Harmony within Yourself

Exploration of the self is the most difficult, and yet the most accessible in this view of service.  Every individual can begin to explore one’s service. To begin this reflection process, imagine yourself as a tree.  The branches, leaves, flowers and fruit of the tree represent the outcomes of other-centered actions (in other words, service).  They represent the specific ways in which you bring greater joy, harmony and energy to the world.  Like many types of trees, we as people grow and blossom in different ways.  We are different sizes, we bloom at different times of the year, with varying growing periods and many different types of flowers and fruit.  Some have no buds and others take several seasons to bloom. 

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The part of the tree that exists below the surface represents the inner dimensions of service – the attitudes, beliefs and values that root an other-centered approach to life.  Some of us have an extensive root structure, while others have a less complex version.  Some have root systems that are heavily interconnected to other trees, others stand seemingly alone.  These submerged, invisible dimensions of service are usually developed early in life through our experiences in our families, and religious, social, and cultural institutions.  Often, they are unconscious until something inspires us to investigate ourselves more deeply.

The trunk of the tree represents the way in which the fruit and roots are connected.  Inside the trunk, sap flows from the root systems up to the most distant bud to feed its growth.  Our consciousness about the connections between our roots and fruit help us to act with purity and energy.

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