The bible, which is one of the oldest pieces of literature on Earth, give us an important piece of advice that still rings true today. In Galatians 5:13-14 it says, “ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” It doesn’t matter if you believe in God or the Bible. This piece of philosophy is often ignore in the hustle and bustle of the 21^st century. We often lose ourselves in our accomplishment and success and forget to lose ourselves in serving one another. Many people in this world treat life like a marathon, trying to get through it as fast as we can. Sometimes we need to take the time to look behind us and lift those who are left behind. When the world face tragedies such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile or the great destructive Tsunamis in Asia, how many of can say we truly helped the cause. Did we simply donate or extra five dollars and forget that people are still suffering now? How many of us have seen a homeless man begging for food and money and simply rolled up the car window and look away. We cannot expect to see change in the world if we cannot make ourselves selfless and serve.

            According to the LDS.org website, “Opportunities for service to others are limitless. Kind words and deeds can lift burdens and gladden hearts. One true key to happiness is to labor for the happiness of others.” This quotation is true in every sense of the word. In order to see big changes in the world we have to start out small. Community service is a great way to start. Every community has its own unique problems and I feel that by being an example and inspiration we can start a chain reaction for other communities in the world. By serving others we really can experience true happiness. I have had the opportunity to experience this when I served in my community as a Cheerleading Mentor and Coach for younger girls in my community who may not have been able to afford joining and participating on team.

            I started this project because I always wanted to be involved in dance and gymnastics. When I was seven I was able to take Gymnastics at my school in Canada. However, my family and I moved down the United States and could not afford to put me back in many extra curricular classes. It was hard for me hearing about the fun kids in my class had doing soccer or ballet. I desperately wanted to be able to be part of my community. I also like to watch the competition on TV and found that the young women involved in these sports were always well-rounded individual and great role models. This inspired me to do the same. I started the Knights Cheerleading Squad my senior year of high school. My goals for the team was to provide an environment where girls ages 5-12 could come to learn cheerleading and also be influenced positively without burdening their parents with the costs of being on a team. The girls that are on the team are girls that often come from broken homes and live in an environment that may reinforces the idea that you can’t succeed or that you’ll never make it in life. I really wanted to break that barrier and provide on opportunity for the girls to succeed and show them that anything is possible.

            One ting that we always do on the cheerleading team is we elect a captain each week and we rotate every week. The captain gets to take charge and be a leader for that day in practice. This gives them a chance to understand what it feels like to be a leader. On top of being leader that day they also have to make sure their being a team player. That means that they are learning what it feels like to be on a team and how to treat each other properly. Many other people have not been able to learn these skills at such a young age. By teaching them these skills now they can grow up to be excellent examples and key members of the community.

            Community service is so important in my life because it shows that you care. It shows that you are ready to become a part of something that is greater than you can imagine. It shows that I have love in my heart that needs to be shared. By setting on example by participating in various community service events, I feel that this allows me to be inspirations to other and set off a spark in them to serve. Many people do community service because they have to for high school or college. The reality is that in order for true service to take place, you have to do it for reasons other then yourself. Community service allows you to become self less and show that you have a desire to love thy neighbor. Community service and service in general can open up a door for anyone who is involved to truly experience love.

            I have been able to watch these girls on the team grow with each practice that we have held. They have gained confidence and team building skills. It really makes me happy to know that I influenced these girls. I really made sure that they understood what it means to be important to yourself and the community. By providing this positive environment, I feel that these girls will be able to become leaders and bring about great change in the world. When I see their smiling faces I feel happy because they are happy. It feels good to see some positive things come about in the world. I hope that the every individual in the world finds their inspiration within themselves and help bring about this great change that the world has been waiting for!