What IS being in service? (Add to the list!)

[Bring4th_Steve]

I got to thinking one day about the whole concept of being 51% or more in service to others in order to make graduation into 4th density.

I sat with my coffee and went over the day in my head, wondering if I had spent over half of it doing things that are considered STO activities.

Now that we have Bring4th here, I thought we could all chip in and describe things that we've done that is considered being in service to others.

If anything, this would help us think about or days a little more, and it would also be a great primer for those who are new to the Law of One, and wish to see some examples of how our common activities can play a positive part towards graduation.

So let's make a run at it! Don't quote this in your reply, just fire back activities that are positive, transforming, and compatible with being STO.

Here's my first example:
1. complimenting someone with sincerity!

2. Anyone?

[Monica]

Great idea! (It IS rather important, isn't it?)

I think the normal altruistic behaviors; ie., charitable work as espoused by the various religions, definitely falls into that category...while remembering that it's the motivation that is important, not just the action. Just giving to others doesn't count unless it's giving for the purpose of helping others...rather than to rack up points, gain recognition, or stroke the ego.

Your complimenting others is definitely right on...Q'uo has stated that one of the most important things we can do on a daily basis is to smile at those with whom we come in contact...the cashier at the grocery store, the waitress, etc. So I try to make a habit of always doing that...as well as asking something about them...to let them know I noticed them as a person, and not just a machine who is serving me.

Listening to others...truly being there for them...is always good. I have a neighbor, an older woman, who is stuck at home taking care of a grouchy, elderly, very ill husband. I can't do much for the husband, but I try to be there for the woman, whenever she needs someone to talk to, even though sometimes I really am busy! ...Between yesterday and today, I spent a total of about 3 hours explaining the LOO to someone who had expressed interest...I had delayed sharing the info with her for many months...but waited until she expressed interest. (I was actually very surprised!) I have no idea whether it will be relevant to her, but since she seemed very keenly interested and did ask, I shared the info with her (albeit very cautiously). I'm not sure if that counts, though, because I really did enjoy talking about it! (How often does someone ask you to explain the LOO? For that matter, how often do you even mention it to anyone else?)

Something that has been very elusive for me has been forgiveness of myself. I usually don't find it difficult to forgive others, but very difficult to forgive myself. This is disconcerting, as Ra did say that forgiveness of self is equally important. So I'm working on that...

(sorry this isn't in the form of a list! got a little carried away... )

[ingerul9]

Service to Others from my point of understanding also means helping yourself. As DreamingPeace said when you forgive yourself the wheel of karma stops (the last part is from Ra - book 1 - "In forgiveness lies the stoppage of the wheel of action, or what you call karma.."). So if you can forgive yourself everytime you make a mistake or you think you did something wrong just forgive yourself.

Another good point that helped me was reading from Quo's statement about accesing the gateway to intelligent infinity. He is reffering to the 7 chakras and how they relate in our everyday life.

This is from transcript 2007_1124

The first requirement for working with the gateway to intelligent infinity is that the heart be open. Consequently, although many seekers do not wish to continue to work intensively with the lower three chakras, it is our opinion that it is essential to continue to work with those three chakras, giving them all of the honor and respect that you give the higher chakras.

That which tends to block red ray is a level of depression that argues against life and the joy of life, and difficulties with sexuality. Because of the fact that the red ray deals with matters of survival and sexuality, those who are limping along with no true appreciation of life are going to be limiting the flow of energy into their very first chakra and therefore receiving into the heart only a fraction of the power or the energy that is available from the Creator.

The orange-ray chakra, being the seat of relationships of a personal nature with yourself and with others, is blocked when there is difficulty in those relationships which causes the chakra either to be blocked or to be over-activated. So, it is well to have a continuing focus in each relationship that is your privilege to sustain, watching for the vibrational harmony between you and the other, or indeed the harmony between you and yourself. So often the issues that you have with yourself can be quite toxic in terms of limiting the light that is flowing through that chakra. So, it is well to spend time becoming sweet with yourself and with other selves as well.

The yellow-ray chakra is the chakra of group relationships or legal relationships such as the birth family, the marriage family, the work family, and other groups that create their own energies and have their own, shall we say, oversoul. And in this chakra, too, the usual causes of blockages have to do with difficulties in these relationships. And again, because it is so easy to be blocked, at least momentarily, in yellow ray, it is a wise seeker who tunes his heart and his attention when dealing with these relationships in order that harmony may prevail. And when harmony has been lost from a certain situation, it is well to seek ways to restore it. For this restores the flow of energy through that chakra and into the open heart.

