“Do not be like servants who serve their masters expecting to receive a reward; be rather like servants who serve their master
unconditionally, with no thought of reward.”
– Antigonus of Sokho
I struggle with this so much. I am obedient and I enjoy performing acts of service for my Masters. However I struggle so much with the reward system. I definitely appreciate when I am rewarded. However it is hard for me to even see if I am rewarded.
I must admit that I do become depressed over time if I dont get rewarded at all. Now that being said my service and submission is not transactional. I am not out here doing the things I do for my Masters in hope and expectation of receiving a reward. Just over time not even a good girl can become depressing.
If I do not know that I have pleased my Masters then I am going to beat myself of and become depressed over time.
So as I reflect on rewards in my dynamic I understand that I have had to constantly shift my thinking and looking at rewards in a more humble and submissive way. Most think oh I was given a gift, or they spent X amount of dollars on me to make me happy for pleasing them.
I as a person have never cared much for money.
So when I perform an act of service which can be actual tasks, or just me listening and engaging in a deep conversation with my Masters. It can be just me helping out one of the Masters or Mistresses that are my Masters friends. It could be as simple as waking them up on time for work without them even asking. Just things like this. What sort of rewards have I been granted?
- Good Girl!
- We are so proud of you!
- Dancing around silly with me to celebrate a small achievement.
- Head pats.
- I get a Gorean Bina from a Master when I help him.
- Sometimes a Tasta. (Which is a piece of candy for those not familiar with Gor)
- Bubbles for my bath.
- My favorite meal cooked.
- Movie night where I get to choose.
- Daddy draws me a picture.
- Butt Pats/Spankies
- Sometimes a song they sing recorded for me.
- Cartoon time.
- They do a writing challenge for me.
- They help me with a task.
- They do a task meant for me that I was meant to do but said for - me to just relax.
- Buy me a present sometimes
To be fair the list could likely go on. I can definitely see anything they do for me as a reward. It really is how the way you look at something. Still sometimes when I am really depressed it can be difficult to recognize a reward. Sometimes they have to tell me it is a reward for me to be aware of it. As much as I would like to know that their smile is reward enough my Masters have to actually use their voices because I am blind.
Still I do like what LunaKM said. As I resonate with it just as much. I went from being a service slave to an obedient slave. So with that I appreciate it the most when my obedience is rewarded instead of my acts of service.
"I’m not service oriented. I’m obedience oriented." LunaKM