Difference Between Serving and Working

One evening a Swamiji of Sri Ramakrishna Mutt was addressing the participants on the concept of work culture. Ramkrishna Mutt was setup by Swami Vivekananda based on the teachings of Sri Ramkrishna. One of the participants asked the following question to the Swamiji: I am a senior manager of Materials Department and I joined an organization 25 years ago as an Engineer Trainee and over the last 25 years I have gone through every experience in the organization and I am now the senior manager looking after the material function independently. During the initial part of my career, the job was very challenging and interesting. Every day was exciting and I looked forward to each day with lot of interest. However, all those exciting days are gone since I do not find my job any more interesting because there is nothing new in my job. As I have seen and handled every conceivable situation there is no more challenges in my work. I am now feeling bored because I am doing a routine job. However, Swamiji, I am living in the same house for over forty years, I am the son for the same parents for over forty five years, I am the father for the same children for the past ten years and the husband for the same lady for the past twenty years. In these personal roles I do not feel bored and the passage of time has not taken away the zeal from me. Please tell me why I am bored of the routine in the office and not in the house? This was a very interesting question and we were all very anxious and curious to know what the Swamiji had to say. The response from him was very interesting and convincing. He asked the executive the question: Please tell me for whom does your Mother cook? The executive replied that obviously the mother cooks for others. Then the Swamiji said that the mother 'Serves' others and because of this service mindedness, she is not feeling tired or bored. But in an office, we 'Work' and not 'Serve'. Anything we consider, as service will not make us feel bored. That is difference between Serving and Working. He asked the executive to consider his work as service and not merely a work....