Doing selfless service opens the heart. Selfless service or seva as it’s called in Sanskrit, means helping another without consideration for reward, gratitude or any return. It’s done purely for the joy of offering energy and time to someone else.

Small acts of service to others can change our lives and the lives of others. Though serving a meal to someone in need or buying books and school supplies may seem like small gestures to you, if done in a good spirit, it can transform both the one who gives and the one who receives.

Often caught up in the many things that demand attention, we close part of ourselves to the bigger world. The mental activity takes over and all becomes intellectualized, mediatized, sanitized and cerebral. But outside the confines of the borders of our daily lives neighbors need help; family members may need a hand and others may reach out unexpectedly. Sometimes it feels easier to help strangers than to serve those close to us. But putting energy into being a good father or mother and doing one’s duty at work all become acts of service when done in a conscious spirit and offered to the Divine.

Connecting with the elderly or hospice patients is a way that brings joy to me. Spending time with them, listening to their stories and sharing laughs is fulfilling and satisfying for me. I often think I get more out of it than they do. Serving in soup kitchens is also a profound experience and one where a smile and a warm meal can make a huge difference to the woman standing on the other side of the counter.

There’s something deeply moving when we connect with others who truly need it. The seva may be as small as opening a door for an elderly woman or as big as saving someone’s life. The Divine recognizes the energy of love in each act.

Offer the fruits of the service to the Divine. In this way it returns to its source and doesn’t feed the ego. God is the giver, the gift and the one who receives. Ultimately all is one.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life. A visionary and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices at the Sophia Institute and other venues in the U.S. and Europe. Her mind/body/spirit articles, essays and stories appear in publications around the globe and were broadcast by BBC World Services Radio. She has spent over fifteen years practicing meditation, working with dreams and doing spiritual practices. Visit her online at http://www.awakeintheworld.com.