Jack Canfield author. speaker. motivator.

Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]

Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington political powerhouse. media mogul. author.

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]

Seth Godin

Seth Godin author. speaker. linchpin.

Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]

Krishna Kaur

Krishna Kaur yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.

Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]

Norman Lear

Norman Lear producer. philanthropist. tv legend.

Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]

Leilani Münter

Leilani Münter race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.

Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]

Kevin Bales

Kevin Bales Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.

By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery's penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]

Sophie Chiche

Sophie Chiche mom. big dreamer. lady in red.

Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]

Mastin Kipp

Mastin Kipp Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.

Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]

Liz Phair

Liz Phair singer. musician. crier.

Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu archbishop. author. peaceful leader.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]

Zainab Salbi

Zainab Salbi author. ceo. humanitarian.

Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]

Sean Stephenson

Sean Stephenson speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.

Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He's a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]

Kia Miller

Kia Miller yogi. meditator. teacher.

Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]

Simon Mainwaring

Simon Mainwaring creator. writer. idea geek.

Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]

Shannon Bindler

Shannon Bindler Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.

Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]

Mathieu Bitton

Mathieu Bitton Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.

Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He's a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]

Jorge Perez

Jorge Perez Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.

Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com

serving

Brooke Burton writer. teacher. service connoisseur.

Brooke Burton writes and teaches as a way of celebrating her love of the food and hospitality industry. She sees glamour in the whir of a busy dining room. [www.foodwoolf.com]

Although service is at the core of everything I do, it took me a long time to realize that service is a good thing. I waited tables and worked in the restaurant industry as a way to pay the bills so I could write and I really loved it, but I was ashamed to tell people that. Then I came across the idea that waiting tables is a honorable profession. That helped me start to come to terms with the idea that liking to serve in restaurants wasn’t shameful.

I didn’t know how unhappy I was until I started digging into what service means. I used to thrive on the energy of the tables I served. I’d plug in and suck up as much positive energy as I could and use that energy to get me through the night. But if I had five bad tables in a row I was in trouble. I came to realize that I had to plug into a bigger power source – the universal energy that’s above, around, and everywhere.

It took me a long time to peel back the layers of service and realize that underneath are humility and compassion. I hadn’t understood that in order to have compassion for others I have to have compassion for myself.

When I realized I had a gift for service, I wrote a vision statement that included being of service as a consultant. I help people get good service and give good service, yet I’m on the playing field with them. I don’t know everything. I need to ask for help, too, which means checking in with something bigger than me. I can only be of service if I’m being of service to something bigger than myself.

Every day I’m given opportunities to sit back and say, “This is not just about me. It’s about something bigger.” When a customer is demanding, I get to practice being humble and getting out of the way. I get to practice seeing that this is not about this person doing this thing. It’s bigger. It’s on a different level. I am doing the work, but I am not the work.

I like making people feel good. Being of service is an art form. To do something for someone else is to go beyond oneself, to have humility and generosity.

– Brooke Burton

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Your Turn

What are some of the ways you’re of service to others?
How do you feel as you do each of those things?
How could you do more of the kind of service you most enjoy?

Comments

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Jamie Gaul comedian. writer. blond.
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