One of the greatest joys we can experience in life is to “be of service to others.” What does it mean to be of service to others? It certainly is timely, given that next week is the day we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., who was a major advocate of being of service to others.
To me it means selflessly putting yourself behind the needs of others and behaving in a way that cares for another person or group of people. It is a position of deep respect for the interconnection we experience with all people… that what I do impacts you and what you do impacts me. Therefore when you need help, I can be of service to you as I act in ways that demonstrate deep concern and care for you.
Why do I say this way of being is a joy? To experience true joy is to be in a space beyond just happiness and peace. It is to radiate and feel authentic connection, gratitude, and bliss that you can be the one to offer yourself, your talents, your listening, your presence to another person. In my life, I’ve been in positions where I am in service of others not by choice. In some serious situations at work I have been in the position to be in this place of profound service to others. Upon reflection, these times, when I was in long-standing service to others, or deeply impactful service to others, were times of great joy for me.
In looking at what we can accomplish in life, I consider the impact I have on others to be the real reason I am here on this Earth. This, to me, is a source of real and profound Joy.