Once an entity has reached the point where the heart is open and energy is flowing freely, he may then choose to move into the higher chakras. If he wishes to do work in consciousness such as meditation, healing, prayer or inspirational reading and reflection, he moves very consciously and deliberately into the indigo-ray chakra, the home of faith.

Here, one is always dealing with unseen things. In the indigo ray, one has left the physical body behind. The indigo ray is physically placed at the third eye position at which the Hindu monk will place a red dot, for in the Hindu system of belief there is a great appreciation of this chakra and it is believed by them, as well as us, that it is the gateway, the door, to direct contact with intelligent infinity, or as they would put it, the Creator.

Dwelling in indigo ray, the seeker begins to approach the gateway by the use of silence. It is necessary that the mind be still to a great extent so that the inspiration which is being sought may have room to flow into the chakra body through the violet ray and then the indigo, and then to be seated in the heart

[Bring4th_Steve]

Service to Others from my point of understanding also means helping yourself.

Absolutely. I have read from Q'uo that you are being in Service to Others when reading Self-Help materials or books on Spirituality... Such as the Law of One! :-)

Does anyone else have any idea for what being in Service to Others means?

How about washing the dishes or doing laundry for your family? All family-oriented tasks are considered STO.

Anyone else?

[Travis]

I used to obsess over the 51% graduation requirement, I was fearful of polarizing STS or not making the grade but luckily I was given some wise thought:
"If your actions are motivated by fear and guilt, are any of them truly STO?"

and..

"Why do people cheat on exams? Fear of not "passing"?

When someone acts out of fear to achieve a desired goal, is this not just "cheating", even when it comes to graduation?

As a teacher, would you pass a student that cheated on the final exam? Even if his heart is in the right place?"

I still struggle with this fear, I think it is a priority to be released. I think this fear hinders my ability to unleash my full radiance and service. However, ultimately, we cannot stop the upward journey and whether we graduate this time or not, its ok because we eventually will get there, no matter what!

Now given that we are here and due to the seniority of vibration for incarnation we have earned our right to be here because we are ready to be harvested if we so choose. If we are on this forum then its a pretty big certainty that we have made our choice of polarity.

Now one could label certain actions STO or STS but ultimately it is the purity of intention behind the action that counts. Being STO means that we recognize that All is One and what we do affects All and so we agree to work with and for and not against All. Actions (within the mind as thoughts and without in the material world) are themselves are only part of STO, being is the other.

I feel that moving more and more into the heart and becoming more unconditionally loving and forgiving while bringing wisdom to oneself through meditation will turn one into a radiant being who by their very being will be serving others. Just imagine the STO one such person would be doing, imagine the 360 degrees of omnidirectional waves of loving vibration being giving off the majority of the time from that person, washing over all others. With such a person, their actions, by their very nature of being a loving, radiant entity would be STO because that is where the entity is coming from.

So at least in my case I just have to let go of numbers and making the grade and just become the most loving and wise entity that I can because it feels right, it feels good, it brings myself and others joy and if that life allows me to graduate, awesome, if not, that's ok, I will still feel good about the life I led and with the headway I've made in this lifetime in conjunction with my previous lifetimes I will be in a great place to start serving others on whichever 3D planet I end up on.

[alchemikey]

hello everyone...all great examples so far

i feel like the very intention or thought to be of service is a service unto itself...when you live your life from the standpoint of looking for ways to be of service to others i feel like opportunities for service naturally present themselves and the more that i stay focused on asking myself how can i serve in whatever situation i am experiencing the faster those opportunites show up...like i literally attract service situations just through the intention to serve

peace,
mikey

[Monica]

I used to obsess over the 51% graduation requirement, I was fearful of polarizing STS or not making the grade but luckily I was given some wise thought:
"If your actions are motivated by fear and guilt, are any of them truly STO?"

and..

"Why do people cheat on exams? Fear of not "passing"?

When someone acts out of fear to achieve a desired goal, is this not just "cheating", even when it comes to graduation?

As a teacher, would you pass a student that cheated on the final exam? Even if his heart is in the right place?"

