being of service
As I was writing my entry for last week on self care, I knew that I would be remiss to not follow it up with this next topic. The self care revolution has given many an ample opportunity to overindulge or maybe just lose sight of what I believe is our true path to peace and fulfillment. Self care is a foundational piece to a healthy and thriving life, and once we have that box checked consistently we might wonder: what now?
It is important to understand who we are and take care of ourselves accordingly. However, it is equally as important to not stay there too long, shift gears and “get out of self”. Think of it this way - when we become too focused on our own desires - what we want and how the world should to adapt to us, we often experience an unconscious perspective shift a that strips us of gratitude and and leaves us less than content because human nature has proven that no matter how awesome our current life may be, it can always be better - this is no way to live, my friends.
This is not to be confused with your desire for accomplishment and success. If there is a goal you have in reach, then throttle down. What I’m referring to is the inability to allow ourselves to be happy because you are not yet where you want to be in life due to circumstances that are out of your control.
Speaking for myself - where I am now in life is certainly not my end goal, and I also know that this fact does not mean that I need to hold my breath until I get to the point where I can allow myself to feel peaceful, grateful, content because even when I get to where I want to go, I would probably search for more rather than commending myself for what I’ve accomplished. This leads us to an important parallel to our journey to self discovery.
How are you of service?
Serving your family, friends, higher power and communities with intention and no expectations is a literal cheat code in life if you are searching for satisfaction, connection and happiness. You can find endless articles regarding the positive effects from increased dopamine and oxytocin, decreased stress and anxiety levels, developing a greater sense of purpose and much more. In my opinion, this is how we bring things full circle. Get yourself in the best shape - physically, mentally, emotionally and physically. Then, you make a positive impact on the world.
from mentoring a colleague in your field, to “paying it forward” to someone who shares what you desire or struggle with, to volunteering at your local SPCA, food bank or church. being of service like, self care, is also more about the intention than the action. A mindset of service, to give, and contribute is a sure fire approach to understanding the abundance in our lives, and an attitude of “giving” will quiet the loop of our “wanting”.
With this entry, I present a challenge.
I understand that we all are strapped on time, so I’m not asking you to commit to anything thats unrealistic for you. I only want to challenge you sustain this mindset daily and just see what happens. Its always helpful to start small and build on that foundation. Practice completing one good deed a day - with no expectations of returns or praise.
If you want to go bigger, ask yourself these questions:
1) Who needs my help?
2) where can I find them?
3) How can I help them? - and get into action.
Stay in the fight my friends.
