I learned the importance of being of service in my Twelve Step program. But actually, I had been introduced to the concept long before.
When I was a Brownie, the motto for Brownies was "Lend a hand." I grew up hearing in church about being a Good Samaritan, about doing good deeds. Those messages stuck with me, even when I wasn't able to practice them.
Being of service in recovery can mean a lot of different things. Being of service is always about contributing to something bigger than ourselves.
It can be volunteering; it might be caregiving or helping the people we love. We can be of service with our ideas, we can share our thoughts, we can share words, we can share actions.
We can be of service at home but also outside our home. Being of service is about getting outside of ourselves.