Service is a beautiful word. It can mean very different things to people, depending on whether they are talking about sports, cell phones, military, or volunteerism. Here I use the word to refer to the practice of selfless giving — something that each one of us can do.
- We contribute to discovering abundance: The radical shift from ME to WE: When you contribute you discover that often the most important things you have to offer aren’t things at all. You begin to expose the full range of resources at your disposal — your time, presence, attention and recognize that the capability to give shoots from a state of an open mind and heart, a place much profound than the material. Stimulated by the potentials this opens up in every moment, you begin to discover modest opportunities to contribute. This procedure starts a move from a ME-ORIENTATION TO A WE-ORIENTATION.
- We contribute to express gratitude: Such joyful gratitude becomes a foundation in service. When you admit the fullness of your life you can manifest a sentiment of service in any situation. In that sense, service doesn’t start when we’ve got something to give — it blooms naturally when we’ve got nothing left to take.
- We contribute to transforming ourselves: Any time we practice the smallest act of service, even if it’s only holding a door for somebody, but doing it with a full heart that says MAY I BE OF USE TO THIS PERSON that kind of sharing changes the deep habit of being self-centered. This is why no act of service, however small, can ever be wasted.
- We contribute to honoring our profound interconnection: Over time, all of those small acts, those small moments, lead to a different state of being. A state in which service becomes effortless. And as this awareness grows, you inevitably start to perceive beyond individualistic patterns: each small act of service is an unending ripple that inspires countless others. When you contribute, you see life as a whole. With that understanding, we start to play our part; first, by becoming aware of the offerings we receive, then by being grateful for them, and finally by continuing to pay forward our gifts with a sentiment of joy. Each of us has such gifts like skills, material resources, connections, presence everything we consider ourselves fortunate to have.
- We contribute to aligning with a natural sense: When we increasingly choose to remain in that space of service, we start to see new things. The needs of the current situation become clearer, Humbly, these ripples continue to seed unpredictable manifestations. Such an ecosystem puts more emphasis on co-creation. So, a lot of the ripples will remain unseen for years, some perhaps will be the basis for seventh-generation philanthropy. It doesn’t matter because they’re unconditional gifts.
What each of us can do, on a personal level, are such small offerings of service that ultimately create the field for a deeper change. The revolution starts with you and me.
