HEART, MIGHT, MIND AND STREGTH

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, and The National Day of Service. . . and by means of honoring the historic call to service by our soon-to-be President Obama (Yay!), I am posting today my own challenge to you to live your life in service! Share with us here on the blog how you are going to be giving service today (or this week or year!)
It can be something tiny, it can be something huge. . . and if you haven't already planned something, it can be spontaneous!

As my way of being a part of this historic day, I am committing to an ongoing act of service without an end date. I was inspired by something I observed while living in Japan.

Every Sunday morning when I would get up (at the crack of dawn) and head out to church, I would see these cute elderly people all along the road on my way to the train. They carried plastic bags, wore gloves and smiled and chatted as they worked. We called them the Sunday fairies! They picked up trash, recycled, swept up leaves, and brightened the day for everyone!

So, I have decided to pick up trash in the park across the street from my apartment. And I commit to doing this once a week.
If we all join together and pick up a little trash, our whole world could be just a little bit nicer!

Now, I challenge you to lose yourself in service today!
To help you out, here are a few ideas gleaned Seth Godin's Blog:

Here are some ideas that you can do online or in your community, with time, not so much with money.

1. Read a copy of the Lorax to a child that's never heard it.
2. Teach someone how to sell their services on Craigslist, or how to use the web to find a job.
3. Go through your house and find beloved books that you're glad you read... and give them to the library.
4. Create and promote an online petition for a cause you care about.
5. Make a video that teaches people how to do better in a job interview or balance a checkbook or spot consumer fraud.
6. Start a Facebook group for like-minded people who support the same non-profit you do. Commit to spending time to promote it, organize the people there and actually create outcomes of value.
7. Seek out a religion that isn't yours and volunteer to help build a bridge between your circle and theirs.
8. Write ten letters a day to corporations seeking donations for a local homeless shelter.
9. Find a cause that supports soldiers or diplomats or other public servants that are on the road, and make it easier for them to connect with people back home.
10. Write a great wikipedia article every day about a person who is changing the world for the better.

HEART, MIGHT, MIND AND STREGTH

This week, though a tough week, was also a great week.
And one of my favorite moments came on Wednesday night as my roommate and I rode the train home after a planning meeting for our forthcoming cabaret.
We were riding a rather bouncy 1 train home, and Jen wasn't holding on to a bar.
She wobbled a bit, and after a really big bump, an elder black man reached his arm out to steady her.
He kept her from taking a tumble and remained posed and ready to catch her again for the rest of the ride home.

In a city like New York, where men on trains are so often sleezy in taking advantage of the crowded subway conditions, it is such a welcome surprise to find someone who automatically reaches out to help without making us feel threatened.
It's the little moments like these that restore my belief in the chivalry and the existence of true gentlemen.

HEART, MIGHT, MIND AND STREGTH

As a Christmas gift to my brother-in-love, Ken (Erin's husband,) I am starting a new weekly blog entry entitled, "Heart, Might, Mind and Strength." This blog will be dedicated to my experiences and observations of service in my life, whether I am giving service, receiving it, or just witnessing it. This is in Ken's honor, as he and his family have always been a beacon of love and service to me, and I am blessed to be part of thier family!

The title of the blog comes from the scripture in The Doctrine and Covenants (of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) Chapter 4 Verse 2 that reads: O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength. . .

Since today is Christmas, and the world is full of good cheer, I had the chance to observe a lot of small moments of service today, and I'd like to share some with you.

Sometimes it's the littlest thing that makes a difference.
For the last week, I have been working a side job distributing flyers for Broadway shows in Times Square. It's a real glamorous job, and I even get to wear a sandwich board while standing in some very cold whether (note the sarcasm.)
It has come to my attention as I try to distribute these flyers (playfully chanting "Save-a-lot, See Spam-a-lot!") that there are a few types of reactions I get. There is the curious acceptance from the people who want to know what I'm talking about. There is the people who avoid eye contact and just take what I hand them, only to drop it on the ground about 10 second later. There is the people who get annoyed, scowl, and vere wide to avoid my reach.
But there is a type of reaction that I actually find is the most frequently displayed. They make eye-contact, shake a gentle "no" with their head, and smile a pleasant "Thank you" right after. Whether mouthed or audibly spoken, I noticed that the simple courtesy they give actually makes my day a little brighter. I'm so grateful for those little moments and the time that people take to give them, when they could easily just pretend I don't exist.
It's a reminder to us all that the easy and simple act of a smile and a "thank you" can be the gateway to giving service to everyone we come in contact with.

So, imagine a little smile, a little "thank you," and a very Merry Christmas from me to you.