I met Sina at a pop event hosted by Let’s Mend. We quickly got to talking about the power of volunteering as a way to get through heartbreak. Sina and I bonded over our shared view that helping others can help you forget your own pain…fast! Sina’s so passionate about giving back and helping out, she’s made it her full time work with Golden; a platform that aims to make volunteering not only more accessible, but more fun and in line with people’s personal interests. And let’s face it, when these things line up so effortlessly, who wouldn’t want to volunteer more? With her warm energy and compassionate perspective, Sina opened up and shared her wisdom on all things love, loss and bouncing back.
What do you do and why do you do it?
I am Head of Community Development for a Tech-Startup called Golden – a software platform that helps people volunteer by doing the things they like to do for fun. I have been volunteering myself for as long as I can remember and it is a big part of my life. With Golden we have a real shot at not only re-defining what ‘doing good’ is and what people think of volunteering but also how non-profit organisations interact with volunteers.
What’s the best gift you ever got?
My dog Peewee. She is a gift on so many levels
What’s the worst gift you ever got?
I can’t remember receiving an outstandingly bad gift. Underwhelming or ‘not me’ gifts: yes, but nothing I can confidently name the worst gift. In my opinion anything that was given with good intentions and with consideration is ought to be respected. That doesn’t mean we have to hold on to things out of guilt. The amount of unsuitable or ‘can’t look at this anymore’ gifts that were stacked in drawers and closets until the appropriate time to hand them down to relatives & friends or sell them (thank you for that @neverlikeditanyway) is pretty amazing.
What’s your advice for all things love, sex and dating?
Get to know yourself and learn what you want so you can communicate your needs (clearly). I, myself, am guilty of expecting my partner to read my mind and know what I want (even if I don’t) and setting both of us up for failure.
What’s your go to pick me up?
I don’t think I have one but humor and conversation might be the closest things to it. Both have to be ‘earned’.
Tell us about your first heartbreak…
I was 19 or 20. I moved to Italy for a guy I had been dating for the past year and a half. I rented a room close to the school I signed up for and he helped me move in. The day we hung my last shelf he broke up with me. I now know that he had met someone else but back then I had no idea and spend weeks/months trying to figure out what I did wrong or what’s wrong with me. The break up was a blessing in disguise: I didn’t know anyone in town that wasn’t his friend. Being alone forced me to open myself up, build (new) friendships and deal with everyday life in a country I wasn’t familiar with (my knowledge of the Italian language was limited to ordering food and profanities)
Tell us about a time you bounced back better than ever
Every heart break is different. Not just when it comes to dating or relationship but any change of expectation. We can be heartbroken about a job we didn’t get, the loss of friendship, a false idea of what we thought our life would be like, etc. And how do we define: ‘bounced back better’? Were we less affected, or did we regain composure faster or were we able to never let it break our spirit? So what if we were hurt!? As long as we come out wiser and better wasn’t it worth it? The last heartbreak made me reevaluate my life completely. I moved (to Venice) and focused on how I can better myself and the world around me. I started with letting go of people and habits I deemed toxic and redirected that energy towards the people that love me and on giving back to the community.* It took me a very long time to “bounce back” but the outcome is ‘better than ever’.
* Thanks to Golden I feel like I keep growing and enable people around me to do the same. There is so much love and compassion around us – enabling people to do good is so empowering.
