Make Your Quality of Life a Priority

When you sit down with Yousef, you immediately notice that he is laid-back, humble and very content with life. This young business owner approaches life with audacity, in that he's made a clear decision to savor life. He lives to live, and not just to get by and survive. Quality of life is top on Yousef's priorities.Yousef is semi-retired, he works in real estate and has does a little work with his marketing company, Beanstalk Innovative. He's volunteered with Extreme Community Makeover for two years on the Extreme Teams, Projects Team. He chose the Projects Team because he likes to be hands-on, it's a little more physical, and he enjoys working on the different types of projects. "Volunteering with ECM allows me the opportunity to help others. I get to meet new people all the time, and it gets me out and about," expresses Yousef. He typically volunteers with ECM on weekdays because his schedule is flexible during the week.Yousef agrees that volunteering is a lifestyle, but even deeper than volunteering being a lifestyle for him, is that volunteering enhances his quality of life. Living life to the fullest is a big part of Yousef's self-motto. He often takes the time to travel abroad, and he thinks it's very important to live his life in the moment. "I made a conscious decision to live my life differently and to enjoy life more," Yousef explains.ECM connects people together and volunteers come from all over and with different backgrounds. Yousef enjoys seeing the excitement that each volunteer brings to each new project. "It's cool to see caring people that want to help others. You can tell they all want to be there. Volunteering has opened my eyes to the lives of others and it has given me a different perspective," Yousef says.After each work day, Yousef is usually very tired, but he always feels fulfilled. It's a combination of everything for him: helping others that are in need, meeting new people, doing something productive with his hands, and doing something meaningful that makes a tangible difference in another person's life. All these benefits make Yousef feel fulfilled.Yousef's choice to make volunteering a priority in his life has given him a better quality of life. For Yousef, serving others through ECM has proven to give him a better overall life perspective and life experience. Each of us have choices every day to improve our quality of life. It's truly a gift to see that in the service of others, your life is also enhanced.What will you choose to better your life in 2017? You can decide to make a difference in another person's life and, in doing so, you'll enhance your quality of life. Volunteering with Extreme Community Makeover is a great way to help others and gain life experiences that change your world for the better.