In a world where it’s human nature to think more about ourselves than anyone else, what tools do you use to redirect your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve others?”
As I listened to a study the other day, one of the researcher’s questions got me thinking. She said, “Everything has changed to being all about ourselves. How do you protect yourself from becoming self-absorbed?” As the day went on, I spent a lot of time thinking about that question as well as how different things are today.
We now live in a world that’s moved from a coffee pot to a k-cup that turns out exactly how we want it; again, all about me. We’re in a time where people aren’t taking photos to preserve memories anymore. Instead, they’re taking selfies alone and once they take the selfie, by themselves, they edit it to their exact liking before posting it to see how many other people will “Like” it.
The trouble about this mindset is it’s challenging to overcome now that it’s the new societal norm – so what’s the solution? In my mind, one of the first steps to redirecting your thinking is to work on shifting your perspective and focus. I accomplish this by using a gratitude journal which is simple yet allows me to reflect on what I have in life and what’s going well rather than what’s lacking. I’m then able to appreciate others in my life and focus on how I can pour into them what they’ve poured into me.
As I got more comfortable with my gratitude journal, I started experimenting with taking it one step further. Not only do I write what I’m grateful for, I also write what I gave to others with generosity in my heart. I’ve been sharing this next step with people in my life for some time now and they’ve benefited from it, too. It’s been helping them bring awareness to how they’re giving back and the positive impact they’re making in the lives of others each day.
Through this practice, I know which days I’m serving someone else whether it’s simple or significant. To me, a giving spirit is a happy spirit and I love nothing more than being happy! When we focus less on ourselves and more on making a difference in the lives of others, the happier I believe we are.
This week, I encourage you to mindfully redirect your thinking from, “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I serve others?” through at least one generous act of service for someone else each day whether it be big or small!
What does living your exceptional life look like to you?
What generous acts of service will you perform for others this week?
How do you protect yourself from becoming self-absorbed?
How often do you mindfully practice gratitude and reflecting on your service to others? How do you do it?
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