Copyright © 2022 Lee Spirit 

Many of us go through life, busy as beavers, without even a thought of what our true purpose is, or how being of service to others can fulfill our purpose. As we get older, we may question this within ourselves more, as we come closer to realizing we aren’t here forever. If we’re lucky, we have enough quiet time, and quiet mind, to really come into our life purpose. This is possible when we make time for self-reflection, getting to know who we really are.

Shaped by our parents, siblings, and teachers, we often lose sight of who we are. We pretend to be someone we are not to fit into someone else’s expectations of who we should be. This can take us on a completely different path than what our hearts and souls truly desire.

One way to discover our true purpose is to do what we love, not for ourselves, but for others. Being of service to others is way to find and fulfill our purpose. So let’s talk about being of service to others now. It may not be exactly what you think it is!

Do You Naturally Like To Be Of Service To Others?

They always say that to live a life of purpose you must be of service, and that’s the ultimate path to true happiness. If I’m honest, I struggle so much with the idea of being of service to others! Some people just naturally want to help other people. But what if you feel like being of service is difficult for you, and it isn’t really your thing? I feel that way sometimes, until I realize that being of service to others can mean something other than directly helping others.

The Profession You Choose

What do I mean by that? Well, when you think of helping others, you may think that means being a nurse, helping the elderly, volunteering at a Food Bank, teaching children, fighting fires, or being a Priest. Think of all the service careers and volunteer opportunities you could get into to be of service to others. However, being of service to others isn’t necessarily what you do for a living, or volunteering for a good cause.

Serving Others Indirectly

In my career, I do serve people, but it doesn’t seem like it because I’m working at a computer, not directly with the people I serve. This makes my introverted self very happy! But I often have to remind myself that I am serving others indirectly. That, too, counts as service!

If you’re like me – pretty quiet and introverted – and don’t feel that you like to help people directly, you can still be of service just by being who you really are. This empowers others to be who they really are, and that is being of service to others indirectly!

You can live your passion, do what you love, and when you share your passion with others, directly or indirectly, that inspires and motivates them to follow their passions! That is also being of service to others! Simple, right? Yes, being who you really are is an indirect way to be of service to others!

Being Of Service In Your Spare Time

My job may not be my passion, or true purpose in life, so I make sure that in my spare time, I am doing something meaningful that reflects my soul’s true purpose and passion. What I love to do, and what you love to do is part of your life purpose. If you try to weave what you love to do (what you would do even without getting paid for it) into your days, you will discover who you really are and what your purpose is.

There are other ways I could be of service to others by doing what I love, such as guiding hikes and meditations directly in person. That may be a part of my future, or it may not be the way I really want to serve. Don’t feel like you have to serve by helping others directly. You don’t have to be a yoga instructor, unless that’s what you really want to do!

Simply by showing up for yourself on your mat in a yoga class is serving others! How? Well, the more you work on yourself and your own peace of mind, body, and spirit, the more you emit a positive, healing vibe for others to do the same. Being of service doesn’t have to mean being a teacher, a healer, a fire-fighter, a doctor, a politician, or spiritual leader.

Loving Nature

When I look at myself and what I love, it has a lot to do with being active, and mindful in nature. With some strong reflection around what my values are, I winded up here, writing blog posts and making meditation videos for others based on what my passion is.

When I share photos, it’s to inspire and share beauty. When I share my meditations in nature, it’s to help others find inner peace in nature too. I have always loved writing, and not speaking, so my hope is that my blog posts will reach those who need to learn how to be more mindful in nature and in life.

Through my writing and meditations, I am serving others who need some motivation and inspiration. Maybe they need to be uplifted, or simply empathized with. It may mean bringing mindfulness into someone’s life when they can’t be active. I can demonstrate how to notice whatever beauty is available to them.

If you’re in a wheelchair or hospital, and can’t get out, you can bring nature inside. Run your hands under some water, and visualize a mountain stream. Stand or sit in the shower imagining a trickling waterfall. Bring nature to you!

How Can You Be of Service To Others When You Have Nothing To Give?

Exchanging Energy Instead

It’s not uncommon to feel like you have nothing to give. For example, you may feel that you want to donate to charities of all sorts, but you have no money. The thing is, we don’t need to have something in order to give something.

For instance, many yoga instructors prefer an exchange of energy rather than money. By that, they mean to offer a few words about what you got from the class, what helped you, or made you see things in a different way. In that way, you give what you have to the teacher, letting them know what helped you. At the same time, the teacher is serving you by giving the class.

When You Have Little, Give More

I learned early on that when you feel you have little to give, that’s when it’s a good idea to give more. No matter how broke I was when I was making mortgage payments, I gave to all the charities that had meaning for me, even if it was a tiny amount. There was always enough to give, despite having so little. You may not think it’s helping anyone, but the key thing to remember is that whatever you give comes back to you.

Beware of Holding Expectations

There’s another key thing to remember when contemplating this principle. In case you’re thinking, “I gave this and this and this, and no one gave me anything back!”, just remember that what you give, such as love, doesn’t always come back to you in the way you expect, or from the person you expect, but it will come back to you. That is the law of karma. You give love, and it will come back to you another way, another time, from another person, or another source, but it will always come back.

Expectations are dangerous because they set you up for disappointment. If you always give your love to someone and they never return it, it will come back in other ways, as long as you don’t have expectations of getting something in return. Having expectations is not being of service to others. It’s doing something to get something for yourself. True service is giving without expectations of receiving anything back. It is an inner knowing that what you give will come back in another way, in just the right moments.

Remember This When You Feel You Have Nothing To Give

Going back to my photo that I chose for this post…It’s a gorgeous green gem of a lake. You can scoop up the water with your hand, and take from the lake, which is always there giving you this water without expectation that you give it back. You didn’t start with having any water in your hand, and it belonged to the lake. But when you emptied the water back into the lake, you gave it back to the lake. You started with nothing, and still gave something…

I bet you now have a different impression and perspective on what it means to be of service to others. That’s great! It’s not as hard as it seems to be of service, if it seems hard for you like it does for me. Just be who you really are, and everything will fall into place. Fulfilling your life purpose is really another way of saying, “You be you!”

Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. She helps those who suffer from anxiety & negative thinking to become healthier in mind-body-spirit. Her own personal journey has led her to the  study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Get mindfulness, meditation, and personal development tips in her Free Natural Mind Healing Report.