The crosses we bear are not supposed to be excuses

We have the natural tendency to assign blame to external factors. This is understandable because it is discomforting to take the blame when things go wrong. It is easier to fool ourselves with an excuse rather than to take a sober look at ourselves and realize, “maybe I am the problem all along.”

When we are late in physical meetings, we blame the traffic.

When we are late in digital meetings, we blame the internet connections.

When we do not do our tasks well, we blame our poor mental health.

There are times when we have to deal with inconvenient truths as the crosses we have to bear. This requires a critical kind of self-understanding – appropriately attributing to ourselves what is within our control; and recognizing external forces or bad luck but not letting it become a crutch or an excuse that restrains our development.

The crosses we bear are not supposed to be excuses. At the same time, they are not also meant to be a distorted kind of “badge”, like how being a workaholic is being glorified. They are meant to make us pause, reflect, and exercise our creative thinking and feeling to achieve our goals in a way that is unique to us and the cross we carry.

Maybe, in a sense, the way we carry our cross provides a challenge-opportunity for us to become better versions of ourselves.

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Matthew 10:34-11:1. Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 192: JULY 11, 2022]

Killing the soul is a greater murder

It is admirable that we are now paying more attention to mental health and holistic well-being beyond the physical. Indeed, when Rizal quoted Edward Bulwer-Lutton, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” our words and ideas can be more violent than punches, slashes, or gunfire. (Not to diminish physical violence issues, though!)

A few weeks into the One Piece hiatus, I again relate my reflections to the series’ themes of inherited will and spirit (haki). What allows Luffy, the literal rubberman protagonist, to progress in his journey is not necessarily his physical strength (there are many stronger villains), but his unbreakable will. Eiichiro Oda’s choice to represent Luffy as a literal rubberman is such a profound idea: be as flexible and resilient as a strong rubber. Fall, then bounce back. Match this with the spirit of Luffy, we have a persona of grit and resilience.

Thus, we have to be responsible with our words. Even without guns, we have the power to murder the soul of others with our words. But on the flip side, we have the power to nourish the soul of others with authentic words that touch the heart.

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Matthew 10:24-33. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 190: JULY 9, 2022]

To be organized is to be peaceful

Peace is something that is very easy to take for granted. It is not a spectacle; yet, it is a prerequisite for a person or a group to dream and manifest these dreams.

Peace, when we do not pay attention to it, is something that can be conflated with boredom. In a sense, peace is not something that “entertains” a person.

But if peace were to be stripped away, we will direly miss it.

Maybe the invitation is to pay attention to peace and become instruments of peace ourselves. And we should admire more the silent peacekeepers of our lives and our professions who may not be receiving the limelight, but without them, a team cannot be an organization in its fullest sense.

Because to be truly organized is to be truly peaceful.

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Matthew 10:7-15. As you enter a house, wish it peace.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 188: JULY 7, 2022]

Witnessing “meraki” – soul in one’s work

It is grading period this week, and this is the time when my colleagues and I rant about heartbreak stories of students not passing requirements on time or in a way that satisfies quality standards.

But there are also times when students transcend being students – they become peers who can co-create knowledge with their insights and “soul” put into their integrative projects. It is doubly rewarding when these mentees are former students who have demonstrated growth through the years of their stay.

If you may pardon my pun, it is in witnessing these “meraki-lous” moments when sacrifices are worth it – responding to late night consultations or painstakingly provoking student groups to aspire being authentic exemplars.

Indeed, “the laborers are few”. But in a sense, a few “meraki-lous laborers” amid a sea of those merely going through the motions is more than enough to uplift the soul of a professor.

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Matthew 9:32-38. “… But the laborers are few.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 186: JULY 5, 2022]

Towards “enmissioning”

It is relatively easy to imagine, to envision a desired future or state of ourselves, our organization, or even society. We have an idea of “what could be”.

However, it is harder to “enmission”, to put to life and action how our strengths and talents can serve others. To dedicate ourselves to “what ought to be” and perform good actions for goodness’ sake.

It requires a sober understanding of our past tendencies and weaknesses and a realistic yet optimistic view of our limitless potential. It is a balance of humility and hope; unafraid to act but mindful (and heartful) of the relevant context.

I always ask my students, “What are your strengths? What is your key skill?” And oftentimes, they struggle to answer concretely. They talk about passion, but passion is ultimately fickle.

Enmissioning requires a person to understand one’s talents and a certain “goodness” that one yearns to manifest. And that journey is iterative. I dabbled frustratingly in social entrepreneurship, nonprofit work, e-commerce, consumer goods, market research, and consultancy anchored on my skill to write, insight, and learn. These numerous past experiments led me to the academe, and so far, I feel that my mission is to be here. I feel that my writing and insighting skills are always challenged while also being an enabler for others to flourish.

In an uncertain context, overemphasizing long-term visions might not be practical anymore – to envision. It might be more worthwhile to “enmission”, that is, to constantly reflect on one’s strengths and purpose and find spaces where one can translate potential into action.

Maybe, teaching students to “enmission” is the next step for management education that is truly humanistic and sustainability-oriented.

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Luke 10:1-12, 17-20. The mission and the return of the seventy-two

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 184: JULY 3, 2022]