Daily Divine: Being in Seva (Service)

After one too many Black Friday Sales, the Grinch ended up with his heart two sizes too small.

Luckily, you don’t have to.

Because even Mr. Grinch… the mean one, the one as cuddly as a cactus… was able to change.

Even Grinch, during the holidays, was able to open his heart—so big that it busted right out of his chest.

The secret? He started giving.

He started practicing seva, or service to others—and in the end, he returned the tree, the toys, why… even the roast beast to all the lovely Who’s of Whoville, as they sang their Who song.

Ahhh…..

As you’ll notice, the reason for the Grinch’s new raison d’ etre was the same reason that Santa is always so jolly—he spends his time, every single day of the year, 24/7 directing the elves to make gifts for other people.

Nope, you won’t find Santa skulking around Black Friday sales, hoping to beat out everyone else for the best deals. Instead, he concentrates on giving all year round. It’s that giving that puts those merry dimples in his cheeks!

We sometimes forget that the joy is in the giving—not the getting.

That joy—connection and love combined—is its own feeling, separate entirely from material possessions, having and hoarding of “stuff”.

Joy comes from seva (service) to others
And right now, you still have time to bring some of this joy into your own holiday, by planning some acts of seva (or service) before the New Year’s ball drops.

When we give to others, we give to our selves.

From a spiritual perspective, seva, or the act of service to others, works because we are all One. When we tend to the least of us, we tend to the all of us. When we bestow gifts, friendship or help to another, this is the same as bestowing it upon ourselves.

None of us are separate. Seva or service allows us to give freely from our selves, and in doing so, we become aware of our infinite and endless connection as souls.

The Grinch busts the myth of scarcity
“But I don’t have enough for myself,” you might say. “I’m struggling to make it as it is.”

The Grinch busted through this myth, by understanding that abundance—true abundance—is not found in material STUFF, but in the opening of our hearts into compassion, connection and love.

Seva, or being of service to those you love, those you don’t even know—and even those you might not be too fond of…. well, it opens your heart. On an energetic and spiritual level, there’s nothing quite like it.

This season, be a Grinch. Not the dour, miserable version. But the the tree-hustling, roast beast carting, present returning Grinch of your true heart. Give to someone you know, someone you don’t know, even someone you don’t like. 

Notice how your heart busts right out of your body.

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