Service, much like age, is structured in consciousness. The quality of our service depends on our connection to both pure and shadow awareness, with our stage of awareness determining how and why we serve. If we have hidden motivations rooted in our ego’s agenda, such as a desire to gain value, recognition, or power, our service may be directed in a way that seeks to meet our own needs rather than truly aid others. Such motivations can lead to the unconscious creation of power shadows, where we identify with roles such as the Doer, the Helper, the Fixer, and the Savior. This leads to an inferior/superior dynamic which harms both the self and those served. Furthermore, people who serve with this mindset often suffer from burnout, due to the effortful overreaching and lack of self-care.
Ultimately, we need to move beyond the separate self-sense of ego and Other. This is the key attribute of conscious activism, as separating Us/Them only leads to scapegoating and enemy making. To move beyond this, we must recognize the interconnectedness of all things and wake up to our personal and collective shadow issues. By doing so, we can move through stages of service that evolve from serving our hidden needs to perceiving external circumstances as mirrors of our inner world, and ultimately seeing giver and receiver as reflections of the collective unconscious, the soul of the world. This non-dual stage of sacred service honors the vast interconnection of all living things.
