When we give of ourselves, without expectation, we live in the power of service.  Service is sharing our experience, strength and hope with another.  It is allowing our pain, regret or joy to be shared with another to give them hope. Hope that no matter how dark it seems now, we have been there too and it gets better.  To see joy in our life as an example that joy is possible.  To see our vulnerability and have courage they too can be vulnerable.

The power of service, is a mighty antidote against loneliness.  When we are willing to give those parts of ourselves, those messy parts filled with our mistakes and pains, then we allow our experience to benefit others.

How can we know what it means to feel loved unless we have been so hurt, so broken or so destitute that we were forced to allow others to help us.  Those times in our lives, showed us the best in others.  They reminded us we are not alone.  Someone gave us a kind smile or a shoulder to cry on, in the midst of our painful loss, and it made a difference.

When we suffer deep loss, the death of a loved one, the destruction of something we’ve built, a poor financial decision or a turn in our health, these are the moments in life when we often let our guard down the most.  These are the moments in life, when we allow others to be there for us in the power of service.

What can happen, when we pull it all back together, is we often forgot the pain.  We close up those vulnerable spots. We may rely too heavily on self-reliance.  The walls that were torn down by need, are slowly built back up. Those walls close us off from connection and that leads to a sense of deep loneliness.

When we revisit those experiences and share them with another; we keep those walls down.  We remember to be thankful for how far we’ve come.  We remember the kindness of others who showed us love, when we didn’t love ourselves very much.  It gives us connection and purpose.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso