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Today's
Meditation:
It
goes against what we learn as we grow up, doesn't
it--we're here to serve other people, not ourselves.
Culturally, we tend to grow up with the "looking out
for number one" attitude that keeps us focused on
what's best for us, what will make and keep us
happy. Interestingly enough, pursuing that
particular path does not end up making us happy.
So
many of the readings that I do show me that the truly
happy people in this life are serving others, and usually
not in any big way. Making small gifts for a person
who's going through troubles, taking the time to sit and
talk with a three-year-old who would really love to talk
with someone, holding doors for people, giving heart-felt
words of encouragement when they seem to be necessary and
appropriate--all of these are ways of giving, giving of
ourselves rather than of things that we can buy.
When
you go to work, do you think about how your job is serving
others rather than just what you have to do? When
you do the shopping or wash the dishes, do you think of
how those actions are serving others? When you go
out for dinner or a cup of coffee, you're helping to
support a business that's paying people to work there, and
you're directly helping them to make a living.
Life
is about helping others, and almost all that we do is
designed to do just that. The question is, are we
aware of this fact and doing all that we can to serve
others well, or are we trying to get by doing as little as
we can to accomplish such an important end?
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| Questions to
consider:
How often do you commit small, seemingly insignificant
acts to help others? What are the effects of those
acts?
If "courtesy is contagious," can it be also
that helping acts are contagious? If we serve
others, do you think that those others will be more likely
to serve in their turn?
Do you think that we can serve others by allowing them
to serve us? How often do we reject the help of
others who would be more than glad to help us? |
