SERVICE TO OTHERS IS LIFE’S RENT

Service to others is a great idea. I’m not talking about ‘Would you like fries with that?’ but actually doing something that helps other people with their lives.Helping someone learn to read. Helping someone kick a bad habit. Helping someone find a ray of hope in their world. Helping someone find shelter when they are cold or a meal when they are hungry. The statement says that service is how you pay the bills here on earth. I like the way I have worded it.

Statement

It gently reminds us that life is accompanied by responsibilities. It’s not all fun and games, right? This statement urges us to help others in order to pay our way through life. Pay it forward. Karma.  Good deeds. Good Turn. The concept is familiar to many people through many different sources. An idea that good can’t be all bad, right? I will admit that this may seem a stretch, to try to get kindness from service to others, but I believe it’s a good fit if you think about it.  How can you be kind without providing at least a small service to someone? I also prefer the kindness approach, as it doesn’t sound as heavy or involved as ‘service.’

If you’ve been thinking your way through this short discussion, you already have a pretty good idea why kindness is important, don’t you? You should have had events in the past where you have helped others, or even been the recipient of kindness from others run through your head. I hope it was inspirational; I know it was for me. Kindness is a way people help each other, and help themselves.  It works both for needs as well as for general social interaction. If you have ever seen an old movie with some very polite people constantly saying small, kind pleasantries, you probably have a better understanding of what I mean. It used to be very common in the British Empire and in many of the Oriental cultures.

What are you planning on doing with your life?
Do you think you can get to the end of it and live a happy and fulfilling life without service to others? Even I, as a dedicated introvert, cannot imagine being fulfilled without showing kindness to others, and being of service. That said, I prefer to do it quietly and unobserved, but that’s just me.

Investments

Even something as simple as treating someone with kindness (smiling and saying hello to a stranger or holding a door for them) can make a big difference if they’ve had a rough day.
 These little things can be done many times each day for many different people, and to me, that’s a big deal. Other things we can do can involve investments of money or time (depending on which you have in greater abundance). Feeding the hungry, providing clothing those without clothes, helping shelter those in need.  These are some of the ‘big ticket’ items that sometimes scare people away when you talk about service. Even something like feeding the hungry can be done fairly easily and with little effort, if you know how.

My friend has been volunteering a few hours a month at a local food bank. He has more time than cash, so he helps in the warehouse and in gathering, sorting and boxing up food for the clients. When I helped Habitat for Humanity do a rehab on an old house, I had plenty of time but not much money, so I helped by spackling, sanding and then painting the ceilings (yes, I’m that tall). Later, after Katrina, I donated money to help the people who were affected by it, as I had no time. My friend was able to take some time off and go down and help in person.
What you do will all depend on what you can do to help at that point in time. Our lives have cycles, busy times, slack times. Times when we have a little more money than other times.
Times when you can do big service projects, and times when you are limited to simple kindnesses.

All that remains is for you to figure out what cycle you are in for time, money and effort. Once you have those parameters sorted out, all you have to do now is select your outlet.
 Where will you be of service to others? Will it be a big project, or a series of kindnesses? Now that the decision is made, you need but take the first step, the down payment if you will, on your rent.

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