Well here's my take on the whole issue. By serving yourself you are actually serving others. When you are happy and fulfilled and have all that you could wish for and more besides you are creating a reality that others can look at and say "I want this too" and by them seeing you do it they can then believe it is possible for them. And there is no greater service to others than to empower them to become happy and fulfilled themselves.
As some big spiritual leader once said give a man a fish and he'll eat, teach him to fish and he'll open a fish and chip shop and we can all eat with much more ease than before.