We Forgot Why We’re Here
We were put on this planet to serve.
There’s a quiet ache that seems to linger in so many hearts today, a low hum of confusion, anxiety, and disconnection. People feel lost, unanchored. We search for meaning in productivity, in applause, in self-expression. And still, something is missing.
It’s not because we need more information. It’s not because we lack opportunities.
It’s because we’ve forgotten something fundamental:
We were put on this planet to serve.
Not in a passive, obligatory way. Not to be doormats or to serve out of guilt. But to intentionally look around, see a need, and meet it—because people matter. Because you matter. And because service, when done right, doesn’t diminish you. It fulfills you.
A Missed Moment
I was at a community BBQ recently, where people gathered, laughed, and filled their plates at various food tents. One station let you build your own burger with toppings of your choice.
I watched a young couple step up. The man, burger on plate, grabbed the tongs to add his onions, pickles, and tomatoes. His wife stood right behind him, plate in hand, waiting her turn.
He looked back at her for a moment. Then awkwardly put the tongs down so she could serve herself.
That tiny moment told a big story.
It would have taken him five seconds to say, “Hey, what toppings do you want?” He already had the tongs in hand. He was already in position. It would’ve been thoughtful. Efficient. Loving.
Instead, she had to step in and start from scratch. Not a crisis, but definitely a missed opportunity to serve.
Another Missed Opportunity
Later, at one of the picnic tables, a man finished eating and stood up to toss his paper plate. Around him were three or four other empty plates from the people he had just eaten with.
He threw his away. Walked back. Sat down.
Not a thought to gather the rest. No malice, no rudeness, just obliviousness. A moment where self-awareness could have turned into service, and made everyone else feel seen, helped, cared for.
These aren’t grand gestures. They’re small acts with big meaning.
A New Default
What would happen if we rewired our reflexes?
What if our default became:
“Can I make this easier for you?”
“What can I take off your plate—literally or figuratively?”
“How can I help, even in the smallest way?”
Whether it’s handing someone a napkin before they ask for it, staying five seconds longer to stack chairs, or pausing long enough to ask, “What do you need?”—these moments matter.
They don’t just make us more likable.
They make us more human.
And ironically, they give us the purpose we’re so desperately chasing. Serving isn’t beneath us. It’s why we’re here.
Whether for profit or not, whether you’re in customer service or simply standing in line at a food truck—every day presents a hundred invisible ways to show others they’re not alone in this world.
And when we all choose to live with that kind of intention?
We won’t just run better businesses.
We’ll build better communities.
It’s not hard.
It just takes awareness.
So this week, be the one with the tongs in hand—who turns around and says,
“What would you like on yours?”
Because great service doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens on purpose.