…hands (and heart) open…

“Don’t let the need to be of service stop you from following what calls you. Do not override what calls you because it doesn’t appear to be a big or clear enough expression of service. When [you]do this, in the name of serving, it can feel very noble, but it isn’t. It’s brittle and exhausting.

We can’t serve from wholeness when we are regularly betraying a part of ourselves.”

– Jennifer Louden

For a long time I thought service was about going out into the community, finding a hands-on position that would require several hours a week and a lot of emotional and physical commitment. Something that would require me to get my hands dirty and my mind challenged and my soul scrubbed clean. Something way outside my comfort zone. And I agonized over the fact that I wasn’t “giving back” the way I was supposed to.

I realized that I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. The truth is, many people feel like what they do isn’t enough. Our schedules or our health or our obligations or responsibilities don’t allow for the sort of selfless sacrifice we all wish we could make.

But then a few months ago, I listened Jennifer Louden (an expert on service) interview Seane Corn (a person who has devoted her life to service) and their conversation really changed my thinking about service and how much is really “enough”.

Seane Corn is one of those people who have devoted their lives to service. Not only does she enjoy it, but she’s *good* at it. She makes things happen. And she thrives on being the person who makes a splash, pushes for change.

One thing that Seane and Jennifer talked about was how “small” acts of service actually went a long way. Why? Because every person who was willing to do the small things- stuff some envelopes, answer a hotline, donate something to an auction, make a small financial donation, volunteer for a shift at the shelter when a regular worker couldn’t make it, just sign up for the mailing list- enabled the people who are REALLY good at doing the “BIG” things to focus their energy on those big things they do so well.

Meaning, if you do small acts of service, you are basically paving the path for HUGE acts of service.

And, as the quote above so clearly states- service doesn’t have to be about getting yourself uncomfortable. There’s this weird implication that being of service means being completely selfless and getting uncomfortable. That it doesn’t mean as much if it’s not outside our own lives, outside our comfort zones.

This is simply untrue. The best way we can be of service to others is by being true to ourselves. When we do what we do best, when we volunteer to do things that we enjoy and are good at, we maximize our time and energy.

For instance, I’m very passionate about humane treatment of animals and doing animal rescue work. However, I’m also super shy and not much of a compromiser, so I wouldn’t be good marching down to the government center and pounding on doors to make myself heard, or going into parts of town where there may be some mistreated animals and making things right. But I AM good at working directly with animals, creative thinking, and art.

So what I do is volunteer as a shelter worker at the local cat shelter (I help care for the cats that are waiting for their forever homes) and I donate my art skills to animal rescue groups (I do whatever kind of graphic design work they need). By being the person who goes in and feeds the cats, scoops the poop, designs the flyers, and monitors the website, I am basically enabling the head of the organization to focus on the bigger things, such as changing the local laws about animal treatment and actually getting out into town and rescuing animals in need. And because I enjoy all these things (well, maybe not scooping poop, but you get the idea) I can go into my volunteer work knowing EXACTLY what needs to be done and how to do it. No one needs to hand-hold me or waste time educating me. I’m there, fully engaged.

So no, my “little” acts of service may not have a direct impact on the world, but I know what I am doing matters. Whenever I doubt my impact on this world, I try and remind myself all the time that service does not have to be huge and uncomfortable to make a lasting difference.

I think service really is about taking the things that you love to do- the gifts you were given- and sharing them in the world in some way. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big way or a small way, what matters is that you are showing up and offering those gifts, hands (and heart) open.