2 Stages of Workers

There are two stages of workers.
The first stage is that of the one who works for himself; the higher stage of working is to work for others.
The one who rises above the stage of working for himself comes to the stage of working for others, bringing in their lives the blessing which is the need of their lives.
To what does the love of God lead?
It leads to that peace and stillness which can be seen in the life of the tree which flowers and bears fruit for others and expects no return.
Peace will not come to the lover's heart so long as he will not become love itself.

A person is apt to think, 'Why should I perform actions that bring me no return?
Why should I be kind, where no kindness is shown to me, where there is even no appreciation?'
In this way he commercializes his kindness: he gives in order to receive.
This blindness comes upon man, and it makes him blind even towards God.
He thinks, 'Why should I be grateful to God?
There is nothing to be grateful for. If the sun shines, it is natural.
If I have what I need for my living, I work for it all day;' or else, 'I belong to such a family where it is natural that everything should be provided for me.' ...
When one loves one must love for the sake of love, not for a return.
When one serves one must serve for the sake of service, not for acknowledgement. In everything a person does, if he does not think of reciprocity or appreciation in any manner or form, he may perhaps seem a loser in the beginning, but in the end that person will be the gainer, for he has lived in the world and yet held himself above the world; it cannot touch him.
-- Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

Enviable is he who loveth and asketh no return.