There are many ways to live life. Some people aim to serve something greater than themselves. They may aim to serve their loved ones, a spiritual faith, a purpose, a vocation or something else they believe in.
Such people often feel alive when serving something greater than themselves. Some may also go into a state of flow. Their sense of self disappears but it emerges stronger later.
They may find themselves to be fully present serving something greater than themselves. They have a sense of purpose, follow their principles and work towards achieving a picture of success.
Such people may be doing something relatively small – such as making a cup of tea for a loved one. But the greater purpose is to show love and care for the person.
They may sometimes be contributing to something bigger. They may be aiming to inspire students, find a medical cure, build a better society or do something practical to encourage present or future generations.
Let’s return to your own life and work. When do you feel that you are serving something greater than yourself? This could be in your personal or professional life.
Different people give different answers to this question. Here are some things that people may mention.
I feel I am serving
something greater than myself:
When I am encouraging people … When I am aiming to create something beautiful … When I am working as a nurse … When I am gardening … When I am working as a reporter and trying to uncover the truth.
When I am playing music … When I am designing buildings … When I am helping people to find solutions to conflicts … When I am passing on knowledge to people … When I am helping people to achieve their goals.
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you do to the following things.
Describe a specific situation or activity when you feel you are serving something greater than yourself.
Describe the specific things you are doing then when pursuing this activity.
Describe the specific things that may sometimes happen as a result of taking these steps.
Clarifying A Theme When You Serve
Something Greater Than Yourself
Imagine you have described a specific activity when you are serving something greater than yourself. Can you see a theme in the activity?
Different people may serve different themes. As mentioned earlier, some may focus on serving the theme of love – particularly to their loved ones – and translating this into action.
Some may serve a spiritual faith, certain principles or a sense of vocation. Some may serve a single theme. They may focus on healing, creating beauty, caring for the planet or another activity.
Looking at my own life, I have aimed to serve the theme of encouragement. This stems from when I began working with people. As part of the learning, I asked people:
What has helped you to grow most in your life?
Many people described their parents, teachers and other people who had helped them. They said:
“I had somebody who encouraged me. They built on what I did well and encouraged me to do it more. They also offered practical suggestions about how to deal with challenging situations.”
This led to focusing on encouragement. At the age of eighty, I am still learning about how to encourage people in their lives and work.
Imagine that you have clarified a specific activity when you are serving something greater than yourself. How can you continue to pursue this activity? What may happen as a result of taking these steps?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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