Embarking on the journey of self-discovery is one of the most adventurous and gratifying experiences one can have. Anyone who sets out to explore themselves understands their life’s purpose and analyzes the hidden strengths and weaknesses within. Many believe that the journey of finding oneself centers around the terms me and I. However, the quote “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” presents a different path to discovering your authentic self.
Where The Quote Comes From
The quote is commonly associated with Mahatma Gandhi –an Indian lawyer, writer, and famous fighter against British rule for India`s independence. He dedicated his life to fighting against the unjust British rule in order to free Indians from their clutches. Gandhi was also an adamant believer in serving humanity without the barriers of religion, caste, or creed.
“I am endeavoring to see God through service of humanity, for I know that God is neither in heaven nor down below, but in everyone
Gandhi
Throughout his life, he preached in his sermons and books about helping others without discrimination. However, the aforementioned quote does not seem to exist in any of Gandhi’s 36 books.
Who Was Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the youngest child of his parents. His father, Karamchand Gandhi, was the Chief Minister of Porbandar. Meanwhile, his mother, Putlibai, was a housewife and devoted worshipper. She spent half her time in the temple and also looked after sick family members and friends.
Putlibai’s lifestyle of worshipping, serving others and having no desire for worldly wealth greatly influenced Gandhi. From a very tender age, he had learned the important lesson of helping those in need and going above and beyond to ease their hardships.
The injustice towards Indians in South Africa and the Subcontinent ignited a fire inside Gandhi`s heart, strengthening him in the process and giving him courage to stand against oppression. His bravery led him to challenge the political landscape of his motherland, India, without getting violent or spreading extremism. Due to his peace-loving nature and attitude, he was nominated 5 times for Nobel Peace Prize.
He is remembered as “Mahatma” – a person regarded with reverence or loving respect; a holy person or sage.
What is The Meaning of The Quote?
Selfishness and ego may delude us into believing that concentrating on ourselves will bring immense happiness. At first, these vices are subtle and can influence anyone to focus only on themselves and labeling it as self-love. But, the line between self-centeredness and self-love is delicate and inconspicuous.
When people only think about themselves and the things they want, they gradually overlook the needs of others around them. Consequently, they become the prisoner of their desires which starts to control them and slowly empties their heart of empathy, love, and kindness.
“Selfishness is the root and source of all natural and moral evils.
Nathaniel Emmons
A selfish individual has a sole life purpose to keep themselves content and have whatever their soul desires. Such a person never finds eternal happiness. They believe that getting what they want or acquiring the things they love will make them ecstatic and fulfilled. However, their contentment is short-lived and always dependents upon worldly goods.
But, if one learns to think about others and sacrifices their wants for them, they will master their conscience and tame their never-ending desires. Besides, easing someone’s problems brings the enigmatic joy that you can never experience from pursuing your own happiness. Serving others rewards us with freedom from evil vices of selfishness and inflated ego. Furthermore, we ripen the virtues of courage, generosity, and justice. Without the spirit of sacrifice and helping others, we can never benefit from these virtues.
What Happens When You Serve Others?
Investing your time, energy, or money into helping someone never goes to waste. Giving a small chunk of your time or money to someone in need brings great rewards to your life.
Here’s a list of rewards that you reap by helping others.
- It Increases Gratitude
- It Brings you Joy
- You Become More Resilient
- You Make Unforgettable Relationships
The modern era has robbed us of the time to reflect on how much we already have and be grateful for it. We take many precious things and relationships in our life for granted without realizing their worth. But once we serve people in need or volunteer for a good cause, we learn how truly blessed we are to be in a position to help others.
Loving and treating yourself with good things is pleasurable. But it is incomparable to what we feel when we help others. Ending the suffering for even a single person by easing their hardships brings an indescribable joy. This beautiful yet unfathomable feeling makes us forget about our worries and personal battles.
Someone engrossed in themselves finds it hard to keep calm in face of adversity. Upon encountering even the slightest inconvenience, they panic and want all their troubles to instantly go away. On the other hand, a person who helps others, is aware of how ugly and rough life can be for some. Thus, instead of sulking in times of calamity, they remain optimistic and figure out a way to help themselves.
We never forget 2 types of people in our difficult times:
• The ones who helped us.
• The ones who we counted but they didn’t show up.
When we help someone, we become an eternal part of their memories and their heart. They always remember us fondly and wish us success in every walk of life.
What’s The Best Way To Help Others?
There are 3 basic principles to helping others:
- Do It Without The Need For Reward Or Appreciation
- Do not exploit those in need for your own benefit
- Do Not Compromise On Your Needs
The first principle of helping someone is to do it without expecting any reward or appreciation. People feel elated when they are praised for their good deeds. However, helping others should be a selfless act. You shouldn’t expect anything in return.
You do not need to constantly remind to people in need that you are supporting them. Always be considerate about the self-respect of others. Never publicize somebody’s problem or make them feel the misfortunes that befell them are due to their own mistakes.
Have you ever seen an ill doctor treating others? Or a dry tree bearing fruits? In order to help and uplift people around us, we must also take care of ourselves. Sacrificing our needs will deprive us of the position to be there for others.