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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

This is the third installation in the review and discussion of the book Open Secrets by Rami Shapiro. The book is an easily digested, metaphysical interpretation of Judaism. In this section, one of the chapters is “Why Be Jewish?” The master Rabbi writing to his protege explains that Judaism is a path to become one with God and exprerience God in the world.

I was nodding along to everything until he said, “We are not free to be anyone we wish. We are only free to be who we are.” My head started going in circles. Did I just read right? I’m not free to be whoever I want to be? But I’ve been taught that my entire life.

Fortunately, I am studying this book in a small group and I was not the only one who got stuck on this point. A few of the participants cited the case of physical limitations to support the statement. After all, if I’m free to be anything I want to be, then I could be a track star. On the other hand, a few others argued that we do, indeed, have the potential to be, do, and have anything we want. Since that’s true, we are “free” to be whatever we want.

In the book, the master Rabbi explained to his student that he could not be anything but a rabbi. He also explained that every decision that he made in his life closed in on what he was to become.

I believe that we all have a path and a purpose, but we can choose whether or not we want to follow it. If every decision we make is true to who we are, we will walk our path, fulfill our purpose. If, on the other hand, we make decisions out of alignment with who we are (as we are free to do so), we don’t.

What do you think about the ideas of free will and fate? Do you think it has to be one or the other? If not, do you reconcile the two ideas?

In Spirit,
Nneka