected your plans for the future?

You don't need to answer all the questions, but if you find you have a lot of ideas for one of two of them, those may be things you want to include in your essay.

Writing Your Essay

How you structure your essay will depend on the requirements of the scholarship or school you are applying to. You may give an overview of all the work you did as a volunteer, or highlight a particularly memorable experience. You may focus on your personal growth or how your community benefited.

Regardless of the specific structure requested, follow the guidelines below to make sure your community service essay is memorable and clearly shows the impact of your work.

Samples of mediocre and excellent essays are included below to give you a better idea of how you should draft your own essay.

Step 1: Hook Your Reader In

You want the person reading your essay to be interested, so your first sentence should hook them in and entice them to read more. A good way to do this is to start in the middle of the action. Your first sentence could describe you helping build a house, releasing a rescued animal back to the wild, watching a student you tutored read a book on their own, or something else that quickly gets the reader interested. This will help set your essay apart and make it more memorable.

Compare these two opening sentences:

"I have volunteered at the Wishbone Pet Shelter for three years."

"The moment I saw the starving, mud-splattered puppy brought into the shelter with its tail between its legs, I knew I'd do whatever I could to save it."

The first sentence is a very general, bland statement. The majority of community service essays probably begin a lot like it, but it gives the reader little information and does nothing to draw them in. On the other hand, the second sentence begins immediately with action and helps persuade the reader to keep reading so they can learn what happened to the dog.

Step 2: Discuss the Work You Did

Once you've hooked your reader in with your first sentence, tell them about your community service experiences. State where you work, when you began working, how much time you've spent there, and what your main duties include. This will help the reader quickly put the rest of the essay in context and understand the basics of your community service work.

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Not including basic details about your community service could leave your reader confused.

Step 3: Include Specific Details

It's the details of your community service that make your experience unique and memorable, so go into the specifics of what you did.

For example, don't just say you volunteered at a nursing home; talk about reading Mrs. Johnson her favorite book, watching Mr. Scott win at bingo, and seeing the residents play games with their grandchildren at the family day you organized. Try to include specific activities, moments, and people in your essay. Having details like these let the readers really understand what work you did and how it differs from other volunteer experiences.

Compare these two passages:

"For my volunteer work, I tutored children at a local elementary school. I helped them improve their math skills and become more confident students."

"As a volunteer at York Elementary School, I worked one-on-one with second and third graders who struggled with their math skills, particularly addition, subtraction, and fractions. As part of my work, I would create practice problems and quizzes and try to connect math to the students' interests. One of my favorite memories was when Sara, a student I had been working with for several weeks, told me that she enjoyed the math problems I had created about a girl buying and selling horses so much that she asked to help me create math problems for other students."

The first passage only gives basic information about the work done by the volunteer; there is very little detail included, and no evidence is given to support her claims. How did she help students improve their math skills? How did she know they were becoming more confident?

The second passage is much more detailed. It recounts a specific story and explains more fully what kind of work the volunteer did, as well as a specific instance of a student becoming more confident with her math skills. Providing more detail in your essay helps support your claims as well as make your essay more memorable and unique.

Step 4: Show Your Personality

It would be very hard to get a scholarship or place at a school if none of your readers felt like they knew much about you after finishing your essay, so make sure that your essay shows your personality. The way to do this is to state your personal strengths, then provide examples to support your claims. Take some time to think about which parts of your personality you would like your essay to highlight, then write about specific examples to show this.

  • If you want to show that you're a motivated leader, describe a time when you organized an event or supervised other volunteers.
  • If you want to show your teamwork skills, write about a time you helped a group of people work together better.
  • If you want to show that you're a compassionate animal lover, write about taking care of neglected shelter animals and helping each of them find homes.

Step 5: State What You Accomplished

After you have described your community service and given specific examples of your work, you want to begin to wrap your essay up by stating your accomplishments. What was the impact of your community service? Did you build a house for a family to move into? Help students improve their reading skills? Clean up a local park? Make sure the impact of your work is clear; don't be worried about bragging here.

If you can include specific numbers, that will also strengthen your essay. Saying "I delivered meals to 24 home-bound senior citizens" is a stronger example than just saying "I delivered meals to lots of senior citizens."

