How Service Can Change Your Life

Hey, how you doing? Nick from Cadre here. It's great to see you. Wanted to talk a little bit about service to others. And, you know, there's a famous writer named James Joyce, wrote a book called the portrait of an artist of a young man. And, you know, he talked about non surveillance, where it was about not being a service and kind of following, you know, your. Your artistry. And I'm probably butchering that, that theory a little bit, but it's something that's always, you know, stuck with me. And, you know, throughout my early twenties, I was, you know, really seeking that artistic life and that artistic expression.

And I was simultaneously struggling a lot with, you know, mental illness and addiction. And as soon as I kind of discovered the recovery process and the healing, this idea of service to others came to the forefront immediately and has become a major theme in my life, the service of others. And that's not to say, a, that I do it perfectly, b, that I don't live in a lot of self centeredness a lot of the time. It's like the living from the heart. It's a, it's a practice, you know, and because it seems like on the spiritual path, we're always remembering something we need to know.

We're always forgetting it then. And there seems to be something with this one day at a time thing, this daily, you know, kind of thing and reminder. And if we're walking this path and we're, you know, kind of doing some things and we're communicating with others and we're staying connected in whatever way that is, then we're going to open ourselves up to the path that we're supposed to be walking on. And it seems like the service to others, a, keeps me on that path, and b, keeps me out of the mind and into the heart, into the language of the heart.

Or if I'm using my mind, then I'm using it more effectively because I'm thinking about, you know, ways to help others when I walk in a room thinking, what can I give instead of what can I take? And that's not my, you know, inherent first thought oftentimes, like, my first thought is not to. Is sometimes often fearful, often negative, often judging. Often I'm less than. I'm more than whatever it may be, that separation that, you know, edging got out. And I had a friend say the other day, you know, reach for a better thought, and what a great metaphor.

And we don't need to live in those. Those thoughts for as long as we typically do. Certainly as long as I typically do to live in that fearful thought. And it can be a groove of fear that gets kind of set in our mind, and it can be tough, you know, to get out of those fears. I have a lot of different recurring anxieties and fears and you know, what? But over a long period of time, a lot of them get, you know, taken away. I have some books about quitting smoking here, and, you know, I smoked for a long time, and I smoked, you know, sometimes two, three packs a day, and I sucked them down on my toes.

It was a painful experience, but I, you know, and I didn't, I know if I would ever be able to quit, but I kept on asking people, how did you quit? And I got different books and different things, and I tried this and I tried vaping and I tried the gum, and, you know, eventually, I just went cold turkey and, you know, used the power of prayer and others and all kinds of things. And I don't even like to talk about it that much because it did feel like a, a miracle that I, you know, was, was taken away from me in some way.

But I really did. I really identified that this was a thing that was holding me back. And I asked, and it was taken away. And they say, ask and you shall receive. And that was, you know, what happened. So I don't know how I've gotten from service to others to, you know, quitting smoking, but this theory of, you know, what can I give is so much more empowering than what can I take? And this past week, I had different fears and worries coming up with money and projects and decisions and all this kind of thing.

And on a Saturday, I oftentimes try to relax. In the morning. I don't check my phone as much, and I go for a walk and I do a little yoga and I do some writing, and I get this distance from, you know, some of these more pressing everyday issues. And it's really a joyful thing. And oftentimes I wish I could live in that all the time, but I want to be a part of the world, too. And with, with that comes, you know, stress. It's the yin and the yang. But if I'm keeping that service to others in mind first, then I am more likely, basically, to have a good result.

And that sounds a little scientific, and I'm not, don't consider myself very scientific or mathematic, but that, to me, does seem to be like a one plus one equals two type thing. Give service to others, feel better, live a better life, and have more fun, you know, so, yeah, that's a few thoughts that service tell us. Hope you have a good one. Catch you on the flip side.