Sincere passion: Driver of selfless, infectious energy Published Aug. 23, 2013 By Col. Mark Weber 60th Maintenance Group commander TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., -- "Your pay will be low; the conditions of your labor often will be difficult. But you will have the satisfaction of leading a great national effort and you will have the ultimate reward which comes to those who serve their fellow man." - Lyndon B Johnson Volunteerism is the principle of donating time and energy for the benefit of other people in the community as a social responsibility rather than for any financial reward. While all military members are in a sense 'volunteers' this idea takes it to another level. Volunteerism is about meeting a need with no regard for recognition or compensation. Today, more than 62 million people, about one-fifth of the American population, serve as volunteers. Every year their selfless contributions total more than 8 billion hours of service worth $173 billion to local and national groups. In fact, our country boasts a strong heritage in this regard; organizations such as Red Cross, YMCA and Peace Corps were all founded with the noble intentions of doing for others and expecting nothing in return. What drove these people to establish such organizations? It was a desire to change lives that went beyond themselves. Volunteering for anything is honorable, but like these visionaries before us, when we combine our passion and apply ourselves to something for which we truly care about, it can become an unstoppable force which changes lives for generations to come. What drives you? Is it pride, recognition, the satisfaction of helping another? We should answer this question honestly because it speaks to our internal motivation and dedication. If we are driven by external recognition, we may choose to invest our time in something which appeals to our pride, but is in fact hollow; we should instead strive to be motivated by something bigger than ourselves. We all have the same amount of time; how we choose to spend it is what makes the difference between time wasted and time invested. It is our time after all; why not choose to invest in something for which we are passionate? It can be tempting for military members to simply "check a box," but if we have asked ourselves the above question, we may be able to transform a 'must' into a 'want.' If one is going to volunteer, and we all should, then spend those volunteer hours dedicated to something you believe in, something for which you care. Think about this, there are currently thousands of volunteer organizations across the US. Among those, you can work with organizations focusing on children, animals, environment, sports, arts, education, law enforcement, finance or literacy, just to name a few. Certainly we can all find something among this list for which we are passionate. In the end, take pride in what you have a passion for because passions drive an infectious energy that cultivates positive, sincere and refreshing outlooks on life. Bottom line, nobody in this world can help everyone, but every single person can help someone. Every time you raise your hand to volunteer, you are choosing to make a difference. Rarely are we presented with such an opportunity in our normal day-to-day lives; don't miss the opportunity to change a life. Get involved, volunteer today. You just might find a passion. Visit www.travisafrc.com to register as a volunteer and review the many on- and off-base opportunities.