Like many businesses across the United States, we are closed today in observance of Memorial Day. This holiday serves to commemorate the men and women who died while serving in our nation’s armed forces. However you utilize this time off, please take a moment to pay your respects to those Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
Serving has always been about sacrifice. Whether its serving your country, your customers, or your employees; real service is more than just a job. Sure, you may be paid to work in a service occupation. You may serve out of obligation. You may even be forced to serve against your will (my kids would nod their heads vigorously at this point); but that’s not what service is about.
The word “servise” first entered the English language in the early 1100’s it referred to a public celebration of worship or an act of homage to God or a guest. So service is something we extend to someone else in order to honor them. As service providers, we should place the one being served in a position above our own. We’re supposed to serve from the heart.
Somewhere along the way, our culture began to view serving as an obligation rather than a choice. We’ve replaced the idea of service with the concept of servitude. Is it any wonder that good service is hard to find?
What if we made a conscious decision to return to the true meaning of service? What if each and every one of us reading this decided to approach service as an act of homage and celebration vs. a job? What kind of impact would that have on our business? What kind of impact would that have on us?
The men and women we honor today gave their all in pursuit of service. Should you and I really be expected to give anything less? Let’s agree to honor them by honoring each other. Happy Memorial Day.
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