Gold Service

For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice - no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service.

John Burroughs

This AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) article about how volunteering boosts happiness is a decent quick summary of how service to one’s community can positively affect satisfaction and happiness. “Volunteering offers a pathway to greater happiness, a sense of purpose, and enhanced well-being. By giving your time and energy to causes you care about, you not only improve the lives of others but also enrich your own life in meaningful ways.” And you don’t even have to be retired to do it.

About the author

John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American naturalist and nature essayist, active in the conservation movement in the United States. The first of his essay collections was Wake-Robin in 1871.