Solace In Service
Doing For Others
When we feel bad, often our first instinct is to isolate ourselves and focus on what’s upsetting us. Sometimes we really do need some downtime, but many times the best way to get out of the blues quickly is to turn our attention to other people. In being of service to others, paradoxically, we often find answers to our own questions and solutions to our own problems. We also end up feeling more connected to the people around us, as well as empowered by the experience of helping someone.
When we reach out to people we can help, we confirm that we are not alone in our own need for support and inspiration, and we also remind ourselves that we are powerful and capable in certain ways. Even as our own problems or moods get the better of us sometimes, there is always someone else who can use our particular gifts and energy to help them out. They, in turn, remind us that we are not the only people in the world with difficulties or issues. We all struggle with the problems of life, and we all feel overwhelmed from time to time, but we can almost always find solace in service.
In the most ideal situation, the person we are helping sheds light on our own dilemma, sometimes with a direct piece of advice, and sometimes without saying anything at all. Sometimes just the act of getting our minds out of the obsessive mode of trying to figure out what to do about our own life does the trick. Many great inventors and artists have found that the inspiration they need to get to the next level in their work comes not when they’re working but when they’re walking around the block or doing dishes. We do ourselves and everyone else a great service when we take a break from our sorrows and extend ourselves to someone in need.
I have found that being of service in times of tribulation an excellent way to get my problems out of mind for a time, allowing for moments of healing. I have discovered that disappointments, setbacks, unexpected separation from something or someone that you love leaves a wound that has to be allowed to heal. If we had a cut or have had major surgery, we wouldn’t expect the incision to heal over night. Yet, somehow when we experience an emotional wound, we think that we should bounce back immediately, and that just ain’t so! I am a nurses aide and have been since 2004. This is a new “career move” for me. However, when diseaster struck, it was being able to take care of people who couldn’t take care of themselves, or who needed help in caring for themselves, that I found the greatest peace. When caring for someone else, you don’t have time to think about the hurt, or even feel the hurt. I am so busy taking care of others’ need, that I don’t have time to think about my own. Very liberating. I am a better person today, because my job is taking care of people. They don’t know how much they help me in just the simple “thank you” that I received or an unexpected hug after a long night of work, because a resident said “she needed it”.
I highly recommend service to other as a way of healing. Thanks for opening the topic.