I found it interesting that there were two key trends in 2013 that seem to connect (or collide) by the end of the year.
The first trend is the major new pop culture word that entered into the Oxford Dictionary was "selfie". Oxford defined it as "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website". It is interesting to note that Oxford shows the following nearby words to "selfie" being:
- Selfishness
- Selfish
- Self-understanding
The second trend is the rise of Pope Francis and his message of helping others who are less fortunate. Pope Francis is trying to change the international discourse away from "selfie" to selflessness. He has started to bring a message of service to others that is resonating with both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
I hope that we are seeing a change in how we all view and embrace our service to others. This is not a liberal vs. conservative debate but rather what core values do we want to embrace and emulate in our society. I can only speak for myself on this and say that I look forward to 2014 as a year where I am going to focus on my service to others.
We can all look at ourselves and determine how best we can serve through time, treasure and talent. While some of us can provide financial assistance others can be equally as impactful through through their time volunteered. What is important is that we all take that first step towards service and helping others. The grand gesture is great but not necessary. Every little effort, contribution, helping hand and prayer can help those less fortunate.
I hope that when we look at 2014 in retrospect we will call it the year of serving others.
