When you serve others with your time, talents, and expertise, you experience the joy of witnessing them grow, in addition to several other benefits.
Serving others keeps you grounded.
It’s so easy to get caught up in your own drama and to feel like your problems are the only ones that matter. However, this is rarely the case. Serving others might give you an opportunity to realize how small your current personal problems are. In listening to someone else’s pain points, you might also hear a helpful new way to approach your issue. Active listening shows you care. Lean in, and:
- Make good eye contact.
- Minimize distractions (phone down).
- Withhold judgement and have an open mind.
- Reflect back by summarizing what you heard. This will ensure you understand their issues accurately.
- Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions to learn more and demonstrate your engagement.
This process of listening and contemplating creative solutions is a great way to bring yourself down from thinking your issues are larger than life. So, lend a hand, lend an ear, and lend your expertise.
Serving others is a good use of time.
If you’re ever wondering what to do with your day, serving others is a great investment of your time. Turn off the TV, shut down the computer, and reach out to someone who you know is struggling. A day, an hour, or even a few minutes making someone feel heard is time well spent. Listening to people’s problems helps them work through their issues. Offering advice based on your experience can prevent them from repeating your mistakes. Connecting with others is an opportunity to laugh, create inside jokes, and make a new friend. Even if you don’t have advice to offer, just listening can strengthen your friendship and make the other person feel empowered and respected.
Find happiness in serving others.
The next time a coworker, colleague, or friend asks for help—serve them by giving them your greatest asset, your time and attention. This process may be tiring, so allow space in your day to relax and regroup after your conversation. Just like a fulfilling workout that feels exhausting at the time but leaves you feeling strong, healthy, and happy—serving others is a wonderful investment of your time and talents.
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of service, learn ways you can become more coachable, here.
