This time of year, most of us think about how we want to look in our new year. We visualize activities that will offer some sort of success, contentment or in some way make us feel good.

A study by The Corporation for National and Community Service showed that volunteers have a greater longevity, higher functional ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease than those who don’t volunteer. Another study by United Healthcare Group and VolunteerMatch reported that volunteering made individuals feel healthier. Both studies are good reasons to include volunteerism in that 2013 photo of yourself.

Can you see yourself sharing coffee and stories with an elderly person; reading a book with a child who doesn’t have a lot of choices in life; talking on the phone with a person in the middle of a difficult situation; giving love to an animal that has been abandoned; helping an organization make a challenging decision; or planning a party? To inspire a few other possible 2013 images of yourself, visit www.volunteermchenrycounty.org.