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Sometimes we can get caught up in the prestige, money, or general good feelings involved in service. So much so, we lose sight of why we are doing it in the first place. Nothing wrong with prestige, money and good feelings. It’s just that when our attention is on service, they come to us. When it’s the other way around, we feel like we are in a struggle to get them.

So my questions this Monday are:

- How can I be of service to you?
- How are you being of service in your own life?

You can answer in the comments or on your own blog. I’ll be back later to give you my take on it

I’m back! Here’s how I spell SERVICE.

S - Smile

As Sherri said in the comments, sometimes we make service into this complex activity. Sometimes, it can be as simple as a smile. Smiles don’t cost time or money, and they actually generate positive energy.

E - Engage

Lending your ear in a conversation could be the greatest act of service that you provide throughout the day. Rather than thinking of the next activity or the next thing you want to say, take the time to truly engage in a conversation, and be present with your loved ones when you are out and about. When you kids are in the back seat going on about their day, you can really listen to what they’re saying and respond in kind, rather than thinking about what’s on for dinner.

R - Recommend

I used to be very hesitant about giving recommendations for anything. Mostly because I didn’t want to be wrong and put my reputation out on the line and I didn’t want to be called a “know-it-all”. Recently, through experience, I found out that people really treasure recommendations. It saves them time, and risk. It’s one of those acts of service that just requires you to put yourself on the line. It’s now so much about sacrifice as it is about sharing.

V - Volunteer

Service is often synonymous with volunteering. More than money, organizations need your time, expertise, and energy, and you always have them to give. Whether it’s helping to build a house with Habitat for Humanity, running for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, or sharing your knowledge of online marketing with the local ASPCA, volunteering gives you the opportunity to see just how fortunate and talented you are.

I - Inquire

Asking opens the door for opportunities to serve. Sometimes, just extending the offer is enough to brighten someone’s day and lighten their load. However, if you want to go a step further, consider asking “What can I do to help?” instead of asking, “Is there anything I can do to help?” Or take it a step further and ask “How can I help you do xxx?” This shows that you are not only willing, but able to provide meaningful assistance.

C - Contribute

If you can’t find the time to dedicate 2 hours a week (or however many hours you wish you could volunteer) to your favorite charity, consider making a monetary contribution equivalent to the time you would have spent.

E - Be Enthusiastic

You run the risk of being overly bubbly, but that’s a risk you should be more than willing to take Enthusiasm is contagious and it makes a light load out of any activity. When you show up to a task, embrace the opportunity with gusto. Go to your meetings with fresh ideas. Go the extra mile to help a colleague with a piece of code. Spread your enthusiasm freely. You will surely notice a shift in your environment, and it didn’t cost you a thing.

In Spirit,
Nneka

There’s a meme going on, and I’ve been hit by Rick, Lyman, Sania, and Karen. Inquiring minds want to know what I do on a daily basis to be successful. I have a few habits that I am currently building and a few that are in bred, but I want to hear from you first.

What daily habits do you have that help you to be successful? Share them in the comments. I’ll be back later on today to share mine

I’m back

In order to tell you what habits help me to be successful, I’ll have to share with you my idea of success. Success to me is living an on purpose life, a life in which I express God in every moment, I experience radiant health, abundant prosperity, and soulful relationships, and a life where I am heightening spiritual awareness. The degree to which I do that is the degree to which I feel successful. Success defined this way is changing moment to moment, yet can be evaluated over a lifetime. To be honest, at this point I feel highly, not wildly successful.

First there are the habits that I’m cultivating through the Life Transformation Program.

Meditation

I can’t stress this enough: Having a spiritual practice is key to living a balanced life. My meditation time is a worry-free zone. It’s 30 minutes that I can be completely present, no thoughts of past or future (not even that day). It’s time for me to consciously remember who I am. Time to connect with God. Time to know and experience oneness with all that is.

On occasion, I receive profound insights and direction during my time of meditation. More often than not, it’s after the meditation that I find myself awash in ideas and instructions. Clear, concise, remarkable direction. I’ve learned to trust it and follow promptly.

I’ve also learned to take that time of consciously being present and extend it into my life. By being present, I mean that I am consciously aware of things happening to me, around me, and from me. That allows me to choose my mood, to pre-edit my discussions, and to recognize opportunities, which in turn helps me to have soulful relationships and financial abundance.

Exercise

I am a self proclaimed anti-healthnut (no offense to the nuts ). I’m overweight (actually obese). Exercise is my daily step towards radiant health.

It’s not just about moving my body. I’m a pretty intellectual chick. Exercise is time dedicated to listening to my body. From the habit of exercise and being aware of my body, I learned the difference between eating when I’m hungry and eating when I’m lonely. Rather than going by the latest fad - low fat, low carb, or high protein - I can discern the kind of nourishment that my body is asking for at meal time. By listening to my body, I can tell when I am full. I can also tell when I need rest before I get sick.

This might all seem elementary for some of you, but it’s a huge deal for me. I spent most of my life ignoring my body, beating it into submission, and listening to what other people thought was good for it. I am finally gaining some sense of being in my own skin.

Writing

I had no idea I loved to write until my back was against the wall and I started journalling. I was a math and science girl. Writing helps me to discover myself. It’s a medium to present my ideas. It’s helping me to raise spiritual awareness (I think). It’s helping to increase my fianancial abundance. Best of all, it’s helping me to shift careers.

Other habits that I have that help me to be successful:

Waking up between 5 and 6am - Getting up early ensures that I set my day up the way I want it to start with meditation and exercise.

Keeping the important list to 3 items - Right now there are only 3 things I have to do everyday: meditate, exercise, and write. Everything else falls in around it. Remarkably, I have the time to do everything in my day when I ensure that I get the important stuff done. Otherwise, I feel like a hamster on a wheel.

Sending love notes - I recently started sending my husband love notes via email. It helps us stay connected and keeps a smile on his face. I like that

Having a “fantastic” day - I picked this one up from my dad. Now, no matter how my day is going, when asked how I’m doing I say, “Fantastic!” I feel fantastic anyhow. I’ve noticed that I can feel fantastic even when a virus hits and 100 users can’t use their equipment for a week!

This is not delusion, I actually feel that way. It helps everyone around me to loosen up and we work much more effectively.

Reading daily - I read about 50 blogs a day and at least one page out of a book. The more I learn, the more I don’t know. It’s a whole new world every day when I read.

Eliminating television - It started with the news many years ago. Today I’m down to about 2 hours of television a week. The bad habit I have is that it’s usually when I’m eating. On occasion, I might indulge in a movie or a guilty pleasure (Making the Band, Sex and the City, or Real Sex), but by and large TV is out.

If you ever feel like you don’t have enough time, turn off your television. Besides freeing up your time, you will feel a sense of peace about you that is surreal.

Checking email in the evening - Otherwise known as last things last. I’m forced into this because I have a day job, but I will continue it when I run my full time endeavours. I love email because I can keep in touch on my own time. However, I used to be in the habit of checking it with every pop up. Now, I check it at the end and I can do everything in batch, much more efficient.

So there you have it, 10 habits that make me highly successful! One of these days I’ll share with you some metrics of success and where I am. For now, who wants to share their success habits? Go for it, I tag everyone!

In Spirit,
Nneka