I still struggle with this fear, I think it is a priority to be released. I think this fear hinders my ability to unleash my full radiance and service. However, ultimately, we cannot stop the upward journey and whether we graduate this time or not, its ok because we eventually will get there, no matter what!

Now given that we are here and due to the seniority of vibration for incarnation we have earned our right to be here because we are ready to be harvested if we so choose. If we are on this forum then its a pretty big certainty that we have made our choice of polarity.

Now one could label certain actions STO or STS but ultimately it is the purity of intention behind the action that counts. Being STO means that we recognize that All is One and what we do affects All and so we agree to work with and for and not against All. Actions (within the mind as thoughts and without in the material world) are themselves are only part of STO, being is the other.

I feel that moving more and more into the heart and becoming more unconditionally loving and forgiving while bringing wisdom to oneself through meditation will turn one into a radiant being who by their very being will be serving others. Just imagine the STO one such person would be doing, imagine the 360 degrees of omnidirectional waves of loving vibration being giving off the majority of the time from that person, washing over all others. With such a person, their actions, by their very nature of being a loving, radiant entity would be STO because that is where the entity is coming from.

So at least in my case I just have to let go of numbers and making the grade and just become the most loving and wise entity that I can because it feels right, it feels good, it brings myself and others joy and if that life allows me to graduate, awesome, if not, that's ok, I will still feel good about the life I led and with the headway I've made in this lifetime in conjunction with my previous lifetimes I will be in a great place to start serving others on whichever 3D planet I end up on.

Travis, you are not alone! I think most of us have probably struggled with this at one time or another. Even those who believe in being 'saved' and going to 'heaven' struggle with whether they are actually 'saved' so it seems to be a very common concern.

I used to think (rather smugly) that being harvestable was sort of a given, since concern for others and the ability to forgive others usually came naturally for me. But then I read (re-read - how did I miss it the first time?) that loving SELF is also a requirement for harvestability!

Uh oh! Yikes! Forgiving others was relatively easy for me...but wait! You mean I have to also forgive MYSELF!?

Needless to say, I was very disconcerted!

Forgiving myself has always been extreeeeeeeemely difficult for me. I have always struggled with that alot.

Then, to make matters worse, I read in a later Q'uo session that the lower chakras must be balanced in order to have the heart chakra fully open.

Yikes again! I realized I had sort of bypassed some stuff to be loving towards others. And I had health issues which surely meant that there were energy blockages, right?

Suddenly, the world was spinning, and what I thought was a given turned out to not be so certain after all!

Add to that concerns about world events, and I actually thought maybe the Harvest had happened without me!

This happened about 10 years ago...and I struggled with issues of fear and abandonment for several years. This was way before I'd ever connected with any other students of the LOO, so I had no one to discuss my concerns with. I'd shared a lot of the teachings with my husband, and during the time I was going thru these fears, he thought I had just traded fear of hell for fear of not being harvested...neither of which was very healthy!

It was re-reading the books, and later Q'uo readings, that helped me finally let go (for the most part) of those fears. I realized that fear itself was the culprit. Those STS nasties had gotten a toehold, and they were so sneaky that I hadn't even noticed!

The LOO makes it very clear that each entity will end up where they are the most comfortable...and with plenty of love and support. Nothing at all like the religious views of being cast out/abandoned to a fiery place of eternal torture!

Remember, it is exceedingly difficult to be harvested STS. You'd have to really work at it! Q'uo even said that most of us here, by nature of the very fact that we ARE here studying the LOO, pretty much rules that out!

The STO 51% requirement gives us a lot of wiggle-room. I think it's quite generous, actually! Though I still contend that it's not actually in terms of actions being tallied (as in, add 4 acts of kindness versus 3 acts of selfishness, etc.) but is the closest to a numerical translation Ra could give, for something that might not be quite so mathematically tangible. How do crystallization and walking the Steps of Lights get translated into mathematical terms? I don't think it's quite that cut-and-dry.

That's not to say that we can just sit back and assume we've got it covered. We ARE here at a very special time in the Earth's evolution...and, as you said, we got here by seniority. That means we have the best chance of polarizing. So, it behooves us to really appreciate the fact that we are even here at all! Just think of all those souls who missed the chance to incarnate during this time! They are automatically stuck in 3D for the time being...

I think you have a good perspective about it...to let go of the fear and realize that wherever we end up, it's where we need to be.

