Useful

 From time to time I check on myself to see if my motive for doing something is more to be useful or to be praised.  It is OK to be praised, say for vacuuming the rugs, but it is better from a spiritual growth perspective to be doing the same work to be useful.  So I will ask myself, am I being useful?  What if no one praises me?  Will I still do the vacuuming?  I have found that I am better connected, more communal, with others if I am doing something primarily to be useful. This way, life is not all about me.