It has been said that some people come into your life for a reason, some a season, and others a lifetime. To that I would add, all of these scenarios can change one life and make it special -- our life, when the intention is rooted in love and displayed through kindness.
At its heart, one word conjures up such a notion: service.
So why is service so powerful? On an intuitive level, all of the following experiences come to mind. Service creates opportunities for the powerful force of caring for others to stay in full bloom. Service provides a healthy dosage of "feel good" chemicals to ignite the spirit. Service provides opportunities to walk in someone else's shoes. At its core, I believe, service demonstrates that all contribution to society matters, especially when we consciously and consistently choose to engage in it.
The truth is that being in service is a gift always available to each of us. When we look for accounts of it, we get to witness it wherever we go, because we are the source of it. It goes where we go because we embody such qualities.
Thus, there is a multitude of ways to serve in everyday life. It can be as simple as holding an elevator door, picking a friend up, or paying someone a compliment, to more subtle ways like seeing the good in people, active listening, and not passing judgment.
There are also many opportunities to serve by participating in a cause, charity event, or non-profit. Recently, through a USC Charity event, I helped package individual grooming and care bags for Mercy House, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of homelessness. What I valued most was including our own handwritten notes to help address not only external needs, but also tend to healing hearts by communicating that someone cares.
Yes, someone cares. This is such a powerful message and I was lucky enough to discover a local soup kitchen called Someone Cares that is dedicated to helping people not just on holidays but throughout the year. I happily organized a small group to collect various donated goods to feed and care for those in need.
All small gestures on my part... I know. But over the course of a lifetime, coupled with hundreds of thousands of people collectively doing the same, small acts of kindness can have a reverberating affect that can change our world once a certain tipping point is achieved. Can you imagine a world where thousands more did the same? What would our possible future be like?
I know it is trite, but good things do come in small packages, when they are wrapped in pure intentions and tied in love. For it is in giving that we receive, and service to others truly can transform the hearts of those in action. Take action and let someone know you care. Do not underestimate the power of such simple acts of kindness.