Also be sure to explain why your work matters. Why is what you did important? Did it provide more parks for kids to play in? Help students get better grades? Give people medical care who would otherwise not have gotten it? This is an important part of your essay, so make sure to go into enough detail that your readers will know exactly what you accomplished and how it helped your community.

"My biggest accomplishment during my community service was helping to organize a family event at the retirement home. The children and grandchildren of many residents attended, and they all enjoyed playing games and watching movies together."

"The community service accomplishment that I'm most proud of is the work I did to help organize the First Annual Family Fun Day at the retirement home. My job was to design and organize fun activities that senior citizens and their younger relatives could enjoy. The event lasted eight hours and included ten different games, two performances, and a movie screening with popcorn. Almost 200 residents and family members attended throughout the day. This event was important because it provided an opportunity for senior citizens to connect with their family members in a way they aren't often able to. It also made the retirement home seem more fun and enjoyable to children, and we have seen an increase in the number of kids coming to visit their grandparents since the event."

The second passage is stronger for a variety of reasons. First, it goes into much more detail about the work the volunteer did. The first passage only states that she helped "organize a family event." That really doesn't tell readers much about her work or what her responsibilities were. The second passage is much clearer; her job was to "design and organize fun activities."

The second passage also explains the event in more depth. A family day can be many things; remember that your readers are likely not familiar with what you're talking about, so details help them get a clearer picture.

Lastly, the second passage makes the importance of the event clear: it helped residents connect with younger family members, and it helped retirement homes seem less intimidating to children, so now some residents see their grand kids more often.

Step 6: Discuss What You Learned

One of the final things to include in your essay should be the impact that your community service had on you. You can discuss skills you learned, such as carpentry, public speaking, animal care, or another skill.

You can also talk about how you changed personally. Are you more patient now? More understanding of others? Do you have a better idea of the type of career you want? Go into depth about this, but be honest. Don't say your community service changed your life if it didn't because trite statements won't impress readers.

In order to support your statements, provide more examples. If you say you're more patient now, how do you know this? Do you get less frustrated while playing with your younger siblings? Are you more willing to help group partners who are struggling with their part of the work? You've probably noticed by now that including specific examples and details is one of the best ways to create a strong and believable essay .

"As a result of my community service, I learned a lot about building houses and became a more mature person."

"As a result of my community service, I gained hands-on experience in construction. I learned how to read blueprints, use a hammer and nails, and begin constructing the foundation of a two-bedroom house. Working on the house could be challenging at times, but it taught me to appreciate the value of hard work and be more willing to pitch in when I see someone needs help. My dad has just started building a shed in our backyard, and I offered to help him with it because I know from my community service how much work it is. I also appreciate my own house more, and I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head."

The second passage is more impressive and memorable because it describes the skills the writer learned in more detail and recounts a specific story that supports her claim that her community service changed her and made her more helpful.

essay about serving others

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Step 7: Finish Strong

Just as you started your essay in a way that would grab readers' attention, you want to finish your essay on a strong note as well. A good way to end your essay is to state again the impact your work had on you, your community, or both. Reiterate how you changed as a result of your community service, why you found the work important, or how it helped others.

Compare these two concluding statements:

"In conclusion, I learned a lot from my community service at my local museum, and I hope to keep volunteering and learning more about history."

"To conclude, volunteering at my city's American History Museum has been a great experience. By leading tours and participating in special events, I became better at public speaking and am now more comfortable starting conversations with people. In return, I was able to get more community members interested in history and our local museum. My interest in history has deepened, and I look forward to studying the subject in college and hopefully continuing my volunteer work at my university's own museum."

The second passage takes each point made in the first passage and expands upon it. In a few sentences, the second passage is able to clearly convey what work the volunteer did, how she changed, and how her volunteer work benefited her community.

The author of the second passage also ends her essay discussing her future and how she'd like to continue her community service, which is a good way to wrap things up because it shows your readers that you are committed to community service for the long-term.

What's Next?

Are you applying to a community service scholarship or thinking about it? We have a complete list of all the community service scholarships available to help get your search started!

Do you need a community service letter as well? We have a step-by-step guide that will tell you how to get a great reference letter from your community service supervisor.

Thinking about doing community service abroad? Before you sign up, read our guide on some of the hazards of international volunteer trips and how to know if it's the right choice for you.

