The Practice of Service
By Silas Rose
This is the third and final module of the free ecourse Connecting During Covid: 3 practices to fill your love bucket in a pandemic. To find out more about this course or join head over to the course overview page
Week 2 practice and homework
In the practice of solitude we focused on our most primary relationship; the one we have with ourselves. By reducing distractions and allowing time and space to feel alone, the experience of loneliness naturally transforms into a feeling of contentment and peace.
Gently opening to ourselves we become more open to others as well. In module 2 the practice of community we learned a genuine way to create connection and bring people together to share from the heart.
Hopefully if you have done the homework you are starting realize that your love bucket is a lot fuller than you originally thought. Even if nothing has changed in your relationships the perception of love grows because love is verb.
The more love we give the more we get.
No matter how hopeless or lonely we might feel at times, there is always something we can give. The practice of service inverts the logic of scarcity that causes us to retract into ourselves like a turtle.
Everyone has a unique gift or passion to offer others. It doesn’t have to change the world, but it should make you smile. The following exercise will help you to get clear on what that gift is.
Free the love free association
1 Start with a short period of the practice of solitude from module 1 to clear your mind.
2 Set a timer for 10 minutes and sit down in front of a blank piece of paper in a place free from distraction. Write at the top of the page the question “What am I am passionate about offering…”.
3 Start the timer and write the first thing that comes to mind, without editing or censoring what comes up. The key to free association is to keep writing for the full 10 minutes, even if it doesn’t make sense or you are just repeating yourself.
4 Like returning to the breath during meditation, if you get stuck, simply reflect on the question “what am I passionate about offering?” The deeper passions will surface after the first 5 minutes, so keep writing for the full 10 minutes\
5 Another option is to work in a dyad with a friend. Your partner should ask you the question “What are you passionate about offering?” After your answer the question is repeated. Continue in this way of 10 minutes. Record the session on your phone so you can review it later.
6 Review what you have written or shared. Make note of any repeating words, values, or phrases.
7 On a fresh piece of paper write the at the top the most repeated word, value or phrase. Spend 5 minutes brainstorming how you can offer this as a gift to others.
Bonus points – Share what you have discovered with a friend or family member and take one action to making it a reality.
You don’t need to change careers or spend countless hours volunteering to have a positive impact. Giving is its own reward because it connects us to others in a very personal way.
