This past week, I have done two activities: volunteering at a nursing home and playing tennis with my club tennis team. Both of these activities brought me great joy, yet the experiences of pain and satisfaction from the two differ in many ways.
When I woke up early on Saturday morning to get ready for volunteering, I felt tired from a weeklong sleep deprivation. For 10 minutes, sitting on my bed, I was contemplating on whether I should just tell my co-leader that I was sick and cannot come that day. But finally, I could not get myself to lie, so I got dressed and headed to the meeting place where the van was. During the ride, everyone seemed so happy and energetic on an early Saturday morning, so that positive energy woke me up. I felt excited
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I went because my ankle was feeling a bit better and also I wanted to meet the new members that were selected in this year’s tryouts. I got on the court, feeling a bit rusty, and started hitting some shots with my team members. Every shot I hit, I felt more comfortable on the court. I imagined my upper body movements and footwork working as a smooth continuous machine that made tennis a game of beauty. Sometimes, I would hit an outrageous shot that no one expected it, and I just felt like I was on the top of the world. I saw myself as the best tennis player on the planet, a magician in shot making. As I swung my magic rod, I saw the tennis ball gliding cross the net and landing just inside the baseline, and the next thing I knew, the point was won. I felt such adrenaline going through my veins. I was happy and confident on the court and my team members kept giving me shout outs. Overall, it was a very pleasurable experience.
In conclusion, I believe that philanthropy and fun are both very enjoyable activities to do. When I do them, my brain releases a lot of dopamine, which makes me content. Nevertheless, in philanthropy, even though it did not give me the confidence and arrogance to conquer to world like tennis did, felt overall more pleasurable than tennis. I realized that by serving others, I not only pleasured my own heart, but also the hearts of those I served. I saw their lives become better, which makes my life happier. I am able to improve my self-esteem, and looking forward to the next