Howard Thurman
Can you do what comes from love today?
Just for one entire day! Do the things you love to do, and do the things you must do with love as the motivating factor. As you wash another sink full of dishes or carry out the most mundane errand can you imagine you are being of service?
Loving anything or anyone contains an element of service. When we love ourselves we listen to our needs and act and speak up so that we serve the meeting that need; for food, cleansing or letting our emotions be heard. When we love another we serve their need to be themselves and be heard, supported and acknowledged for who they are. When we do what we love it is our unique service and contribution to the world, something we have been born to do. No one else can do it quite like us, from our vision or perspective.
Life will come to an end one day and I hope we wont die with our song still in us. I hope for each of us that we live this moment with a consciousness of the gift of our life, the preciousness of time and the knowledge of how much we have to give. I saw a movie called "The Shift" http://www.dyermovie.com/ this weekend and it reminded me that in the afternoon of our lives our motivations are different to what they were in the morning and that's OK. Its how it's supposed to be.
We desire a more meaningful experience as we age than we did when we were younger. And this always involves service of some kind. Even if it's as simple as being cheerful, this is a definite service to humanity; sharing a smile while in line at the bank. Or as grand an effort as writing that novel! If we are honoring our inner urges we are also inspiring others to imagine they can do the same. What a fabulous service that is to perform.
Service has had a bad wrap. Its not about putting our desires last as we might imagine. It's more about honoring our desire and ability to contribute. The reward is a deeper satisfaction and joy that you can experience in any other way in the afternoon of life. Try it and see.
"Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try " Mary Kay Ash
hi i loved that piece from "mary kay ash" about how we live and die without our music being played.
ReplyDeletei'ts very inspiring to "do it" with an open mind with no regrets now whether it be writing a story, a book,making one's dream come true "do it" cause one can, it's better to have tried and failed,than not to have tried at all,especially apt in the afternoon of life.