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To Be of Service
 

It never occurred to me that this topic would be confusing to distinguish.  However, to some "being of service" seems to imply that they must offer a free benefit, while to others it is merely viewed as providing a particular trade that benefits the needs of others, but for a set fee.  Still, for others, it remains a mystery, which leaves them shaking their head wondering, "How can I be of service; what do I have to offer others?"
 

So what does being of service mean?
According to Merriam-Webster New Explorer College dictionary, the definition for service is extensive, but for this article it is used in relationship to:

1. The occupation or function of serving (in active service)

2. The work or action performed by one that serves or gives good and quick service

3. The act of serving as a helpful act; a good turn or useful labour that does not produce a tangible commodity
    

Another belief and one that I endorse, is that to truly "be of service" is to willingly give something of you -  without coercion, without demands, without expecting recompense and without any personal expectations or ulterior motives.  Ultimately, the service is meant to improve and benefit others by providing valuable information, skills, healing, comfort, improved living standards, knowledge or higher wisdom.
 

Why be of service?
As you are probably aware, as energy beings, in each incarnation our soul or spirit seeks to continually evolve to a higher, purer vibration or resonance with the intention of trying to correspond in vibration to the universal source.  Some refer to this as the God source or the universal consciousness.  In each incarnation, the soul's desire is to improve and evolve through learned experiences before returning to the spiritual realm.

Part of evolving is learning to recognize and participate in becoming one with all that surrounds you.  This includes the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom, the mineral kingdom, and as well, all other human beings, plus all other living things.

Being of service teaches you to develop empathy, non-judgement, compassion, un-conditional love, un-conditional forgiveness, trust, consideration, patience, cooperation, higher wisdom and improved over-all understanding of life in general.  It also allows you the opportunity to surrender and release ego-driven tendencies such as jealousy, hatred, self-centeredness, worry, selfishness and fear.  As a result, your energy vibration is elevated to a higher resonance, which in turn, attracts more of the same vibration to you - like energy attracts like energy.

An important consideration to remember is that being of service is not really about you; it is not meant to glorify your status.  Instead, it is supposed to be about being benevolent toward a greater cause.  Your time and energy is never wasted, because through each improvement, however small or big, it reflects back to you.  Everybody and everything is connected, in other words, if they hurt, sooner or later you hurt.  Therefore, it is to your benefit to provide whatever service you can in order to create a more positive domino or snowball effect.
 

What must you do in order to be of service?
To be of service does not mean that you become a servant or a slave to others and it does not mean that you establish an unhealthy co-dependent relationship with others.  You are not required to work yourself to the extent where you have no life of your own.

On the contrary, to be of worthwhile, productive service means that you apply your energy to a worthy cause by doing it in total balance.  In other words, you also need your own space, your own down-time, plus your own hobbies, interests and enjoyments.  Swaying too far in one direction may result in becoming imbalanced, thus leading to negativity in thoughts, actions or re-actions.

It is important to remember that in order to be beneficial to others, you must first take care of your own needs and health – there is no room for constant neglect or ignorance.  Maintaining balance includes all levels of your being – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.  You cannot expect to properly facilitate others if you cannot sustain your own level of well-being; eventually you risk burn-out or even worse, a detrimental collapse in health.

There are numerous areas of opportunity that welcome your time, effort and energy; one does not outweigh the other in terms of importance.  This is not a case of competition in which you test your skills, intelligence or performance.  Conversely, if this is the case, then you are not being of service for the right reasons and will need to re-evaluate your motives in order to maintain proper balance.
 

To assess what area of service is most beneficial to you, here are some indicators:

1. Without the influence or opinion of others, pay attention to what naturally attracts your attention

2. What calls to your inner senses, like a long lost yearning?

3. What draws you like a magnet, almost like you have no choice?

4. What seems to natter and nag at you and just won’t go away or cannot be ignored?

5. When eliminating money from the equation, what are you most proficient at doing, in which you gain the most pleasure or satisfaction?

6. In what areas are your natural gifts or talents?

7. What do you seem wonderfully and joyfully obsessed about?

8. What makes you laugh and smile?

9. What interest creates a total absence of time?

10. What interest makes you come alive or feel passionate about?

11. What interest gives you a sense of peace and tranquility?

12. What interests are you totally comfortable with, in which you have extreme confidence?

13. What would you really like to do for the rest of your life?

14. What hobbies or interests have you postponed or have put on the back-burner, although deep in your heart you regret this decision?