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What Are the Mental Health Benefits of Volunteering?

Barbara is a writer and speaker who is passionate about mental health, overall wellness, and women's issues.

essay about serving others

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program.

essay about serving others

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What Is Volunteer Work and Why Is It Important?

  • Mental Health Benefits
  • Physical Health Benefits

Ways to Volunteer

When you spend your time volunteering, you’re certainly using your time constructively. Whether it’s building houses for Habitat for Humanity or working at a food bank on the weekends, volunteering also makes you feel good.

At the same time that you’re giving back to others, volunteering also gives you a variety of physical and mental health benefits.

When you volunteer, you freely give your time with no expectation of any compensation. Many people enjoy assisting in their community. You can also volunteer at your work place or through various charities and philanthropic organizations online. 

Altruism , which focuses on acting out of concern for others’ happiness and well-being even if it’s at a cost, might be one reason people volunteer. Driven by empathy , humans put themselves in the shoes of others facing hardships and often want to help.

Volunteering enables you to feel that you’re part of something greater than yourself. That might mean being part of your child’s education when you volunteer to put on a Career Day for the high school. Or feeling more connected to the world after the GoFundMe you set up for your Ukranian friend generates thousands of donations from across the world.

You don’t feel lonely , isolated or alone when you volunteer. Volunteering prevents you from worrying about your own battles and gives you a new perspective. It also enables you to contribute positively to the world.

Mental Health Benefits of Volunteering

Behaviors that help others are often called pro-social behaviors by psychologists. Helping a great cause is a pro-social behavior that can elevate your mood. It can also affect your health in myriad ways.

Volunteering Makes You Feel Good

Giving really does make you feel good. Your body releases endorphins which Harvard Health calls the “brain’s natural pain reliever” when you volunteer or do something you enjoy. Endorphins create a sense of well-being. Sometimes people call what you’re feeling a “helper’s high.”

Volunteering Boosts Your Happiness

Enjoyable and meaningful activities like helping others can increase your happiness . In a study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies , researchers found that people who volunteer are happier than those who do not.

Using data from about 70,000 participants in the United Kingdom, scientists found that compared to participants who didn’t volunteer, those who volunteered in the past year were more satisfied with their lives. They rated their overall health as better, too.

Another outcome of the study: the researchers found that people who volunteered at least once a month reported better mental health than those who volunteered rarely or not at all.

Volunteering Reduces Loneliness and Stress

Lacking human contact or feeling alone can flood your body with cortisol. According to the Cleveland Clinic, high levels of cortisol in your system not only cause more stress, but you risk impairing your cognitive performance. You also increase your risk of developing inflammation and heart disease as well as impairing your immune system.

Volunteering Builds Friendships, Social Interaction, and Engagement

Participating in a shared activity brings people closer together. You’ll likely be actively walking and getting more exercise. You won’t be thinking about your troubles for a while and you’ll probably make new friends.

Having friends is important as friends offer emotional support, build your confidence, and help you reduce stress.

When volunteering, you’ll also become more socially engaged. Social engagement promotes brain health .

Volunteering Reduces Depression

Saying yes to a volunteer opportunity can also contribute to diminishing your rate of depression. Scientific research has shown that volunteering lowers depression levels for those over 65. So, volunteering is beneficial for seniors.

Physical Health Benefits of Volunteering

Based on one study that included adults over age 50, those who volunteered regularly were less likely to develop high blood pressure than the non-volunteering participants. High blood pressure is a key health indicator because it contributes to heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

Being of service to others and participating with others in a group to better the world can lift our spirits. It can also have real-world effects on our bodies. As you keep your brain and body active, you ward off cognitive decline and keep yourself healthy.

Volunteering by dropping off dinner for a sick friend is also valuable. Performing acts of kindness , like cleaning the house for your mom who worked a double shift at the hospital the night before matters, too. You don’t necessarily have to volunteer in a consistent manner.

If you do want to volunteer regularly, which has many benefits as discussed previously, there are deserving organizations that would welcome your help. In fact, some organizations, like non-profits, count on volunteers to carry out some duties due to limited funding.  

