Hi Steemit! Apologies to everyone that I've been inactive lately. For the last 10 days I was in fact volunteering at a youth summer camp! Although I missed Steemit and the crypto-community greatly these last 10 days, I did gain many valuable insights from my volunteering experience that I'd like to share with you all!

The Beginning Was Rough

The first moment I stepped onto the campsite I already knew it was going to be a long 10 days. It was in the middle of a moist forest, and right when I stepped out of the car, insects were swarming everywhere.

For some reasons these insects were extra aggressive. Unlike typical flies/mosquitoes who bugger off after you swat them away, these guys never let up and kept coming back from more. By the end of the first day my whole legs and arms were covered in bug bites. The camp director then led me to my room, a dorm room that I would share with 5 other volunteers. A far cry from the comfortable apartments and hotels I'm used to staying in. On top of that, I discovered the internet connection was extremely shaky at best.

For a content creator/crypto trader like myself, this was a nightmare. My whole life revolves around having reliable internet to upload content and keep up with the latest crypto news. Before the first day was over, I was already contemplating cutting my trip short and heading home. But then...

The kids arrived, and I realized that this was about more than just me

One by one the kids came and registered. We welcomed them to the camp and introduced them to their rooms. Later on every camp leader was given a group of 5-7 kids and we began the activities. The day began with group discussions where all the youth had the chance to have a conversation and connect with their leaders. They told us their stories. Some were from disadvantaged, single-parent homes. Some were even orphans. And almost all of them were going through the tedious growing-pains of childhood adolescence. I remembered my own adolescent identity struggles and despite our different backgrounds, I found a relatable connection with all of them. And that’s when I realized this was about much more than just me. Even if I would have rather been blogging on Steemit or making YouTube videos, I was doing something much more important. I was giving others a reliable role-model when they didn’t have one at home. I gave them the gift of an experience that they would remember for the rest of their lives. And that was much more rewarding than just doing things for my own benefit. Which led me to the next important lesson I learned from volunteering…

Being present, in the moment of now

We live in a society full of distractions, gadgets, and short attention-spans. And you’ve probably heard about the negative effects it’s having on our mental health.

Specifically, it’s greatly hindered our ability to have face-to-face conversations. Because our generation is so used to instant gratification, to be able to access anything with a click of a button, we have forgotten how to be present in the here and now. Even when we are having face-to-face conversations we often wander off on our phones. And even if we don’t outright use the phones, we are often thinking of someone on Facebook messenger we’d rather be talking to, rather than giving the person in front of us our full, undivided attention.

Volunteering in the middle of the forest with no internet connection really forced me to be present, to give my full undivided attention to those kids who deserved it at that moment. And for once I was able to forget about YouTube, Facebook, and the internet. The internet wasn’t going anywhere. Steemit and YouTube weren’t going anywhere. In 10 days when I got back I could refocus on my daily routine. But for now, I owed it both to those kids and to myself to be fully present physically and mentally. That’s when I learned why…

Volunteering helps alleviate depression and many other mental disorders

It’s no secret that professional psychologists will often recommend their patients who suffer from depression to volunteer. There’s a good reason for this. On the top you will see a diagram of both the vicious and virtuous cycle. To summarize, once you get into one of these cycles, whether the vicious or virtuous one, it’s really hard to get out. After all, how do you break the loop when all your thoughts and actions constantly reinforce each other and cause this cycle to continue endlessly? Well the answer is you must take a leap of faith and first take the right actions as if you have already attained the good results you seek. It takes some confidence and willpower to do. But if done correctly it can break you free from the shackles of depression. Volunteering almost forces you to do this. You will be forced to take good, altruistic actions that help others. Once you have helped them and you see the good results you have contributed to, you enter the positive feedback loop that can finally bring you to the altruistic cycle!

After I learned these lessons, time went by so much faster and before I knew it, the camp was over

On day one I arrived I already couldn’t wait for the camp to be over so I could go back to my normal life. And the first few days were extremely tedious. It appeared as if it was going to be a long 10 days. But once I learned these valuable lessons something amazing happened. I forgot about all the annoying insects, the lack of an internet connection, the less than ideal living conditions. I selfishly thought only about myself and my own interests. Volunteering helped me see the bigger picture. This camp gave those kids a positive influence and great memories that would last them the rest of their lives. Infinitely more important than the short 10 days I gave up the internet for. Unfortunately, as the old adage goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun”. And sure enough, as soon as I learned these lessons to be present and enjoy myself, time began to whizz by. Days turned into hours and after feeling like the camp would never end after day 1, all the days after that became a blur; before I knew it, day 10 had arrived…

It was time to say goodbye

The last day had arrived. The kids were packing up and getting ready to go back home. We had some last day activities, playing board games, taking pictures, laughing and sharing memories with each other. Then it hit us. The euphoria was gone. Tears began to swell up as the parents picked up their kids one by one. “I can’t stop crying, this was such a fun 10 days” one of my favorite kids named Marcus said. “I know, it really went by too fast” I replied. I stayed until the last kid was picked up. I went back to the dorm room to pack my bags. It felt so weird when I went by and felt the utter silence. Just a few days ago I was annoyed at all the kids constantly making noise and screaming. Now I missed them. I packed up my own bags and began to head home myself as well. Now I got my wish and I’m back to my usual self, posting on Steemit and YouTube. But this was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.

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