Offering service to someone around us is a great way to change your mood from bad to great, learn to do something new, make someone else feel special, and make the world a brighter place. One of my (many) New Year’s Resolutions is to offer more service to those I can.
Before we get too deep into this, let’s describe what Service it’s actually because various people have given me different definitions. Service, by my own definition, is offering your time, talent, or money to someone in need. without expecting anything in return. There are so many ways service can be done without spending money, but monetary donations help when you have additional funds to part with. There are hundreds of thousands of ways that anyone can serve others.
My children have walked dogs, helped set up or break down an activity, taught someone else how to do a form of karate, given someone a hug who really needed it, babysitting for someone who just needs a break, gardening for people seniors who can’t do that any longer, drawing pictures to cheer someone up, and baking cookies for someone ‘just because’, just to start. I have had the opportunity to cook meals and cookies for someone who needs to cheer up; write cute notes, cards, and emails to brighten someone’s day; donated money to a good cause; offered to take someone; offered free tutoring services; I am currently a University of Phoenix Alumni Mentor; and I serve on the Boy Scouts of America council for my church.
No matter what your talent is, you can use it to provide a service to someone else who needs it for whatever reason. Teaching, advising, giving…these are all ways that service can be performed. This year I have decided to do each of the following at least once this year:
- Bake cookies or a meal for someone.
- Teach someone something new (i.e. how to use MS Office, how to cook something new, how to organize, how to balance a checkbook, etc.)
- Write someone a note or email to brighten their day.
- Offer to take someone
- Mentor someone on their schoolwork
- Help clean my church building.
- Help at least one stranger with something they need
- Organize a blood drive (since I can’t donate blood)
- Sew a blanket for someone.
- Let someone walk past me in line at the store.
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list of the service that I will offer (or at least try) this year, but I think it’s a good start. As you can see, the service can take a short time or a long time and does not necessarily have to include giving someone money. Simply doing something nice for someone can help brighten their day.
Also, encouraging children (toddlers and teens) to perform acts of service is a great way to boost their self-esteem, show them how to selflessly help others, and sets them on the right track to continue doing good deeds for years to come. I like it.
