Sooner or later, we come face to face with a fundamental reason for our being here on this planet. Selfless service to humanity... in fact, to all sentient creatures.

Moving beyond the domain of ego... beyond self, and reaching out to others without agenda or attachment.

How's this affect me? What's in it for me? What can I get out of this? Is this in my best interest?

All fair questions that have their rightful place somewhere along our spiritual path.

I find that as I move into the domain of the other and being in service, the questions start to change.

How does this benefit humanity? How can I better serve all sentient creatures? What can I do to inspire and reach others? How can I best effect change in the world? How can I stay committed to do whatever it takes to serve humanity?

These questions seem to move me beyond a smaller world where I am basically concerned with my comfort and ease. When I tap into the inspiration that pulls me beyond to assist and serve, I find that I will withstand just about any discomfort, pain or hardship to go there.

I heard a talk a couple of years ago that inspired me to be in service to others. The speaker, Harry Palmer, was sharing a noble vision and invited us.. me... to participate in creating an enlightened planetary civilization. I was captivated by the feel of it. Then, he added the piece that really brought it home for me. The fact that I may not live long enough to see this as a reality, but my children might... my grand-children might. Well, there was a purpose worth fighting for!

When I want to give up and give into my petty, ego-driven reasons to abandon ship, that vision calls to me.

By most standards, I decided late in life to have children. I am 45 with a six year old daughter and a three year old son. I am with them all day, every day, teaching and being taught. They inspire me to be so much more than I would be right now, if I was alone.

The call to show up, to handle my stuff, to be a worthy role model is so strong. For them, I want to be an active contributor to creating an enlightened planetary civilization. There are many other reasons why I feel led to create this, but the concern for others seems to inspire me to move faster... to stay awake and focused.

If I just had me to worry about, I would probably slow down a little and slip back into apathy more often. Something has been ignited within that feels much bigger than me. The more I move forward, the stronger that spark seems to grow.

I feel care and compassion for others. That moves me. I feel a desire to help relieve suffering and to inspire true awakening. It moves me to action.

Walking hand in hand on this journey with like-minded travelers who share the same goal, has been incredibly powerful.

The other week, I was going through a period where I felt like getting back into the bed and pulling the covers over my head. The attitude was, "this is too hard". "You do it!" "This is too much effort for me".

I had been down this particular road to discouragement before and I knew that eventually I would come out of it, but with support, I would get out of this hole a lot quicker.

I did. Feeling the higher vibration and the momentum of forward movement... it felt like an actual physical pull. The incredible force of alignment.

How on earth could I lay on the bed, when I was feeling the vibration and energy of what my friends were doing? How, when I was feeling the power of our aligned goal?

Now, it is more than me wanting to show up and be responsible just for my kids. I now want to do my best for my fellow team-mates who are committed to do this work and for the people who we dare to inspire.

How can I go back to sleep when I really have a sense of the work that needs to be done on this planet? How can I roll over and play dead when I have agreed to help get the job done? Taking a nap now and then... is that really the essence of doing whatever it takes?

There are lives that only you can touch, because or who you are, where you live, what you know... When you stay silent, invisible... you hold things back for all of us. Every voice counts. Every life matters. There are people counting on you and me to show up in this life-time and to do it 100%.

What will it take for you to move beyond self and share your unique message of your life?

Nicola is a Licensed Avatar