Here are possible ways you can volunteer in your community:

  • Deliver food for programs like Meals on Wheels
  • Tutor students in reading, English or math
  • Visit or play games at a senior center
  • Sing or dance in performances that raise money for your favorite charity
  • Coach at a local middle school
  • Participate in beach cleanup days for the Surfriders Foundation
  • Drive neighbors to doctor appointments
  • Mow the lawn of elderly community members
  • Restock shelves of books at your local library
  • Work on behalf of human rights organizations like Amnesty International
  • Play music for those in hospice
  • Host a neighborhood block party
  • Fundraise on disaster relief efforts for the International Red Cross
  • Help with park clean-up events
  • Serve food at a soup kitchen
  • Offer apples and oranges whenever you see the homeless
  • Help promote an animal rescue center
  • Sit on the board of your condo association
  • Facilitate activities like Bingo games at a nursing home
  • Help with a community center’s building maintenance projects

Remember that if you can’t volunteer in these ways, you might make use of a special talent or skill instead. For example, if have great tech skills, you can volunteer to be the “go to” person for an organization’s computers and printers once a week.

If you’re good at and love taking pictures, you might volunteer to submit photos for an institution’s brochure or update a charity’s website over the summer. Don’t forget that if you can’t volunteer with your time, you can also donate financially.

Digital Ways to Find Volunteer Opportunities

You can find opportunities in your community as well as online. Check out these two great organizations online to find out about amazing groups and how you can help those in need:

  • Volunteer Match is an award-winning database that has been around for over 20 years. You’ll find many ways to volunteer on the web’s largest and most popular volunteer recruiting platform. It connects a million interested volunteers per month with 130,000 nonprofits.
  • DoSomething.org is the largest not-for-profit digital platform for young people devoted to social change issues. With millions of members across the world, members join to volunteer for social change and civic action campaigns. Their goal is to make an impact on the causes they are passionate about.

Harvard Health Publishing. Endorphins: The Brain's Natural Pain Reliever .

Lawton RN, Gramatki I, Watt W, Fujiwara D. Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering . Journal of Happiness Studies . 2021;22(2):599-624.

Cleveland Clinic. What Happens in Your Body When You're Lonely?

Musick MA, Wilson J. Volunteering and depression: the role of psychological and social resources in different age groups .  Soc Sci Med . 2003;56(2):259-269. doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00025-4

Sneed RS, Cohen S. A prospective study of volunteerism and hypertension risk in older adults .  Psychol Aging . 2013;28(2):578-586. doi:10.1037/a0032718

By Barbara Field Barbara is a writer and speaker who is passionate about mental health, overall wellness, and women's issues.

essay about serving others

THE JOY OF GIVING: The more you give of yourself, the more you find of yourself

flower of life mandala

We all know how great it feels to receive gifts. However, the joy of getting is short-lived. Our lives are richer when we share, and that great inner joy comes from helping others to better their lives.

Truly giving from the heart fills your life with joy and nourishes your soul. Giving provides an intrinsic reward that’s far more valuable than the gift. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others.”

Giving takes you out of yourself and allows you to expand beyond earthly limitations. True joy lies in the act of giving without an expectation of receiving something in return.

Academic research and thousands of years of human history confirm that achieving meaning, fulfillment, and happiness in life comes from making others happy, and not from being self-centred. Mother Teresa is a famous example. She found fulfillment in giving of herself to others. She helped change the expression on dying people’s faces from distress and fear to calmness and serenity. She made their undeniable pain a little easier to bear.

Adventure, Height, Climbing, Mountain, Peak, Summit

When people are asked why they give, the readiest answers include: God wants me to; I feel better about myself; others need, and I have; I want to share; it’s only right. The question I would ask is how did you feel? I imagine you felt very pleased with yourself and happy inside.

It has been my experience that when you’re focused on giving to others you’re less likely to become consumed by your own concerns and challenges. Giving provides an opportunity to look beyond our own world and see the bigger picture.

A great perspective can be achieved by stepping out of our own world and venturing into the world of other people. Your worries and challenges may not seem as significant when compared to other people’s situations.

The act of giving kindles self-esteem and brings happiness. Scientists have discovered that happiness is related to how much gratitude you show. After several years of soul searching, I discovered that my unhappiness was due to my want for things to fill the void of loneliness.

My search for inner happiness led me towards gratitude. During this process of self-realization, I also discovered “ The Purpose of Living.” Yes, I believe that giving thanks makes you happier. But don’t take my word for it—try it out for yourself.

