Ok, so once again I sit here typing wondering who will read my ramblings about catholicsm and my struggles with my faith and my spiritual walk-journey-growth, whatever you want to label it. I have been reading an incredible amount lately (much to Becky's chagrin) and I have noticed some strong parallels. First, it seems that in business - to be a great leader you have to be genuine and ethical. You also have to be willing to delay gratification...wow, what a novel concept these days. Delayed gratification goes against everything the "now" generation strives to achieve, and somewhat interestingly all of society as well. We want it now, we want it all now, we don't want to have to work for it, that takes too long-we want it now. (There seems to be a theme).
Second, you have to be willing to sacrifice in order to achieve. Not to sacrifice yourself, or your principles-but something. Perhaps this is not all that different than the first point--but I write this on the fly so too late now.
Interestingly the homily on Saturday evening also had a pinch of delayed gratification thrown in...it goes along with the gospel and the story of Doubting Thomas...and ends with blessed are they who have not seen and still believe (paraphrased).
Or is it just that I see everything through my lens which makes it all seem linked...the books I read, the homily I hear, the events in my life...they all seem to be pointing in the same direction. Leadership, the how to books, are a how to in life, not just business. They all point to relationships and why you must build them well. As important is "know thyself"...
Fr. Flynn spoke about being alone-abandoned in fact. Jesus was all set to meet his accusers with the 11 disciples that were left and when he turned around only John was there...but Jesus knew his purpose and knew what he was working towards was worth it. Saving us. Also, Fr. Flynn mentioned the old excuse why God did you make me this way... this is your fault. You should have made me better. In the book Thou Shall Prosper, Rabbi Daniel Lapin this is described as not letting the brain be dominated by the heart. Meaning, if you take control of your decisions-with purpose-not excuses then you are as good as you want to be. This is parallel with Scott Hahn's picture in Lord Have Mercy that our sins are not bad-they are the less good choice (some are bad, but we are not inherently bad). We are choosing something that feels good, or something that is a short term gain--but in the long run it falls short of our goals, and therefore is less good.
I have lots more to say, but I will save it for another post-and for your comments-if you want.
Yes, I realize that this post is not a literary masterpiece-and I jump around a lot but you take the good with the bad-I guess.
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So, I think you hit on it. Religion is about relationship. Jesus summed it up nicely (as only He could do)in the two great commandments - Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. That really covers most aspects of one's life. The tricky part seems to be assigning priorities.
ReplyDeleteYou already know this so I guess I'm not clear on wherein lies your struggle.
I think the struggle comes from determining my purpose in life...or shoud I say it more correctly-the highest purpose for my life. If I am lucky enough to identify that, how do I make it happen. Priorities on a daily to do list are easy. The to do list of your life seems to be a little harder to write-at least for me. And that is where my struggle begins.
ReplyDeleteDay by day we all make many decisions that are not huge in nature, but added up they have squandered a life or exalted a life. I don't want to make any more of those decisions without knowing what direction those decisions are taking me, Becky, McKenna, Adelyn, and the rest of my family and my circle of influence. SO...what will they say at your funeral? As I was told by one of my co-workers from his own father's funeral-the eulogy ended with "Job well done" and they were not talking about his profession, but his life. Now I don't say this with the impending doom of death on my mind; quite the opposite is true. It is with the rest of my life (and those of my family) on my mind and what purpose it can have; and what impact it can have and the direction it should go.
Ok, I have changed a setting so anyone should be able to post...it seemed to be only letting certain users...but that has changed...try to post again.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
JBS