Be aware of duty

“To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart.”
— Pearl S. Buck

Many of us have been taught to do our duty. What reaction does this bring up for you?

For me, ‘doing my duty’ often means doing something I really don’t want to do. My heart’s not in it. When this is the case, tasks may get done but there’s no gift to the world. We do not truly serve if we give to others with resentment.

Perhaps we need to give ourselves permission to say no and look after our own needs. When our own needs are met, we are much more likely to want to give from a full heart.

It’s not selfish to look after ourselves — it’s essential!

“Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things.”
— Albert Einstein