Two weeks ago we spoke on charting our course toward wisdom by
reading books and taking the counsel of wise friends. The third manner of obtaining wisdom is
through servings others.
A
wise man will cultivate a servant’s spirit, for that particular attribute attracts
people like no other.
Alfred Vanderbilt was from one of the wealthiest most
prominent families in the world. His
father, Cornelius Vanderbilt, amassed a fortune in the shipping and railroad industries
in the early nineteenth century. Alfred insisted
on beginning his business experience at the bottom as a clerk in one of his father’s
offices. All of Alfred’s siblings
insisted on jobs in management. The
public respected and never forgot Alfred.
His father never forgot him either; each of Cornelius’s sons and daughters
were willed $7 million, but Alfred received $76 million. In his father’s mind, Alfred would steward
the money with a servant’s spirit.
Alfred’s
last act in this world, was to tie life jackets to baskets for babies as the Lusitania sank. Vanderbilt had promised the young mother of a
small baby that he would locate an extra life vest for her. Failing to do so, he offered her his own life
vest, which he proceeded to even tie on to her himself since she was holding
her infant child in her arms at the time. Though he owned many estates with
swimming pools, he never learned to swim.
He was among the 1,198 passengers who did not survive the incident. His
body was never recovered. Alfred maintained his servant’s spirit to the very
end.
At age 32, Buckminister Fuller stood on the shores of Lake
Michigan contemplating suicide. His
first child had died in 1922 from complications from polio and spinal
meningitis just prior to her fourth birthday. He was penniless. He was
discredited. He was jobless. He felt hopeless. In an epiphany, he realized that his life did
not belong to himself, but rather others.
He thought, if my life belongs
not to myself but to others, then what can I do for others? Through living a life of service, over the
next 54 years, he was awarded 25 U.S patents, authored 28 books, and received
47 honorary doctorates.
What can you do to begin or continue cultivating a servant’s
spirit. Can you volunteer at your local church
or community center? Can you visit the elderly
at your local hospital? Can you spend
more time with your family? Can you schedule a call to a family member just to make
him or her smile? Can you commit random acts of kindness such as paying for
someone’s meal?
Today, carry someone’s bags, pour their coffee, open the
door, and hold their chair. Be an example and serve
others.
(Oh, and one last thought from Fuller that I found interesting).
