Bridging Worlds: Service to Others is Your Natural State
Hello everyone. Meghan here to answer one of our reader’s questions.
Elis: One time Bentinho said it is possible to draw an outline of service-to-others, but then color it in with service-to-self. Ever since then, I have been worried I could be doing that! Is there a way to self-inquire about this question?
Meghan: Beautiful question. This is the type of inquiry that has the potential to help you shift yourself not only into being of greater service to the world, but also to uncover more of who you truly are (aka self-realize).
Before I get into the actual line of self-inquiry that you can use to explore your question, first it would be helpful to mention a few important things about service-to-others in general, as well a touch on a foundational teaching that is built into the fabric of our team that will make your self-inquiry most fruitful.
Being of Service to Others Is Your Natural State
The more you realize and embody your true self, the more naturally you will be of service to others. You’ll be of service simply by radiating the love and truth of what you are, and reflecting that to others.
As you lessen the gap between your true self and the limited self you perceive yourself to be, your service will refine itself in skillfulness and magnitude. You will radiate brighter, you’ll have more of life’s intelligence at your fingertips, and you’ll serve with ever more immensity. However, the nature of that service remains the same—it is a reflection of who you are; of your very nature.
This is an important foundation to start from, because it means that as you embody more of your true self, you’ll naturally be of more service, both in your very essence, and in that you’ll be more skillful. With this in mind, I would recommend anyone who wants to be of service to assume there is always more expansion and refinement possible to your service. The magnitude at which you serve is potentially limitless, for there is nothing the intelligence of the One Source cannot do.
So, if you find yourself asking, “Am I being of service or not?” instead ask, “What does the next level of being of service, of expressing the Creator’s love and wisdom, look like?” And remember—this state that you can tap into is what you already are.
It’s already such a beautiful and commendable intention to purify your service to others, so trust the heart of your intention and avoid looking at service in a black or white way. Bentinho often references The Law of One material, and a quote from Ra came to mind when I read your question: The few whom you will illuminate by sharing your light are far more than enough reason for the greatest possible effort… We can speak no more valiantly of your desire to serve.
Always Question Yourself, But Never Doubt Yourself
Now that we are approaching Elis’s question from a place of infinite expandability, instead of from the common belief, “I’m either of service or I’m not,” there’s another key teaching that will help you engage in this query so that you can continually grow, find your next level, and refine your service in ever-more fulfilling ways:
“Always question yourself, but never doubt yourself.”
If you apply this pointer, which Bentinho often references, you’ll be able to expand your service—and your realization of your true self—to infinity.
Never doubt your true intention to serve, and that you are wholly worthy and capable of fulfilling that intention in the most magnificent shape of your destiny. At the same time, always question your assumptions, beliefs, motivations, and other such strategies of the small self. None of these things are truly you, so there is no harm or threat in questioning them. In fact, there is only something to be gained: more of your true self and your true power, once relieved of the burden of heavy thoughts, limiting assumptions, and lack-beliefs.
We usually have this backwards; we doubt ourselves, but never (or rarely) question ourselves. We doubt our worth, capabilities, and our connection to Source. Meanwhile, our strongest patterns and strategies—the ones that if released would make us naturally happy, inspired, and powerful—we keep under lock and key, mostly unquestioned.
Imagine how freeing it would feel if you were unshakably doubtless in who you are and why you’re here. Imagine being so relaxed that you could examine any belief system you have, because you would know that whatever you find would mean nothing about who you are at your core. You would even feel excited to find the frames, beliefs, or assumptions may be keeping you from greater fulfillment and service.
Even more magic happens when you apply this pointer not only to yourself, but to others. If you can learn to always question yourself but never doubt yourself, you’ll also know how to have true faith in others, while also being able to discern plainly and honestly, and without drama, the patterns that are not serving them. We often have this backwards as well: we allow the perceived flaws in others to trick us into forgetting that their nature is essentially pure, luminous, and capable of not only change, but capable of anything; they are the very intelligence of God itself.
This is something that makes Bentinho’s team so rare. It's not only part of our culture to “question but never doubt” ourselves, but also to hold that high standard in the way we see, communicate, and work with each other. When you can master this, you can rapidly evolve and become more aligned with your desire to serve.
Now that the foundational attitude is set, let's look at how it applies to Elis’s question and some suggested guided self-inquiries.
Self-Inquiry for Purifying and Amplifying Your Service
Elis asked, “One time Bentinho said it is possible to draw an outline of service-to-others, but then color it in with service-to-self. Ever since then I have been worried I could be doing that! Is there a way to self-inquire about this question?”
Here’s how Bentinho’s pointer, “question yourself, but never doubt yourself,” applies directly to Elis’s question: do not doubt the core aspiration to serve, but question what you are “coloring it in" with. To question yourself without doubting yourself can purify and magnify your service.
What if you assumed, for the sake of learning, that to some degree you are filling your outline of service-to-others with service-to-self color. The inquiries suggested below will help you to discover what those small-self motives and beliefs are.
In case you are not clear on what filling an outline of service to others with service to self color looks like, this is how I interpret it: Perhaps you are a teacher (an outline of service) but you have a core belief that you are unworthy. Possibly, without consciously knowing it, part of your motivation has nothing to do with service. Part of what you “fill” this service with is trying to prove your worth.
To give a simple visual, some portion of the energy that could be poured into your true desire to be of service is being diverted and rerouted to another agenda—in the case of my example, that “agenda” would be to cover up that I believe I am unworthy by trying to prove my worth. Imagine what it would be like to have all that energy on board with your true desire, flowing toward your most fulfilling destiny of service, not diverting to fill the holes of your lack beliefs. Wouldn’t you feel more free, less attached to the outcome of your actions, less tension and striving in your effort, and more purely joyful in whatever you do?
As you do the self-inquiry below, my intention is that everyone reading this newsletter releases just a little bit of how they fill their service-to-others with a self-centered motive (a strategy of the small self, based on a lack-belief). Even that little shift in each of you would mean more availability is freed up across the globe, so that more true love can pour forth through our vessels onto this planet, which is clearly asking for it.
Grab a pen and paper and choose from these two lines of inquiry below (or try both). Both sets of questions are intended to help you find what aspects of your desire to serve are not purely about service. In both cases, continue your inquiry until you feel you’ve found the core lack-belief that seems to be fueling your small-self motive.
Purifying Service Self Inquiry #1:
Step one: What does my small self get out of “being of service”?
Step two: What must I believe is true to find value in that, over purely being of service?
Purifying Service Self Inquiry #2:
Step one: What does your most limitless and expanded version of being of service feel like? See it, feel it, be it.
Step two: From the place of embodying this state, what stands out to you in your current service as not up to par in that ideal version?
Step three: If you don’t feel you can simply shift these aspects, ask yourself, “What must I believe is true to keep believing/acting in this way?”
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