Of all the things that can be in the course of a day, the two most important in my mind relate to protection and service.
What is there to protect? In an nutshell, that which is sacred. Sacred things must be protected from the coarseness of the world. Sacred things cannot be destroyed, however, they are withdrawn or perhaps better put, veiled, in the presence of that which is incompatible with sacredness. Conversely and more importantly, sacredness flourishes in the hearts and minds of those who work diligently to hold sacred things inviolate.
And service? The key to a fulfilling life is found in the direction and intensity of service. Lasting fulfillment comes from vigorous service, directed outward. Egocentrism, on the other hand, may result in the appearance of success, but that which is accumulated or gained in the process is naught but an empty shell of what would have been fulfilling had the direction of service been reversed.
If these two elements are not central in your experience, I daresay that nothing else that you do will add much meaning or value to your life as an individual or to the whole of which you are a part.
Gregory Hake 
There are indeed delicate things in life that need protection. Just as we would protect our children and loved ones, so do our hearts and minds need protection as well, the delicate bonds that hold our friendships together, the special trusts that we have carefully forged over time, the nurturing care we offer to those in our lives.
I choose to serve and protect too, for at the end of the day it is the only thing that can give life real meaning.
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“Protect and Serve” is probably most commonly associated with law enforcement, but after reading your musings on these traits it is clear a much different world could exist if we each took these responsibilities to heart and action!
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Without the keeping of sacred things, there is no security or safety, no consistency of vision, no hub for creative activity or continuity. Internal sanctuary must be set and maintained, lovingly and meticulously protected so that things and people round about have something to orient to, and so that delicate essences may be protected and allowed to grow. Your posts provide such excellent tools for the day to day maintenance of that place of sanctuary!
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Thanks for the simplification. It is good to link protection and service together. For why would we serve if not prompted by the interest to protect and increase that which is truly meaningful which always comes back to what is sacred.
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Protecting what we feel is sacred does lead to a greater understanding of sacredness. You don’t have to understand the whole of it to begin. A practical beginning is care in what feelings we chose to expand on. Do I pollute or purify with my attitudes? Service is the natural offshoot to protection; wanting to avail ourselves to proliferate sacredness. Thanks for a worthy meditation.
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These two things are absolutely essential to have any experience of fulfillment in life. If you do not protect the things you hold sacred you will not have the sacred things anymore. If you do not direct the experience of your life outward to the service of others you also cannot experience sacred things. It is good to remember the things that should be the central pillars of our life, because if we do not there is no point in working out the details.
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I agree. These two elements are essential in life.
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