The power of giving and the joy of helping others

Giving is one of the best investments you can make towards achieving genuine happiness. True giving comes from the heart, with no expectation of reciprocation. You’ll find that the more you give, the more you’ll receive.

Frog giving another frog flowers - The joy of giving

The power of giving is manifested in the kindness and generosity that you bestow on someone else. When you give to another unselfishly, the vibrational energy emitting from your subconscious is at its strongest. The power of giving, according to neuroscience, is that it feels good.

A Chinese proverb says: “If you always give, you will always have.” A famous American author and management expert, Ken Blanchard, declared “The more I give away, the more comes back.”

If you find yourself feeling unhappy, try making someone else happy and see what happens. If you’re feeling empty and unfulfilled, try doing some meaningful and worthwhile work and see how you feel. The catch is that you must do this work with passion and enthusiasm.

There are many organizations, institutions and people who are engaged in exemplary works of giving. Narayanan Krishnan is a management graduate from Madurai, India who gave up his career as chef with a five-star hotel when he saw a man so hungry that he was feeding on his own excreta. From there on Krishnan started his noble initiative to feed thousands of destitute and homeless people in his state—free of cost.

Another example of giving is Sanjit “Bunker” Roy, founder of the Barefoot College . Since graduating from college in 1965, Mr. Roy has committed his life to serve the poor and to help rural communities become self-sufficient. The Barefoot College education program encourages learning-by-doing, such as training grandmothers from Africa and the Himalayan region to be solar engineers so they could bring electricity to their remote villages.

It’s the joy and love that we extend to others that brings true happiness or union with God. When we give, we reap the joy of seeing a bright smile, laughter, tears of joy and gratitude for life . We know that if people give just a little more—of their time, skills, knowledge, wisdom, compassion, wealth and love—the world would be a more peaceful and healthier place.

The rewards of giving are priceless. If you want to have happiness, you need to give happiness. If you want love, you need to give love. It is only in giving that you receive. No matter what your circumstances in life, you have the ability to give.

I encourage you to look for opportunities where you can give and help others. The gift of joy will come to you when you give of yourself to others. That’s what life is all about. Let’s practice and commit our lives to giving joy. Try it!  It works!

Recommended reading

I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life

Rich with inspiring stories and practical suggestions, I Like Giving  helps you create a lifestyle of generosity. Written by Brad Formsma.  Learn more about the book»

The Giving Book: Open the Door to a Lifetime of Giving

This spiral-bound, book combines colorful illustrations and entertaining narrative with fun learning activities, inspiring youngsters to give back to the world. Learn more about the book»

[su_note note_color=”#f2f2f2″ text_color=”#000000″ radius=”0″]Darshan Goswami has over 40 years of experience in the energy field. He is currently working as a Project Manager for Renewable Energy and Smart Grid projects at the United States Department of Energy (DOE) in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Darshan is a registered Professional Electrical Engineer with a passion and commitment to promote, develop and deploy renewable energy resources and the hydrogen economy.[/su_note]

image: Carnie Lewis via Compfight cc ; image 2: Pixabay ; image 3: Pixabay

Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Thanks for supplying these details.

Great submissions… It all boils down to love. Giving is work onto where it’s received. It’s easy to give off from what you love doing and it’s your foundation for a lifestyle of giving. God started it all by giving His only begotten which cost him everything yet free. This means He did not put a sale tag on Him, that whosoever believes must then buy with the prevailing currency. But gave all that He had to gain all of Himself in us. Love is a command so He has no option but to give His all for all without preference, to tribes, tongues, colour, race, people etc and this He had joy in… Thus when we want to be joyful in life we must first see Love as a command to do to live, as our lives depended on it, then all of its variables fall under it in our obedience to do

Thanks for so much explanation!!! Would like u to add some examples so that they can be used in daily life

A great article. Very inspiring.

Can you give main points to me i have to give a speech on it and its impossible to learn all this.

Dear Darshan Goswami, Thank you for the article, in general very inspiring. I just have one recommendation regarding Mother Teresa example. There is a book and also a BBC documentary that doesn?t agree with your comments about her. Please, review Aroup Chatterjee?s book 2003, indian doctor that investigated her and her homes. Also . the 1994 program presented by writer and journalist Christopher Hitchens, “Hell’s Angel: Madre Teresa”. Best regards. JA

Hitchins had to defame Mother Teresa. She was an obstacle to his understanding, and he could not rest satisfied until he tried to destroy her reputation.

