The concept of a life of service has fascinated me for a long time. Each and every time I think I am starting to understand it, something or someone sheds light on yet another aspect of it and I am left musing for many more hours.

And I love it.

You know how we’re always complaining about how being tired is a bad thing? Well recently, I decided to try to be positive about every single little thing. Funnily enough, my attempts to be positive about being tired have been accompanied by more and more people complaining about being tired. In any case, I came to realize, after many (tired) consultations with friends that, to a certain extent, being tired is a really good thing.

One anecdote shared with me had two people who usually don’t get along laughing their heads off together because they were so tired, their usual defenses were all gone. And apparently, in the following days, a fragile friendship emerged. So by being totally tired, two people might be able to develop a strong bond of friendship.

Another anecdote was about a worrywart who just didn’t have any energy to worry; he apparently mellowed so much so that he never once panicked during a particularly stressful time at his office, and because he was so calm, he managed to guide a consultation that led to solving a particularly bad crisis.

Which makes me think that perhaps focusing on ourselves, be it seemingly on such an altruistic level (sleeping for the sake of service) might defeat the purpose it is meant to achieve, i.e. that focusing on wanting to sleep, even if it is to serve better, makes us more self centered, and can then become a veil of sorts.

Of course don’t get me wrong, we should get the rest that our bodies need – I am not encouraging a life of sleeplessness! But these stories encourage me to think that, next time I’m tired, I’m going to take it as a special opportunity for growth rather than an obstacle to service.

And I will also use it as an opportunity to have coffee. Just saying.