You must be the change you wish to see in the
world. --Mahatma Gandhi
5 Reasons Why We Serve
--by ServiceSpace Coordinators, syndicated from servicespace.org, Dec 27, 2011
At
the height of the dot-com boom in 1999, a few of us walked into a homeless
shelter to give without any strings attached. We were young twenty-something's
then. Our motivation? We just wanted to be of service. The word 'service' here
represents a practice of selfless giving -- something that we all have access
to, no matter who we are or what we do. Our trip to the homeless shelter led to
us building a website for them at no charge. That experiment in giving blossomed
into an organization called ServiceSpace, which went on to develop and
gift websites to thousands of small nonprofits. But the ripples didn't stop
there. ServiceSpace has now evolved into a remarkable incubator for dozens of
gift-economy projects, touching millions of people.
While
the external impact of these projects is tremendous, what is most striking is
the fact that ServiceSpace doesn't fundraise, has no staff, and remains 100%
volunteer run. Everyone involved is driven simply by a volition to grow in
service. In a world dominated by financial incentives that appeal to a mindset
of consumption, ServiceSpace is a counterculture invitation to engage in small
acts of generosity, continually shifting the mindset towards one of inspired
contribution.
It's
a beautiful fact that in practicing kindness, we can't help but deepen our
understanding of how inner and outer change are fundamentally intertwined. Here
are five reasons to serve that we've discovered through our own journey:
1.
Serve to discover abundance: the radical shift from me to we
When
you serve, you discover that often the most important things you have to offer
are not things at all. You start to uncover the full range of resources at your
disposal -- your time, presence, attention -- and recognize that the ability to
give stems from a state of mind and heart, a place much deeper than the
material. Inspired by the possibilities this opens up in every moment, you begin
to discover humble opportunities to serve -- everywhere.
This
process begins a shift from a me-orientation to a we-orientation. You start to
look at people and situations with an eye for what you can offer them and not
vice versa. You break the tiresome tyranny of questions like "What's in it for
me?" The mindset shifts from consumption to contribution. Paradoxically, serving
in this way, you are no longer operating from a space of scarcity. Your cup
fills and overflows.
2.
Serve to express gratitude
Such
joyful gratitude becomes a foundation in service. When you acknowledge the
fullness of your life, you can manifest a heart of service in any situation. In
that sense, service doesn't start when we have something to give -- it blossoms
naturally when we have nothing left to take. And that is a powerful place to
be.
Yes,
external change is required for the world to progress, but when coupled with
inner transformation, it can affect the world in a radically different way. "We
can do no great things -- only small things with great love," maintained Mother
Teresa, a woman who made a difference to the lives of millions. It's a matter of
what we focus on. Or, in other words, it's not just what we do that matters, but
the inner impetus behind our action that really counts.
3.
Serve to transform yourself
Any
time we practice the smallest act of service, even if it's only holding a door
for somebody, but doing it with a full heart that says, "May I be of use to this
person," that kind of giving changes the deep habit of being self-centered. In
that brief moment, there is other-centeredness. That other-centeredness relaxes
the patterns of the ego, a collection of unexamined, self-oriented tendencies
that subtly influence our choices. This is why no true act of service, however
small, can ever really be wasted.
To
serve unconditionally in this way takes practice and constant effort. But with
time and sharpened awareness, we begin to brush against the potential for
transformation that is embedded in every act of generosity. It's a realization
that "Oh -- when I give, I actually receive." You begin to internalize this, not
at the intellectual level but by experience.
4.
Serve to honor our profound interconnection
Over
time, all of those small acts, those small moments, lead to a different state of
being. A state in which service becomes increasingly effortless. And as this
awareness grows, you inevitably start to perceive beyond individualistic
patterns: each small act of service is an unending ripple that synergizes with
countless others.
As
Rachel Naomi Remen puts it, "When you help, you see
life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life
as whole." With that understanding, we begin to play our part -- first, by
becoming conscious of the offerings we receive, then by feeling gratitude for
them, and finally by continuing to pay forward our gifts with a heart of joy.
Each of us hassuch gifts: skills, material resources, connections, presence --
everything we consider ourselves privileged to have. And when we actually start
to use our gifts as tools to facilitate giving, we deepen our understanding of
relationships and start to sync up with this vast "inner-net."
5.
Serve to align with a natural unfolding
When
we increasingly choose to remain in that space of service, we start to see new
things. The needs of the current situation become clearer, we become instruments
of a greater order and consequently our actions become more effortless. When a
group of people perform this kind of service as a practice, it creates an
ecosystem that holds a space, allowing value to emerge organically. All of this
indirect value, the ripple effect, has space and time to add up, synergize with
other ripples, and multiply into something completely unexpected. In humble
fashion these ripples continue to seed unpredictable manifestations. Such an
ecosystem can have its plans and strategies, but places more emphasis on
emergent co-creation. So a lot of the ripples will remain unseen for years; some
perhaps will be the basis for a seventh-generation philanthropy. It doesn't
matter, because they are unconditional gifts.
What
each of us can do, on a personal level, is make such small offerings of service
that ultimately create the field for deeper change. The revolution starts with
you and me.
ServiceSpace.org is an incubator of gift-economy projects
that is run by inspired volunteers. Its mission statement reads: "We believe in
the inherent goodness of others and aim to ignite that spirit of service.
Through our small, collective acts, we hope to transform ourselves and the
world." Drawings reprinted here with permission from DharmaComics.
