With over 40 comments on this initial post on passion, and several directly requesting more information on the topic, I will elaborate on “passion” as it relates to the empowered volunteer and volunteer groups and the data or science supporting why it works and how it helps all involved, health wise.

One of many scientists writing on social intelligence, Daniel Goleman PH. D., author of Social Intelligence, the New Science of Human Relationships (2006) makes quite a strong case for human connections.

To quote him from this book, “Neuroscience has discovered that our brain’s very design makes it sociable, inexorably drawn into an intimate brain-to-brain linkup whenever we engage with another person. That neural bridge lets us affect the brain-and so the body- of everyone we interact with, just as they do us”. 

He continues to explain that this effect between people goes to the very cells of our bodies, as to whether or not our T-cells are activated, which are the basics of our constant battle against invading germs. That is some very fundamental influence!

To wrap up his thinking regarding the links between people, “That link is a double-edged sword: nourishing relationships have a beneficial impact on our health, while toxic ones can act like slow poison in our bodies”.

This is huge stuff for the empowered volunteer!

What it means is that someone with passions for a cause can instill very profound physically helpful health influences on another person’s body when they convey their passions to another person. They are really helping that person just by being so vibrant and intense, in a real physical way beyond any cheer leading type of temporary emotional lift.

It is real, science has documented this impact and the health affects enough to call this particular health benefit valid.

Another scientist, writing in her 2009 book, Positivity, Barbara L. Fredrickson, PH. D. provides top-notch research that reveals the 3-to-1 ratio that will change your life. In this book she associates human needs for positive things to the heliotropic effect in plants, where they will turn their leaves towards the sun as it moves across the sky.

In humans, who need what she terms positivity just as plants need the sun light, she calls our need for positivity the “broaden effect”. Humans need positivity for a great many good things and effects on our bodies her research proves, research proven over two decades long and continuing.

I present the science behind what I am suggesting the empowered volunteer has to offer because I want to drill home the idea that it is fundamental to human nature to associate with others who are positive and driven to helping others, to sociability. The science reflecting the abundance health benefits from social intimacy that many society has intuitively known for hundreds of years is now abundant and irrefutable.

Humans are hard wired to be socially intimate with each other, brain-to-brain connections that really align us for causes while helping us physically at the same time.

Passions generate these brain-to-brain connections and thus help provide the basis for the health benefits that are generated by such intimacy. Teachers connect with students, great leaders connect with their followers, religious leaders of renown connect with their parish members, political leaders sometimes connect with their constituency, and parents connect with their kids as examples of the intimate relationships that benefit from passionate exchanges between two people in face-to-face passionate contact.

So why can’t this effect be generated between two people by reading a great uplifting book or by viewing a popular but still positive internet post?

Face-to-face contact provides the communication of body language which seems to be the link necessary for the health benefits both parties receive when passionate communication is exchanged. The old rule, “it takes to to tango” is about passion and dancing, but it now holds much more meaning for the two participants!

A large percentage of human communication is by body language, much of which is only recently being decoded at the level of micro-expressions. These studies reveal that much of our communication is on a deep level in our brains, much of which we are not conscience about. Our brain registers the communication, but our minds may not convey the message to our conscience thoughts. The information is transferred into feelings instead.

To sum it up, science is understanding the power of emotions and gut feelings today. Unfortunately people don’t always interpret the body language correctly, such readings take patience and practice. Science is evaluating these emotions, their effects and how those effects last, and making huge strides on how to improve your life by small changes to be more positive in your own life.

The empowered volunteer can rest assured that the prospect who accepts the offer to join a group can if they are willing benefit greatly in a deep and personal way, just by the science showing how positivity helps the health of all those engaged in human to human interactions, particularly if those people are passionate and positive.

Thus, everyone wins when someone joins a volunteer group if these elementary issues are met.

Even if goals go unfulfilled, even if disasters happen, the human to human element coupled with passion and positive aspects guarantees positive health benefits of various kinds to the participants no matter what else happens.

Good things happen to positive people are doing good for others.

Barbara Fredrickson’s “broaden effect” shows that conclusively in the two decades of studies she and her students have conducted. Believe it and go forth with passion to help your group, which helps your charity cause, and in the process also helps every prospect you engage with your message.

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