Almost everything in modern life has become about give and take. Our existence has become rather transactional, where we expect something back in return for everything we do, and anything which doesn’t follow that pattern seems absurd. As we seem to be mired in this transactional web of creating more and more Karma, a major pattern interrupt is needed to help us reset, rejuvenate and free ourselves from this illusory web. Enter Seva, or service, where you volunteer or help with no expectation of getting anything back in return, not even a ‘Thank You’!
Personal identities and professional identities
A largely economics-driven ecosystem means that we identify very deeply with our work and for a lot of us, it's what defines us. Our personal identities become fused with our professional identities, so much so that we even let work bleed into our personal space through our phones and watches. Stress accumulates from having to constantly strategise and before you know it, it becomes hard to spend time with yourself, without a background process in your mind, that’s always trying to solve a seemingly important problem.
A lot of this can be attributed to the fact that our horizons are largely personal, or at most encompass our family. We often subconsciously ignore the larger social or community perspective, fearing the additional burden it will bring. It may seem counterintuitive but it's quite the opposite. As your horizon expands, you are able to put those problems that seem like mountains in perspective, because you get a true sense of the types of problems that your fellow citizens are grappling with. Suddenly that burning desire for a luxury car fades away in the face of far more pertinent challenges like where the next meal will come from.
Taking on social responsibility
In fact, taking on more social responsibility also attracts abundance. The universe has a plan for each one of its creations, and when you become a link in that chain through Seva, you become part of the universe’s grand plan. And it becomes natural for you to encounter abundance, both material and spiritual, although that shouldn’t be what drives this desire for service.
Choosing a cause and dedicating a portion of your time to it not just lessens your own burden, but more importantly you start seeing the unadulterated happiness that comes from being able to help another human being. Having no expectations in return for your kind deed is an incredibly liberating experience. It is that pattern interrupt that breaks your voracious appetite for constantly seeking material validation of everything that you do. And in due course, you realise that you are free, in fact you’ve always been free, all that was needed to realise it was wearing your identity a little more loosely than you did!
