How can we prioritize our services, when we have limited time?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, how can we prioritize our services? We have a lot of services and sometimes we are not able to manage, but then we feel Krishna is giving us service, we are not able to do it. Firstly, it’s always good to be grateful for having services, but there is no need to feel guilty if we are not able to do services.
Now, guilt should come between us and some wrong activities. Guilt should not discourage us in going towards Krishna. So, if basically services we may do for various, with various inspirations.
One is we like a particular service, that’s why we do it. We like some devotee whom we want to serve, that’s why we do the service. Or, we are a part of a particular project where we are expected to do some services and then we take up that service as a part of that project.
There can be various features like that. I’m just giving some as a sample. But, we have to ourselves analyze what is practical for us and what is important for us.
So, if we are a part of a particular community or a part of a particular project, then naturally it is good to have at least some service connected with that project. It may be a small service, but something at least. So, if we are in a temple community, then the community will expect us to do something.
Now, sometimes we may just become totally involved in the community and take up a responsible leadership position there. If that’s what we feel inspired to do and that’s what we are capable of doing, that’s fine. But, if that’s not practical, some service connected with the devotees, community where we are is important.
At the same time, we all have our limitations and our inclinations. Sometimes, the community may have services which are not practical for us with our particular situation or they may not be they may not have any services which really inspire us so much. So, then if we find some other service, nowadays with the interconnected world, we can do many services for various projects or for various devotees also.
So, when it comes to prioritizing, it depends on both the nature of the service. Some services, if Janmashtami festival is there, Giriraj Maharaj used an example that Prabhupada had told him to write books. To write.
And he was not able to write because at that time, Shamsundar Prabhu and others had organized this big Hare Krishna festival over there. In Mumbai. He was in Mumbai.
And then Prabhupada asked him are you writing? He said no, Prabhupada. So, Prabhupada was disappointed. What happened? Prabhupada asked him.
Then Shamsundar Prabhu told me that you can write anytime. Right now, with this festival coming up, if you can approach business people, elite people, now, they will give us funds. Later on, if you go, they will not give funds.
So, now you do this. You can write later. And Prabhupada said that’s ok.
So, certain services may be required to be done at certain times. So, let’s write. There is an instruction which he had been given.
We may postpone it, but we shouldn’t avoid it. So, Prabhupada, the spiritual master told him to go to the west and preach. He couldn’t do it immediately.
But he did it after almost 40 years. Later he did that. So, looking at the nature of the service, we may decide that I can do this now or I would like to do this later.
And although at times we may have to do some services which we don’t feel so inspired by, which we don’t so like to do. But overall, it’s good to find some service which we can do sustainably. That means that tomorrow, there is no one to tell us to do service.
Suppose, we happen to be in a place where there is no community also where there is much service available. But then still, if we are inspired to do some service, we will find that service and we will do it. So, that initiative we need to take up.
While doing various services, whichever is required, we try to find out what is it that we like to do. What is it that makes us feel that I am also making some contribution. And then, we try to take that up as a sustainable service.
Sometimes you may be able to do it more, sometimes less. But that becomes like our connection with Krishna. Now, what that service will be, that may take some time to discover also.
Till then, we just do whatever is an opportunity for us to do. Whatever we have opportunity. And while doing whatever we have opportunity, we observe ourselves.
And observe that service, its contribution. Then, we gradually decide. We just have to prioritize.
While we are observing and discovering. See, once we have found out that this is the service I want to do. So, basically, if we have a yes for something important within us, then saying no is not that difficult.
But if you don’t have a yes for something, say, if somebody invites you for a program. Now, if there is some other engagement which you already have for that day, then saying no is relatively easy. I have to go here, that’s why I can’t come.
But if you are not doing anything, then saying no becomes a little more difficult. So, like that, if we have certain services which we have already said yes for, then, saying no to certain services also becomes easier. When we don’t need to say no.
Also, if we… Yeah, but that’s fine. One thing is that you can never please everyone in the world. There are different ways of saying no.
Sometimes you can say no to a particular service without saying no to that person. We can maintain that relationship by being… by politely speaking whatever no we have to say. That is okay.
The important thing is that stay connected with Krishna. The exact magnitude of that connection in terms of how much time, what specific service, that is not something which we can completely plan in advance. Because, as life evolves, sometimes you may have more time for service, sometimes you may have less time.
That is okay. The important thing is that we keep serving. See, a no to a service doesn’t have to be a no to Krishna.
Because, if you are doing some other services, if you are doing something else because of which you are saying no, then it is not a no to Krishna. It is just acknowledgement of our human limitations. We have only 24 hours in a day.
We have only this much capacity to service. So, if I say no to all services, then that is a problem. But, if I say no to some service so that we can do some other service, also another thing.