“The best way to find yourself is
to lose yourself in the service of others.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi
This month’s theme is about being of service. So when I ran across this quote, I knew I had to share it. Spiritual leaders like Gandhi certainly set the bar high for this virtue and were likely great listeners.
To me, being of service is being present when with another. Really listening to what they have to say and not just waiting for a pause so you can jump in with your own comments. Joyful listening is about more than the words spoken – it’s about hearing with your entire being. And to me, it’s a sacred expression of service and love.
I ran across a great article online by John Hester that helps makes my point. Here is an excerpt of his article:
A study done by Dr. Albert Mehrabian at UCLA looked at the degrees to which emotional messages are sent through words, tone, and body language. Regarding the true meaning of an emotional message, Dr. Mehrabian found:
- 7 percent of meaning is in the words that are spoken
- 38 percent of meaning is in the tone of voice—the way the words are said
- 55 percent of meaning is in facial expression
Yes, it means to hear; but it also means to pay attention—with our ears, our eyes, and our hearts.”
In this day and age, we are all so time-stressed and message overloaded that we’ve forgotten how to really listen, even to ourselves. Isn’t it time to go within – to listen to what your soul is trying to tell you and then to be of service to others by honouring their divinity as well as your own?
Try it. Practice it. And then see how much more joyful you begin to feel as you find yourself through the service of others.
Love from your Joy Mama
P.S. Have you downloaded my free eBook yet? Learn how to recognize and eliminate your joy blockers with 8 Barriers to Joy & Abundance.
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