I agree that intentions are very important. Remember that Hitler did not get harvested 4D negative because he was so confused? He had good intentions mixed in...he honestly thought he was serving his people. So look at this man, who most people think is the epitome of evil, and even he was actually mixed polarity! (Though his soul did end up having to undergo some intense healing...something about the personality disintegrating...).

Another thing that has helped me was the technique described in one of the Q'uo readings (which I am trying to find, so if anyone finds it, please let me know, ok?) in which negative emotions (fear, anger, etc.) are brought up into the heart, with the intention of transforming them into love.

This is a very powerful technique! I use it frequently. That, combined with the idea of looking for and finding the love in every situation...wow, they have helped me so much! That's what I love about the Q'uo readngs...they offer so much practical advice!

It sounds to me like you are doing great, Travis! Take a deep breath and give yourself a hug...

Namaste

[SJD]

Good posts!

For a wanderer, service to others--simply a desire to brighten one's day or assist in some manner, imo--can be natural and difficult at the same time.

Natural because of possibly many millions of years (in our terms) and several densities of harmonious experience where helping others and sharing and receiving love is the way of reality; difficult due to the often hostile, chaotic third-density environment that can be so uncomfortable for a wanderer.

Steve D.

[Monica]

Good posts!

For a wanderer, service to others--simply a desire to brighten one's day or assist in some manner, imo--can be natural and difficult at the same time.

Natural because of possibly many millions of years (in our terms) and several densities of harmonious experience where helping others and sharing and receiving love is the way of reality; difficult due to the often hostile, chaotic third-density environment that can be so uncomfortable for a wanderer.

Steve D.

Excellent point! Come to think of it, the biggest challenges I usually face have to do with that hostility...when they reject our efforts to be of service...to be able to remember we are ONE even then...that is the challenge. Being of service is easy...being loving and accepting when our service is refused is not so easy.

[SJD]

Being of service is easy...being loving and accepting when our service is refused is not so easy. DreamingPeace
-----------
Right back at'cha, excellent point.


Steve D.

[Luna]

Hello All,
I believe being in service to someone as performing Reiki on them, in person or long distance. I also believe in being kind and considerate to others, especially those I may dislike.

[ggw_bach]

being of service to me is about a positive contribution to the society around you. This could involve:

1) work: we are all required to participate in the economy in some way. Even though there is an involuntary aspect to this, just by going to work and helping the economic wheels turn is a contribution

2) family: by promoting a caring and loving environment, those around us will suffer less. This is a very tangible and real example of service to others

3) free time: we have 2-3 hours each day which we can allot to whatever task we choose. We can choose a certain self-indulgence (of which activities you can imagine yourself) or one can engage in learning and self-healing, self-development. This spiritual unfolding enables one to be a greater vessel for service to others when the time comes

4) being a figure of solace: many times in life you will come across individuals in a difficult period of their lives. Quite often, all they really need is a welcoming ear, someone to hear them out, and not judge. This patient listener is a role we can all play. Those on the receiving end will be most thankful!

5) radiating kindness and goodwill: once we reform ourselves, we can become a living example of grace and ascension. By demonstrating the lessons of wisdom, others will take heart and perhaps look to change themselves. We can serve by being a leader in example.

just a few of my thoughts

[Kris]

I think that one of the best ways to be of service to others is to truly love yourself because that love will reflect on others in a positive manner and to respect their free will.

I think one of the best ways I am of service to others is that I really listen to what people have to say.

[ayadew]

Smile to your other selves. Accept them.
Ask them how they are feeling, so many are alone these days. So many craves for someone to care, lost as they are in the sea of contradictory manipulation our current society creates.
Wish no single individual well, wish all well and include them there. Include yourself.

There is nothing to fear. Do not fear. Inspire others of this, in any way you want.
Explore free will.

But to Be yourself, that is the greatest thing you can do for others.

[fairyfarmgirl]

Loving my Self is being of service to all for all is one and all is reflected by the love of My Self... a tall order to do all the time given all of the toxicity we reside in... the challenge then is to ignore the toxic soup and all of its voices and listen to the Soul within... still a tall order LOL...

