This week, I was reminded of a quote after I taught my meditation class:
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. -Rabindranath Tagore
I was tired, cranky and feeling uninspired. I showed up anyway because if anything, I am someone who honors my commitments, though deep down I hoped that nobody would attend. But I did have students who got up a few minutes early in their day to be of service to themselves by showing up to do the work. Unbeknownst to them, they were in service to me; allowing me to grow and gain experience in leading meditations. We went through the mediation, which is under 30 minutes. At the end, there was a softness and ease to their expressions that wasn't there before; a sparkle in their eyes.
Seeing this transformation, whether it is from a wellness session, yoga class or meditation fuels my soul, gives me energy and I am humbled by the experience . If I can make a positive difference in someone's day I am all in. My work is to be of service to others; to be in action - and it brings me so much joy!
Want to feel more joy in your life? Try just for a day to see your work or any task that you have to perform as an act of service. Bring joy there, feel it in your core. Better yet, engage in random acts of kindness and see how you feel. It can be as simple as smiling at a stranger (yes, we can tell if you are smiling behind your mask), getting your loved one a cup of coffee, giving a sincere compliment or picking up the phone to check in on a friend. There are so many little things you can do that will make a big impact in someone's day - and I bet that you will feel good too.
In the quote above, I underlined the words 'acted' and 'joy'. It is through the action of service that joy can be derived. Service is not stagnant; it is a moving, living thing. We are not in service by thinking about it, we are in service through our actions.
Now more than ever, let's be of service to each other.
In wellness,
Kim