Simple Secret to Life: Serving Others

Of all of the possible skills, strengths and strategies you can apply to become a world-changing leader, if you don’t include this one, I assure you that you’re going to end up feeling hollow, empty, and unfulfilled.

This simple secret is the most important, high-impact strategy on your professional career, your personal life, and your spirit. If you embrace this strategy, the world will be opened up to you; you’ll be brought to tears; and your horizons will be expanded beyond anything that you’ve ever experienced. It all comes down to this: Service is a Calling.

Note: this article is an excerpt from my audio program, REVEALED! 8 Mission-Tested Strategies for Success in Life & Leadership. (Available for purchase soon.)

Bear with me for a second! Don’t tune out just yet. I know this might feel a little bit airy fairy and little squishy to you, but this is going to bring so much reward to you that people are going to be attracted to you like a magnet. They’re going to support you, and they’re going to help drive you towards the success and life of significance that you’re seeking.

Something powerful happens in the universe when we put our own agenda aside for a moment, and simply help someone else. Something shifts in our soul when we serve, and we begin to look at ourselves differently. When we look at ourselves differently, we look at the world differently. There’s something powerfully intimate about acts of service when we’re not expecting anything in return.

The great news about serving others is that you don’t have to re-enlist in the military; or stop wearing designer clothes; or stop drinking your favorite expensive coffee drinks. I’m not expecting you to sell your belongings and move to India to work with the poor. Serving others is really quite easy.

If you’ve never done something for someone else expecting nothing in return, then I encourage you to do so within the next twenty-four hours.

Take that first step.

How to begin serving others

What I’m suggesting is that when you pull up to the grocery store the next time, or you’re boarding a plane and you see someone struggling with their bags, help them out. When you see someone approaching the elevator, hold the door open for them. When it’s a busy day on the freeway and you seeing someone frantically trying to cut into traffic, let them in rather than fighting for those few inches on the road. I’m asking you to give a pint of blood once in a while. I’m asking you to tutor a child who is struggling with their math homework.

I’m asking you to just do small things, because I’ll guarantee you this: if you’ve never given your time and heart expecting nothing in return, you’re missing out on one of the most significant levels of joy and intimacy that you’ll ever experience in life.

I can hear some of you asking, “Okay Larry, what does all this have to do with me reaching my own success?” Well, you’ve heard it over and over again from me: no one reaches significant or sustainable success by themselves; it just doesn’t happen. When you serve other people, the universe rewards you and the world opens up to you. People are attracted to you, and they want to help you reach your own goals.

So, what do you have to do? You have to take rapid action. You can’t sit around and dream of some big plan to change the world. You can’t contemplate on flowery ideas and hope that someday they’re going to come to fruition, because it’s not going to happen. You’ve got to take small, consistent action steps.

I challenge you to seven days of service. Do one small act of service for someone else for seven days straight, and see what happens in your own life. Keep it simple, start small, and smile a lot.

Here’s to your success. Now, go do something significant today….go get ‘em!

What ideas do you have on small acts of service you can do in the next 24 hours? What acts have you done recently that have brought a smile to someone else’s face? How has your life been impacted by serving others? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments below.