The Power of Serving Others

Serving others is a great way to build relationships, and to find amazing opportunities in life. You can't selflessly give to another without feeling the positive repercussions.

The most important thing to keep in mind when deciding to serve another is that service expects no rewards. Having a hidden agenda for giving to another will diminish the power of service. Why is this? When you expect something in return, and are not serving out of the goodness of your heart, others will notice. Sure they'll thank you, but the service becomes more of an, "I'll do this for you if you do this for me," situation.

When you give from your heart, the real power of service comes into play. Serving is a great opportunity to strengthen your trust and respect for another, and for them to do the same with you. Not only do you feel great about helping out, but you build your relationship with them, and they will feel more inclined to help you in the future. It's a win-win situation.

The great part about service is, it's easy. All it takes is asking, "Hey, is there any way I can help?" It takes finding out what another is struggling with, offering to help, and then being good with your word.

So why is service so rarely seen these days? The problem is, there's always an excuse not to serve. Sure, living in this day in age does not leave us much time, and the last thing people want to do is more work. "I'm too busy, it's too much work, or I don't have the time," may run through your head when you hear the word service, but the truth is the benefits are worth the sacrifice. Gandhi once said that, "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

Service is simple, some ideas of places you can serve are volunteer centers, nursing homes, boys and girls clubs, prisons, salvation army, recycle centers, red cross, public schools, libraries, nonprofit agencies, YMCA/YWCA, hospitals, universities, zoos, food banks, museums, police departments, runaway shelters, fire departments, city parks and playgrounds, nature centers, and sexual abuse centers, and various service clubs.

Overall, service and selflessly giving to others is very powerful and has many benefits. Although it does take some work, the benefits are more than worth the sacrifice. Not only do you feel better about making another's day a little less stressful, but you strengthen your relationship with them and they will be more willing to help you in the future. This is the power of service; you cant give without receiving much more. So why not give it a try? What can you lose? Just ask a neighbor, coworker, family member, or anyone, "How can I help?" Find the power of service for yourself.

Sources:
"Service project ideas." www.pointsoflight.org. 20 Sep 2008 .