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Essay on Helping Someone

Students are often asked to write an essay on Helping Someone in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Helping Someone

What is helping.

Helping means giving aid or support to someone who needs it. It can be as simple as sharing your lunch with a friend or as big as helping a neighbor fix their house. When we help, we make someone’s life a little easier.

Why Should We Help?

Helping others is a good thing to do. It makes us feel good about ourselves and brings happiness to others. It also strengthens our connections with people. We learn to understand and care for others when we help them.

Ways to Help

There are many ways to help others. You can give your time, share your skills, or donate things you don’t need. Even a small act of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Helping and Learning

When we help others, we also learn new things. We learn about people’s lives and their problems. This helps us become more understanding and compassionate. It also helps us grow as individuals.

Helping others is not just about doing good. It’s about being a better person, learning new things, and making the world a better place. So, let’s help others whenever we can.

250 Words Essay on Helping Someone

The joy of helping someone.

Helping someone is a noble act. It brings joy not only to the person who gets help but also to the one who offers it. It’s a way of showing kindness and love to others. It can be as simple as lending a pencil to a friend who forgot theirs or as big as helping an old person cross the street.

Helping in Everyday Life

Helping others is part of our everyday life. At school, we can help our classmates understand a hard topic. At home, we can help our parents by doing small tasks like cleaning our room or washing dishes. We can help our friends by listening to them when they are sad. All these acts of help make us better people.

Helping Builds Relationships

When we help someone, we build strong relationships with them. People remember those who help them in their time of need. They feel grateful and are likely to help us back when we need it. It’s like a circle of kindness that keeps going.

Helping Makes Us Happy

Helping others also makes us feel good about ourselves. It gives us a sense of purpose and satisfaction. When we see the smile on the faces of those we help, it makes us happy too. It’s a feeling that money can’t buy.

In conclusion, helping someone is a beautiful act of kindness. It brings joy, builds relationships, and makes us happy. So, let’s always be ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. Remember, even the smallest act of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s life.

500 Words Essay on Helping Someone

Understanding the act of helping.

Helping someone is a simple act that shows kindness and empathy. It means giving your time, energy, or resources to assist another person who is in need. It could be as simple as helping a friend with homework or as big as donating clothes to people who don’t have enough. Helping is a way of showing that you care about others and their well-being.

The Importance of Helping Others

Helping others is important for many reasons. Firstly, it makes the person you’re helping feel good. When someone is in a tough spot and you lend a hand, it can make their day a little brighter. It can give them hope and show them that they are not alone.

Secondly, helping others can also make you feel good. It can give you a sense of purpose and make you feel happy. Studies have shown that people who help others often feel happier and more satisfied with their lives.

Ways to Help Others

There are many ways to help others. You don’t need to have a lot of money or resources to help. Sometimes, the simplest acts can make the biggest difference.

One way to help is by listening. If a friend is having a hard time, simply being there to listen can be a huge help. You don’t always need to offer advice or solutions. Sometimes, people just need someone to hear them out.

Another way to help is by doing small acts of kindness. This could be helping an elderly neighbor with their groceries, picking up litter in your local park, or making a card for a sick friend. Small acts of kindness can have a big impact.

The Impact of Helping Others

Helping others can have a big impact on the world around you. It can create a ripple effect. When you help someone, it often inspires them to help someone else. This can lead to more and more people helping each other, creating a kinder and more caring community.

Helping others can also help to build stronger relationships. When you help someone, it shows them that you care. This can strengthen your relationship with that person and build trust.

In conclusion, helping others is a powerful act of kindness. It can make a big difference in someone’s life and can also make you feel good. There are many ways to help others, from listening to doing small acts of kindness. Helping others can create a ripple effect of kindness in your community and help to build stronger relationships. So, the next time you see someone in need, don’t hesitate to lend a hand. You never know what a big difference it could make.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Helping Parents
  • Essay on Heredity
  • Essay on Heritage Conservation

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Helping Others / Why My Purpose In Life Is To Help Others

Why My Purpose In Life Is To Help Others

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