Also, when assisting others it is a challenge to know when you are being asked to assist and when they are just talking. This discernment is key to being in service to others... for some choose to challenge themselves and this is okay! Although I do have to say it is hard to watch them beat up themselves and still be accepting and supportive of their path... this is another key to being in service to others... to honor the other's path without seeking to fix it, fade it, or change it... LOL



fairyfarmgirl

[nshucet]

to me service to others is helping people with health and wellness. I believe that is my mission while i am here on earth. I currently am studying to become a naturopathic doctor and love to teach on nutrition and herbal therapy. To go even deeper on the subject though I believe in order to be in true service to others I need to do things for others that do not directly affect my ego. Such as helping someone that I do not get along with or helping someone that will have no knowledge of my help. The first step to me though is helping yourself. I figure the more happy I am the happier I can make others.

[Ali Quadir]

I'd suggest unconditional positive regard. An old term. But it means that whatever situation you're in, consider the other person to be something truly beautiful. Even if the interaction is unpleasant it's only an unpleasant interaction with a beautiful person.. Sometimes you need to search a bit to find the beauty. But it's usually there.

Smiles then will come naturally. And by just seeing someone's strengths and beauty you tend to bring it out in them. That's a service and not just to others.

Do not be worried. If you struggle with the idea of graduation. You struggle with the idea of not being good enough. If you were service to self oriented you would struggle with the idea of not getting enough. The fact that you're even capable of asking this question puts any doubt out of my mind... I believe you are good enough.

I'm thinking about this whole 51% thing and I'm confused about what it means. It's certainly not that only 51% will graduate. Because much more than half the people are essentially good people and Ra tells us we need to be 51% positive in ourselves not in relation to... You can see that most people succeed in this by just looking around and through the fears and prejudices, I believe most people would be good if they had the chance. The vast majority will ascend in those terms. But also if the vast majority of earths denizens suddenly become ascended masters. Something that already happens. You can see the public becoming more and more critical of the negativity in the world. And more and more organized to resist it. I'd expect this to drag people towards the positive even those originally not inclined to do so. Especially because certain spiritual traditions have this Bodhisattvean vow that says "I'm not going anywhere until all my brothers and sisters are free." So that would mean that the only way you're going to get away from 4d positive is by insisting. That's not any of you by a long shot.

Now I'm no expert, this is just my common sense interpretation and observations. Maybe combined with some positive regards. Just relax, enjoy the changes. Try to do the right thing and everything is going to be all right.

[C-JEAN]

Hi, all good persons ! Here are some more, for the **list**. B-)

Here are some of the things I have always been doing. And after discovering
"The Law of One" and "Divine cosmos" and "this forum", I'm glad I did those things:

1 = I like to fly with Flight Simulator. In there, we can modify & add sceneries.
I did it. I added some stuff around Montreal CYUL and St-Hubert airport CYHU, but,
BUT, I did not ask for any money, as many other$ do. . .

2 = I "play" with computers since the VIC-20 times. Remember C= Commodore?
I like to "play" and "fine tune" and "optimize" everything. So many persons around
me asked for help. I did it for MANY hours since the beginning, and always for free !

3= Some other stuff I surely forgot. . . B-)

Blue skies.

[Richard]

Hi Folks,

I'm a relative newcomer to Q'uo and LOO. Just discovered the parent site several months ago. I've been reading voraciously the Q'uo material. Started from 2008 and working backwards ( in 2004 now).

The LOO material (that I've read) I find highly esoteric. For some reason, it doesn't resonate with in the same manner as the Q'uo channelings do. But, perhaps it needs more study.

In any case, my path lead me to the L/L Research site and then to here. To me, being in service means becoming aware of the situations (and people) life takes you to on a daily basis. And being aware of the "free choice" to act in an STO manner...or not. Just taking that microsecond of..choice...

When I realized just how many choices a person is faced with in the "Now" moment..well, they are endless. Do I make the right choice each time? Hardly, but I do try to find the love in my daily tasks no matter how mundane. And if I backslide and act inappropriately in the heat of a moment..I go back over that scenario in my mind and try to see how I could of handled that better.

You can't take it back in many cases, but you can make yourself aware of the chance to act appropriately the next time a person or similar situation presents you with a choice.

Richard

[Travis]

I used to think (rather smugly) that being harvestable was sort of a given, since concern for others and the ability to forgive others usually came naturally for me. But then I read (re-read - how did I miss it the first time?) that loving SELF is also a requirement for harvestability!

Uh oh! Yikes! Forgiving others was relatively easy for me...but wait! You mean I have to also forgive MYSELF!?

Needless to say, I was very disconcerted!

Forgiving myself has always been extreeeeeeeemely difficult for me. I have always struggled with that alot.

