If any person alive is discontented with his or her rewards, they should examine their service.  Action; reaction.  "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."  What you put out will determine what you must get back in return.  It's so simple, so basic, so true--and yet, so misunderstood.

If a business is not expanding to the quick and exciting tempo of the times, it must examine its contribution--its service.  If a person is unhappy with his or her income, that person must examine and reevaluate his or her service.

Now, whom do we serve?  Each of us serves a portion of humanity.  And humanity, to any given person, is the people with whom he or she comes in contact.  It is family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, customers, prospects, employers--all those one has chosen to serve.  Everyone--everyone with whom we have any kind of contact--is to us humanity.  And our rewards will be determined by the extent to which we serve.

Never before in the history of the world have human beings been so interdependent.  It is as impossible to live without serving others as it would be to live if others were not constantly serving us.  And this is good.  The more closely knit this interdependence becomes, the greater will be human achievement.  We need each other, and we literally cannot live without each other.  Every time we strike a match, drink a glass of water, turn out the lights, pick up the telephone, drive our car, put on our clothes, take a bath, mow the lawn or go fishing (try making your own fishhooks sometime), we're being served by other human beings.  Every time we look at our watch, we are being served by a great industry, and by the efforts of thousands of human beings.

We all seek rewards, and we should understand that rewards come in two forms:  tangible and intangible.  That is, rewards include the money we earn, the home we buy, the car we drive, the clothes we wear; and they also include our happiness, our peace of mind, our inner satisfaction, the people we meet and enjoy.

But remember this:  Whatever you seek in the form of rewards, you must first earn in the form of service to others.  All attempts to sidestep this law will end in failure, frustration, and ultimately, demoralization. . . .

To come up with ways to increase your service, read books on your specialty; read what others have found to work well for them.  At the same time, think of original and creative ways to increase your service--ways that are unique with you and the way you are.

Going at it strong for a week or a month and then falling back into old habits is just like working for a week or a month on a plot of ground and then abandoning it.  Before long, it will be no better than before.

Each morning, and during the day, ask yourself this question:  "How can I increase my service today, knowing that my rewards in life must be in exact proportion to my service?"  Do this every day, and you will have started to form one of life's most valuable habits. . . .

If you're worried about your income or your future, you're concentrating on the wrong end of the scale.  Look at the other end; concern yourself only with increasing your service--with becoming great where you are--and your income and your future will take care of themselves.  Don't be like the person sitting in front of that empty fireplace and asking for heat; you're asking for the impossible.  Pile in the wood first.  The heat will come as a result.

Next time you're off by yourself in a quiet place, contemplate your plot of ground, your life, and begin to sow the seeds that will yield you a rich and abundant life.

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