As we sit on the cusp of the Thanksgiving holiday, most of us have read and heard about being grateful. Not only does gratitude make us better people, but studies have shown that giving thanks and counting our blessings can help us sleep better, lower our stress and improve our interpersonal relationships.
But wait! It gets better. There is an aspect of gratitude that is often overlooked. That is the value and power of serving. Serving not only benefits those being served, but it makes us better people too.
Of course we serve our customers. But we can also serve our spouses, our employees, our families, and even strangers. Once we start serving on a regular basis, it becomes a mindset. Then as we help others, we grow as individuals.
Here are a few benefits of serving:
1. Make people’s lives better
When we serve others, we make their lives better. If we help others reach their goals, we improve both their lives and the lives of those around them. Let’s not limit that to customers, either. Let’s take it home to our families, too.
2. Pay it forward.
When we serve by helping meet the needs of others, this frees them up to serve others, too. Our service becomes a catalyst and a multiplier that only stops when people down the line stop.
3. Ignite personal growth.
When we serve others, we often tap our creativity in order to solve problems. This can test and push us. When that happens, it ignites our growth.
4. Find joy.
Think back to situations in which you served others. It felt pretty good, didn’t it? When our focus is not on ourselves but on those we serve, that creates joy in our lives.
The power of serving is wonderfully illustrated in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The story follows George Bailey, a man who has sacrificed his dreams to help others in his small town of Bedford Falls. On Christmas Eve, feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, he contemplates ending his life. However, an angel named Clarence intervenes and shows George what life would be like if he had never been born. Through this journey, George discovers the profound impact his sacrificial love has had on those around him. Ultimately, it helps him to realize that these are the things that truly give his life meaning.
5. Find More Purpose in Your Life
Albert Schweitzer once said, “I do not know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: The only ones among you who will be really happy will be those who have sought and found how to serve.”
When we focus on serving others instead of ourselves, we find meaning and purpose. What are some of the ways that you serve others? What are some of the benefits that you see in doing so?