How true this is indeed for myself. I too am able to forgive others and sometimes so easily to the point that it baffles people I know, but I also find it true that I am harshest on myself and being able to forgive (and wholly love) the self, every day even, is not easy.

It sounds to me like you are doing great, Travis! Take a deep breath and give yourself a hug...

Namaste

Thank you for the very kind words and for such an open, wonderful and reassuring reply

[micjer]

Smile to your other selves. Accept them.
Ask them how they are feeling, so many are alone these days. So many craves for someone to care, lost as they are in the sea of contradictory manipulation our current society creates.
Wish no single individual well, wish all well and include them there. Include yourself.

There is nothing to fear. Do not fear. Inspire others of this, in any way you want.
Explore free will.

But to Be yourself, that is the greatest thing you can do for others.

Very well said.

There are some wonderful posts on this thread.
I feel that by being a loving kind person and to be working on ones inner self are the most important things we can do.

We can all think of people that light up a room when they come into it. Large smile, shaking peoples' hands, laughing making everyone feel warm inside. Most don't realize that they are anything special, they are just being themselves.

The ultimate service to others would be a small lap dog that is taken into a retirement home. If you want to see people's faces light up.
The dog wags his tail, wants to give everyone kisses and expects nothing in return.

[kensanwa]

Being of Service to others means to become one-pointed so that the sacred line:
intent-->thoughts-->speech-->action
are all one. This is by no means an easy thing to accomplish, but the first step to doing so is to be present. Because our creative ability is always expressed in this order (action and speech are interchangeable), keeping your intentions fixed on loving others will ensure loving thoughts, which then ensures loving speech, which then ensures loving action, which then helps to bring about a more loving world.

Be well,
Kensanwa

[AppleSeed]

Yes, very much in the intent. Quo says somewhere, and in much better words, that once you give what it is you have to give, it is out of your hands, and you have to let it go. This is very much the case for a musical performance, and I would think for many actions where you give without knowing what's on the receiving end. When I go on stage to perform my intent is to brighten someone's day, but I have no way of controlling the outcome, other than trying not to suck. When I center myself in the heart and play straight out of there it makes my whole body sing, and the times I manage to do this seems to be when I get the most positive feedback.

Also: every moment is sacred. Everything we touch is a part of the one infinite creator, of us. Even the negativity and toxicity that we feel so acutely is part of the one, but there's no need to let it stick, just let it flow through, lovingly.

Sometimes the best service we can do is accepting help offered to us, with an open heart. This has been a tough one for me, and quite likely part of my special homework.

And hey: cleaning the bathroom. This can be made into a sacred act of glorifying the creator, but I would think that even if done grumpily it is an act of service... using non-toxic soap, of course.

[irpsit]

So,

1- Complimenting others on daily life. Smilling and accepting.
2- Listening to others and taking care of them
3- Charitable work (help people in difficulties or nature)
4- Being of service to others, in our jobs and activities.
5- Being of service to others, in our familiar or couple life (like doing laundry or dishes to other family members!)
6- Free time, spend it more in meditation or caring for others than our self-indulgence

I like to come up with jobs and professions, that are or can be really STO.
(Without harming nature)
These may include teachers, healers, surgeons, firemen, farmers, bakers, cleaning service, social service.
(But Hey! Apparently more self-activities like theatre or arts, are also important for our world beauty!)

This previous passage was really inspiring:

1) work: we are all required to participate in the economy in some way. Even though there is an involuntary aspect to this, just by going to work and helping the economic wheels turn is a contribution

2) family: by promoting a caring and loving environment, those around us will suffer less. This is a very tangible and real example of service to others

3) free time: we have 2-3 hours each day which we can allot to whatever task we choose. We can choose a certain self-indulgence (of which activities you can imagine yourself) or one can engage in learning and self-healing, self-development. This spiritual unfolding enables one to be a greater vessel for service to others when the time comes

4) being a figure of solace: many times in life you will come across individuals in a difficult period of their lives. Quite often, all they really need is a welcoming ear, someone to hear them out, and not judge. This patient listener is a role we can all play. Those on the receiving end will be most thankful!

5) radiating kindness and goodwill: once we reform ourselves, we can become a living example of grace and ascension. By demonstrating the lessons of wisdom, others will take heart and perhaps look to change themselves. We can serve by being a leader in example.

