Om Swami
How can I tell real seva from seva that feeds my ego?
Real seva lessens ego
Serving with the thought "look how much I am doing" has a harmful effect, while real seva lessens ego. The feeling in real seva is that it is God's grace that you were chosen as the medium for seva.
When a person serves with the thought "look how much I am doing," the effect is harmful. When a person does real seva, ego lessens: it is God's grace that I was chosen today as the medium for seva.