To be of service is the highest goal and secret ingredient to a life of contentment. It’s that simple. What many don’t realize is that living mainly for ourselves is a slam-dunk recipe for unhappiness. Small mindedness is the real pandemic of our society from which being of service is the cure.
Hall of Mirrors
Social media is inflating our sense of self. It’s subtle and occurs incrementally. Yet, more and more people are relying on platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as a way of being. They may feel they are providing a service by sharing, without realizing that what they’ve created is an echo chamber.
It often takes a large dose of disappointment to awaken our desire to be of service to others. But once it is activated, giving from this open-hearted place allows us to shift out of the low-grade anxiety of separateness into a felt-sense of connection with others.
The Art of Giving
True giving is an act of camouflage. Be it holding the door for someone or sitting with a hurt friend, we blend with what’s going on. We’re not drawing attention to ourselves. There’s no desire to capture the moment and post it. We go with what flows naturally from an understanding heart.
When we have genuine empathy for what another is experiencing, they feel heard and understood. This is the gift of human-to-human connection.
The roots of giving is the awakened heart. Giving and being of service in this way is one of the essential roots of contentment. In the beginning, giving may mean money or material goods. As the spirit of generosity grows, it develops into giving of our attention and presence. Ultimately, it means the giving of our heart.
