Becoming a better server

Originally published January 20th, 2017

This month the magnitude of my service to others has been greater than usual. I feel great.

A couple of years ago, I attended a temple service where the spiritual leader asked the parishioners what wish they would like granted. To my astonishment, a child said, “I’d like to be a better server.”

At the time, what I thought I needed was more time for self-care - perhaps even to have others serve me. But now, I have come to appreciate the wisdom embedded in the words of that child.

In mid-life, it is so easy to feel trapped, having just finished raising our children, to quickly being called upon to nurse ageing parents. It just doesn’t seem fair.  

But somehow, this January, I find myself helping many more in need while feeling euphoric.  --  So what's changed?

Is service to others the secret to happiness? Is becoming “self–less” the key? By giving and loving unconditionally do we experience eternal bliss? I’m inclined to answer ‘yes’ to all – conditionally. Sometimes we have to ‘ first put on our own gas mask’ and be willing to receive.

Lately, I have coached several unbelievably accomplished people who have crashed. They have sought, and some have found, a medical explanation for their uncharacteristic lack of get-up-and-go, brain fog, and fatigue.

How do I help them? I tell them that they are not permanently broken. There is hope. The body has innate wisdom.

The body is doing the exact right thing to preserve itself. It is engineering some much-needed downtime for reflection and contemplation. Whether it’s via a slow down in metabolism, chronic fatigue, suppression of thyroid function, depression, or infection, the body is crying out for help - for change. Listen! A.C.T. Action changes things. With some tender loving care, recovery is entirely possible.

To become better servers and to experience the bliss associated with that, sometimes we have to heal ourselves first. Our health is a prerequisite to making a difference in the lives of others.

And, we can prevent the body from having to physically shut us down by nourishing ourselves optimally now.  Nourishment comes in the form of clean food; movement; adequate sleep; relaxation; pleasure; living harmoniously with the environment; feeling worthy and grateful.

Having nourished myself optimally, I have become a better server and I am now reaping the rewards. A key life lesson I had to learn is that to serve better, I had to be willing to receive. 

Take home:

Nourish yourself. Put on your oxygen mask first if need be. Become a better server. Feel euphoric.