[ayadew]

2- Listening to others and taking care of them

I feel that these days, there is much pressure on that one must express oneself. With all the blogs, ability to post your thoughts on forums with very easy access, call others when you feel the need, etc. There is a powerful crave to be accepted and noticed, where the 'successful' people are extremely exposed to others through media and makes others feel inferior.

There isn't much encouragement to really listen to others, to be quiet and just understand and give support. I believe doing this is a great way of service today.

[Koolaid]

Telling the truth, even if the result is painful.
Giving something to someone who needs it more than you.
Or better yet, giving something to someone who needs it less than you.
Compassion, forgiveness, acceptance, all those synonymous words.

I'm not very good at any of those things though.

[ubergud]

If we humbly accept ourselves as perfect, then simply being IS being in service. Breathing, experiencing, loving ...

[sylverone]

If we humbly accept ourselves as perfect, then simply being IS being in service. Breathing, experiencing, loving ...

Allow me to try and take this one step further (for the excercise ;D); we need not even be humble, I think.

Ultimately, all that exists is One, correct? ...and this perfect state of unity is also the perfect STO, correct? Service to All - Self and Others as One and the Same (hehe, SA-SOOS!). If these things are true, then it seems naturally that the simple act of existing is STO! At the ultimate, unified level of things even STO and STS become one and the same. If so, the only way to NOT be STO is to not exist, but without existence, there is no Self, and therefore no STS, either.

The low-level reason for this, if we don't look at it from the Unity perspective, is that by simply existing, we provide a learning experience for others, completely regardless of whether we are selfish or selfless. This is a perfect STO act regardless of our intentions.

Maybe we need to add a new category: STN - Service To No-one
The only act that would fit this category would be to intentionally cease to exist, which is no different from never existing at all.


So, my condensed answer: To be is to be in service.

[shukaido]

So many great ideas shared here. The first perhaps 'funny' thing that came to mind when I asked myself the question, 'what is being of service' is:

Don't worry your mother.

These words were written on what I thought at the time to be a random scrap of paper that I noticed on the ground and picked up as I went for a midnight / early morning walk after climbing out of a 2-story window on a bed sheet after locking myself in a 100 degree heated room for three days without food and, if I remember correctly, little water. This simple thought struck me like a board. To expand upon this idea, I now think in terms of how my personal health, and moreover, my intentions and actions will affect the subtle environment that informs the physical, those around me, those that care about me, and those who want for my learning and growing, and my understanding of the choices that I've made. I was once terrible at 'taking care of me.' Preparing and gathering food, for instance, seemed such a chore. It seemed 'a waste of time.' I would spend my last dollar or 'put myself out' knowing full well that something will always happen to catch me, or carry me through. This behavior may have made complete sense to me, but it caused worry or concern, sometimes even on a subconscious level, within those who 'know' me and sensed that 'something was a little off.' This strange way of smiling that I was inadvertently passing to people was being passed on as distraction, and uncertainty, and discomfort. Disharmony. My awareness now is that the 'smile' or 'good word' I give to someone is, in some great or small way, passed on. This awareness, this care for myself and therefore care for those around me, this offering of a smile, the acknowledgment to complete strangers that I see them, that I see the Creator within them, in many ways concerns my intention to be of service.

Praying. Prayer to Jesus Christ, prayer to the Father, prayer to the Almighty and Merciful One, prayer to angels, celestial beings and entities for continued protection, for understanding, for guidance . . . meditative prayer, and a sense of thankfulness for the gifts and blessings bestowed upon me, and prayer for opportunities, the understanding, and the tools those oppressed by darkness may need to free themselves and make their own choices without influence of any kind greatly concerns my intention to be of service.

Effective discernment. The sensible offering of my 'help' when it is requested, and the awareness that although it may very well seem as if my help is urgently needed, it may definitely not be wanted. The daily practice of effective discernment concerns my intention to be of service.

Seeing the Creator in all persons and in all situations most certainly concerns my intention to be of service. I strive not for an indifferent moment. If I'm not seeing the Creator in every moment, in the eyes of people, young and old, I come into daily and passing contact with, then I'm not looking hard enough. The idea of 'boredom' to me is one of a lowering of vibration and that of my field. The conscious raising my vibration and with hope that of those around me is how I am best, at this time, at being of service.

[fairyfarmgirl]

A service to others for my learning right now is letting go so that I go forward... calling mySelf home.

fairyfarmgirl