15. What valuable contribution do you have to offer society?

16. What  positive attributes do you have? - Are you a good listener? Do you have leadership abilities? Are you a good organizer? Are you a good communicator? Are you dependable? Are you friendly and sociable? Are you inventive? Are you good with numbers?  Are you patient? Are you creative?  Are you open-minded?  Are you cooperative?  Do you work well with others?  Are you willing to share time and knowledge? Do you prefer working with children?  Do you enjoy working with the elderly?  Do you prefer working with animals?  Do you prefer being in nature?  Are you athletic?
     

Ways to be of service
For those who are still stymied and unable to arrive at a suitable evaluation, here are some suggestions:

1. Practitioner for any of the alternative healing arts

2. Traditional health sector such as doctors, nurses and careworkers

3. Share anything creative such as design, crafting, dancing, playing an instrument, singing, writing, poetry, musical composition, painting/drawing, gardening, etc.

4. Mentor children in areas such as education, sports or creative projects

5. Aid the disabled

6. Assist the elderly

7. Participate in a local or global organization/project intended to improve living conditions or enhance world relief and sustainability

8. Support animal protection and care such as animal shelters or agencies

9. Teaching - share valuable knowledge and wisdom

10. Teacher's aid

11. Fund raising events

12. Volunteer

13. Offer service by donation

14. Religious organizations

15. Charity organizations

16. Trade membership associations

17. Law enforcement services

18. Community services

19. Support, exchanges or practice/development groups

20. Counselling to encourage self-empowerment
     

Does being of service mean free of charge?
It is up to each individual to establish their own reasons, guidelines and parameters for how they wish to be of service.  This is something that you may want to meditate on in order to obtain more clarity.  You need to consider your own position – financially and emotionally, plus your over-all health and any other obligations.  As well, contemplate on what your main focus is, your underlying motive or your main reason for wanting to be of service.  What is it that you are trying to accomplish?

If you are in a financially stable position where money is not a priority, then perhaps you may want to donate your services freely by doing volunteer work, or offer your service by donation or just charge a nominal sum to handle your initial expenses and time.

However, if you require monetary compensation in order to sustain your livelihood and provide for your future, then careful consideration should be given to charging an amount that you feel is justifiable to your particular situation.  It is difficult to assess how much to charge for a service.  How do you equate what your education, experience, time and effort are really worth?  Some feel that they are obligated to charge whatever the current job market dictates for that particular profession, while others feel that because they offer something completely specialized or unique that it warrants a unique fee.  But be careful, because extravagantly overpricing your service will not fall into the category for "being of service" – instead, this will only be viewed as being overly ambitious or perhaps even a bit greedy.

Remember, truly "being of service" is about benevolence; therefore, employ fairness before arriving at your decision.  If you really want to be helpful, then it makes better sense to offer your service to facilitate the many, rather than the few.  Your generosity toward others ultimately and eventually produces a greater beneficial result.
 

Do some people have a proclivity towards being of service more than others?
Numerology reveals that there are certain numbers that represent a strong leaning towards a person wanting to be of service.  For these people, it is more than just a want or desire; it is probably better described as being driven or needing to fulfill a huge urge without understanding or knowing why.

According to documentation, all holders of Master Numbers that fall in the five main core areas (life path, destiny/expression, soul/heart’s desire, personality and maturity) are destined to be of service in some capacity.  This is particularly true for Master numbers 11, 22 and 33.  If the recipient holds true to the positive aspects of the Master number rather than the negative or destructive aspects and diligently follows this path through right choice decisions, most likely involvement with some type of "service" will eventually transpire.  Holders of number 9 (another high vibrating energy) will also have a strong yearning toward the betterment of humanitarian and global endeavours.

Bear in mind, that the placement of these numbers, in conjunction to other numbers in the chart will affect the overall chart interpretation.  Therefore, it is best to have a complete analysis done by a numerologist if you require more in-depth understanding and verification.
 

What happens if you resist being of service?
The fact remains that you have free will; therefore it is your ultimate decision whether you want to pursue this objective.

If you choose not to be of service, nothing drastic is going to happen.  However, from your soul's perspective, it will impede its spiritual progress, but only because it will not acquire added knowledge or wisdom gained through the experience of truly "being of service."

Still, this is not a problem, because whatever you fail to accomplish in this lifetime, you will have another opportunity in your next incarnation.
 

© Written by Margaret I. Jang, April 18th, 2008
 

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Disclaimer
The above information is not intended to replace, diagnose, prescribe or treat any ailment or to be used as a replacement for medical treatment or consultation.  It is only intended to enhance your knowledge or general interest and is offered as an alternative and complimentary source of information.   In all cases, it is recommended that you continue to follow medical treatment as prescribed by your medical physician.