Being of Service #62 ©
Money and material things do not fill the void within us, and do not necessarily show love when given to us. Insecurities and lack of real self-confidence may be masked by expensive things, but they cannot replace unconditional love from another or ourselves. You will not be remembered for the “Bling” you wear, but for the Service that you give to others. “You get all you want in your life by helping other people to get what they want in their lives.” What you may have been told or seen in your Past, usually only feeds inner-conflict and the feeling of self-doubt of who you are and can be. When you can no longer accept your strings being pulled like a performer from a circus act, Self-exploration may be required to change the direction your life’s sojourn. The giving of Service can bring real Bliss, which beats out Bling once you’ve experienced it.
Exercise: Clarity does not come easily for you to see who is really in the mirror when your friends – entourage – keeps it smoked over. It is time for another real ‘stare-down’ of yourself in the mirror. Spend at least ten minutes looking into your eyes and who you see in there. Just removing the mask for most of us on the Spiritual Path is the first easy step on a long list of changes. What remains is often an ego more complex, and doesn’t appear in an easy to understand form – think octopus with its tendrils deeply embedded to keep you totally clutched in its power. What changes have you already made? What changes do you still feel you need to make? The choices are not so clearly defined as to the changes needed next for you to grow, and to discover your Divine Destiny. These are not loaded dice where every chance is a winner, as it is no longer just about you. Being of Service means that you know that what you do will serve others through the highest good for all. What talents can you really share? Is there still a dream that you have yet to unleash, or at least develop? Fear and avoidance doesn’t work here for long. Sometimes in avoiding our destiny, by taking another path we run right into it. This is your truth of what you are here to do, and when you accept that discovery, you are clearly on your path to great achievements! It is showing appreciation to God/Source for your talents by sharing them with others.
Your belief in your Self does not need to be confirmed by others for you to be who you are. It is only necessary for you to believe in yourself, and those beliefs which you live by every day. Breaking away from your Old Beliefs for your new growth and support usually brings pain, because you’re separated from others you’ve moved beyond. You will soon meet more people of like-mind, as you demonstrate who you are now. You learn to understand that you can share the world with others without sharing their same world-view. Kind of like when you’ve forgiven someone, it does not mean that you have to be best friends with them.
How you view the world from a ‘fixed’ perspective or flexible one, represents how open or exposed your world is to other situations or possibilities. How far back do you need to step to truly clarify your goals, so they reflect your vision of the Big Picture? In all things there are blind spots, simply because we do not have 360 degrees of sight; we barely have 180. There will always be things that you do not know, and if you did, that knowing might adjust your view. Life cannot be lived under a magnifying glass nor with binoculars. It needs to be lived face to face in real time.
A break-through of acceptance is when you are willing to change your mind or your goals, once new information is brought to your attention or awareness. To proceed forward when you know there are blind spots is a fool’s folly based on ego. This would be similar to making up a story based on few facts, but perpetuating it to be true. Like using the child’s ‘telephone’ game as a basis for an important decision, or in defense of an error regarding an accident that could have been prevented. You need to take time to check out the facts. Just as no one is perfect, no one knows everything, even when it is related to something that you’ve done before. Few things remain the same for long.
Communication is more than the language that we speak. True communication means that there is a speaker as well as a receiver(s) of the message. The receiver’s perception of us has great influence on how our communication will be accepted or interpreted by them. Many marketers and retailers have learned that lesson the hard way. Likewise, how we perceive others will influence how we speak to them. We all may have an information overload at our finger tips or ears, yet miscommunication or misinformation is also rampant without discernment. Understanding we are All One, and connected is progress, accepting that without judgment is a process. Letting go of Past interpretations of others will make the steps easier.
We are all linked in and connected to one another, yet this is sometimes easier to understand when we stay in our comfort zone. Once you get out of it, where you are among more people who are very different from yourself, confusion can prevail. This is especially true if we take the time to try to understand regional customs – beliefs that in our own country feel foreign to us. But actual foreign travel is the very best experience, even if it is only to our neighbors north and south. Of course, passing through like a tourist simply for the well known sites or shopping, is not the same as staying a few days to know the locals. As long as your mind is open and you are willing to try new things – you don’t have to like them, but you won’t know until you try them – it will reduce any prejudice, or just narrow-mindedness that you might have. Awareness comes in all forms and from all people, if you are just open to the opportunity to receive it. Lao Tsu: “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” Your ups and down can be a real thrill roller-coaster filled with Past baggage, or an enjoyable, freeing rolling hills kind of ride. It is, as always, up to you and your choices.
We learn to be more of service once we experience which of our skills will be most helpful to others. Most of us have talents that are unknown to us, but are seen and appreciated by others. Keep the Past out of the Future, so it is open for creative invention. We cannot move forward with new ideas when our feet are stuck in old ways of the Past. Think in a way that you have not thought before – how far out in left field can you go for an original idea? When you look for the positive, you will find it. Likewise, it is also with the negative. Being positive/optimistic is like being a magnet. Remember: You always teach best what you most need to learn. Human Beings are the only creatures on Earth that can consciously choose the direction of their actions with reason.
To be truly of Service, you need to be Authentic and Original. This means to be truly authentic in all you say and do, so it must come from the Heart. Being original, acknowledges that there is only one you, so make what you say and do represent you, not a copy, or what you think someone wants you to be. This means you are in a state of acceptance of you, so judgment disappears – it is a release of the ego, which frees you up to be who you truly are. Service is a generosity of Self, or the act of giving freely because you desire to, not with the idea of receiving a reward or gift in return. To be truthfully generous means you want prosperity, abundance and wealth to all. It’s both the joy of giving and the ability of receiving – they are different facets of the same blessing. Some find it easier to give than to receive – if so, they may want to question their feelings of self-worth. You are taking away the joy of another in refusing their gift. Generosity is motivated by love for all, as well as the individual. As it must come from the heart, true giving cannot be forced or fulfilling an obligation. Giving is wanting happiness for others, and to be happy for them receiving it. Celebrating another’s happiness is a gift of bliss for all involved.
Tags: Being of Service
