“No personal passion must come between the leader and the needs of the people. "
~ Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B.
I choose this quote, in part because in the U.S. we are now choosing leaders, but also because we are all in leadership roles at times.
A few days ago I received "The Legacy
of Leadership" from the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA.
The brochure contains a prayer and several parables written by award-winning author, Sister Joan Chittister.
I'd like to share both a story and parts of her prayer.
Today: an abbreviated story.
Tomorrow: prayer.
"An Old Monk's Compassion"
A Buddhist monk wanted to translate the scriptures
into Japanese. For years he begged for the money necessary to print them. Just as he was about to begin, there was a great flood. Instead of printing, the monk used the money to build houses for the homeless.
Again the monk begged and reached his goal. This time there was a great famine. Instead of printing, the monk used the money to feed thousands of starving
people.
Yet, again the monk begged, collected money, and reached the goal. And finally, he was able to print the scriptures.
After the publication, when people brought their children to see the books, the parents told their children about the first two editions of the
scriptures, which were even more beautiful than the printed one.
This lesson of the story "is that no personal passion must come between the leader and the needs of the people."
Does this not hold true for all of us?
In many how-to succeed programs,
the message is:
Stay focused on your passion.
Don't let the needs of others pull you off course.
Say no.
Yet, in real everyday life, for
authentic success, don't we need to use good judgment after listening to the guidance of our hearts and souls as well as our heads?
Today's touchstone take-away is this:
While following our passions
and working toward our dreams,
may we listen, hear, and respond to the needs of one another.
With love and compassion,
Charlene
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LOVE: It will grow each time you give it away.
(from The Twelve Gifts of Birth)
