At last month’s business meeting, SITK members returned their completed talent survey forms. The results supplied the club with a list of talents we each posses so we can proceed to help with the DiscoverME workshops and future community service projects.
The survey process wandered like a vine in my brain. What if there was a survey of why members join Soroptimist? What if we knew what members thought were the benefits? Is there a similar thread?
My musings got serious fertilizer when I read about two recent studies showing how you can live a longer healthier life.
An American Geriatrics Society (AGS) study showed that volunteers had less than half the risk of death than their non-volunteer peers. The study, including over 6,300 people, controlled data to account for demographics, socioeconomic status, chronic health conditions, etc. Only 12% of volunteers in the study died during the study’s timeframe compared to 26% who did not volunteer.
SITK members voluntarily give back to our community working on our service projects. We’ve known how good it makes us feel to give back. We contribute to the betterment of our community, the world, and our own lives.
Earlier this year, an Australian study had substantiated the importance of friendship and social networks. A similar Harvard report showed strong social ties promote brain health. A note from the article said that friendship has ‘an even greater effect on health than a spouse or family member.’ SITK provides women an great opportunity to develop friendships and expand our social networks.
With healthcare being such a hot topic, you can now let all other women how you’ve discovered a secret to longevity – Joining Soroptimist.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
3 Degrees of Happiness?
An early 1990’s movie was based on the theory that everyone on earth is only six people away from knowing everyone else.
Now a couple British social scientists have studied thousands of people to show that happiness is contagious! The study, published last winter in a medical journal, suggest happiness spreads from person to person up to three people out. It is contagious through our social networks – neighbors, friends, family and relatives, coworkers, church members – shaping what we do and how we feel.
In the lyrics of a song, whose artist and title escape me, it says “Take a hand everybody and show you’re proud. There is happiness to be.” Thinking of the happiness study, it made me think how Soroptimist members take the hand (to serve) of women and girls in our community.
Think how many different ways that ripples out with happiness.
From personal experience, there’s the happiness I feel when working on a project with other women – seeing our positive action make something better. We’re all working together so we achieve more than I could by myself.
Then there is the happiness the work brings to others. Hopefully when the shelter residents get our care bags, it brightens their day. The organizations that get our donated linens are less stressed about providing for their clients and they are happier. I’m sure the WOA recipients are happier when they learn we’ll help their educational efforts.
Next because those folks are happier, I hope they spread it on to someone else. Maybe that happiness leads to them having the confidence to start a new job, finish school, or use their talents to help someone else.
Our community service committee is taking a survey of talents. It’s a good time to reflect on all our personal talents, things we can be happy about, and think how we can use those to spread happiness in our own network!
Now a couple British social scientists have studied thousands of people to show that happiness is contagious! The study, published last winter in a medical journal, suggest happiness spreads from person to person up to three people out. It is contagious through our social networks – neighbors, friends, family and relatives, coworkers, church members – shaping what we do and how we feel.
In the lyrics of a song, whose artist and title escape me, it says “Take a hand everybody and show you’re proud. There is happiness to be.” Thinking of the happiness study, it made me think how Soroptimist members take the hand (to serve) of women and girls in our community.
Think how many different ways that ripples out with happiness.
From personal experience, there’s the happiness I feel when working on a project with other women – seeing our positive action make something better. We’re all working together so we achieve more than I could by myself.
Then there is the happiness the work brings to others. Hopefully when the shelter residents get our care bags, it brightens their day. The organizations that get our donated linens are less stressed about providing for their clients and they are happier. I’m sure the WOA recipients are happier when they learn we’ll help their educational efforts.
Next because those folks are happier, I hope they spread it on to someone else. Maybe that happiness leads to them having the confidence to start a new job, finish school, or use their talents to help someone else.
Our community service committee is taking a survey of talents. It’s a good time to reflect on all our personal talents, things we can be happy about, and think how we can use those to spread happiness in our own network!
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