F is for Forget Yourself - ABC's of Inspired Hospice Volunteers

When a young man serving in a volunteer assignment overseas got discouraged and wanted to quit, his father wrote him a letter that contained little more than just one piece of advice.  The startled young man applied his father’s words of wisdom and found himself very happy in his volunteer service.

The advice that father wrote to his son?  “Forget yourself and get to work!”

I have found this same advice to be very helpful in my own volunteer work.  At first I felt self-conscious, but I knew that I couldn’t be much use to anyone unless I “got over myself”.  So I learned to take a deep breath, repeat the mantra and dig in, concerned with the needs of the patient, and not what others might think of me.

A person who is feeling self-conscious is overly aware of their own actions and what others might think of them. Being too self-aware can impede one's ability to perform.  The truth, of course, and it's a good thing to keep in mind, is that most people are too busy thinking about themselves to concentrate that much on you. 

As self-consciousness is reigned in, a person gains the ability to lose one's self in service to others.   They find themselves feeling a flow, a state of energized focus or single-minded immersion bringing great joy in their work.  They have become selfless rather than selfish.

So, regardless of who may be listening, if I feel inspired to sing, I sing out!  It’s just me and the patient, and it’s certainly not about me! 

Next time you are feeling uncertain or anxious in your volunteering, try repeating the mantra and then just dig in and take joy.  That's Inspiration!