Meta
We can only radically change ourselves if we can think about how we think and reflect on how we reflect. In other words, metacognition and meta-reflection.
This is a level of self-awareness that forces us to think about our limits and transcend them.
In doing so, maybe we can approximate transfiguration, even if just a little bit.
Mark 9:2-13. He was transfigured before them.
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-049: FEBRUARY 18, 2023]
Mastering one’s self
I have assigned my students an individual reflection activity. The goal is for them to make sense of their journey so far in college by applying first-person tools in the spirit of authenticity and the general empirical method. In other words, the assignment is an opportunity for them to demonstrate what I call “sober self-awareness” or an insight about themselves.
I imagine writing this takes a lot of vulnerability. At the same time, I too feel vulnerable as I give them candid feedback and share my own thoughts too. I’d feel a lot like a hypocrite if I ask them to be authentic but I cannot reciprocate their authenticity!
Understanding or even attempting to master our “self” is not always a pleasant journey. Unlike the jolt we feel after answering a personality quiz, acquiring insights about our self can feel like the moment we sober up after a night of drinking. It feels like gazing at ourselves in the mirror, and at that moment, it is true that we are our own worst critic.
This is the second run I’ve given this assignment. It’s turning out that this is my favorite individual assignment, because I’ve been learning a lot from the insights of my students. There are times I feel guilty, because some of the pressures my students are feeling are byproducts of how me and my colleagues manage the curriculum.
In a way, acquiring a sober understanding of our “self” means identifying the crosses we have to bear. And in sharing a piece of our “self” with others, we share our vulnerability – our crosses – and we keep the faith that we can help each other carry our crosses.
Mark 8:34-9:1. Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-048: FEBRUARY 17, 2023]
God’s eye view
Our perspective is limited. Our thoughts and actions are often colored by biases, fears, and limited experiences. We tend to focus only on what is in front of us, unable to perceive the bigger picture.
However, by acknowledging our limitations and opening our minds to new ideas, we can begin to see things from a wider perspective. It’s like stepping back from a painting to see the full masterpiece.
Perhaps a “God’s eye view” evokes a sense of vastness and expansiveness akin to standing on a mountaintop, where we can take in the beauty and complexity of the world around us. From this higher perspective, we can see the interconnectedness of all things and the deeper meaning and purpose behind the events of our lives.
How can we reach the top of a metaphorical mountaintop? We have to keep faith that our friends and loved ones will lift us up.
Mark 8:27-33. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-047: FEBRUARY 16, 2023]
Are we really blind or are we just closing our eyes?
It can be difficult to discern whether we are truly blind to something or simply avoiding an uncomfortable truth. Some signs that we are closing our eyes to difficult truths include resistance, avoidance, and fear.
On the other hand, if we are open to new ideas and perspectives, engage in difficult conversations, and confront our biases, we may be working to remove our blindness.
The spirit that emerges from authentic dialogue may parallel the transcendent power that can heal our blindness.
Mark 8:22-26. “Do you see anything?”
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-046: FEBRUARY 15, 2023]
Opening ourselves to unexpected insight and love
Insight and love parallel each other. Just as an open mind is required for insights to emerge, an open heart is needed for love to manifest.
The challenge is that both insight and love cannot be manufactured. They can be stimulated or cultivated, but they usually visit us like a serendipitous encounter. For love and insight to visit us, we must first understand ourselves and the thinking and feeling traps we usually fall into that may prevent us from being open.
It is a dance between our willingness to be vulnerable and our need to protect ourselves. But just as dancing may make a fool out of ourselves at times, the right timing can feel like grace – where everything falls into place perfect harmony with ourselves and those around us.
Mark 8:14-21. Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened?
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-045: FEBRUARY 14, 2023]
Inquiry should not entrap but liberate
Testing others not to discover the truth but simply to prove them wrong is not an act of authentic inquiry or intellectual curiosity, but rather an act of ego and arrogance.
When we approach a situation with the sole purpose of proving someone wrong, we close ourselves off to the possibility of learning something new or gaining a deeper understanding of the world around us.
Authentic inquiry is not about creating quicksands, but rather about creating an oasis that can quench our curiosity, even if only for a moment.
This can inspire us to walk through a seemingly messy and absurd desert and discover hidden paradises of meaning.
Mark 8:11-13. …seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-044: FEBRUARY 13, 2023]
From fragments to puzzle pieces
It’s not anymore an exaggeration to say that we’re living multidimensional lives. For each dimension or fragment, we project a part of ourselves that may be different from other contexts. We can have our work self, our family self, our friend self, and even a lover self.
Each dimension would have different demands, and sometimes (or oftentimes), this leads to us living fragmented, inconsistent, and inauthentic lives.
Our challenge: how do we turn seemingly incompatible fragments into coherent puzzle pieces that paint a more holistic and integrated picture of our best self?
It takes a continuous cycle of attentiveness to our various experiences, intellectual and emotional understanding of our tendencies, reasonableness in our assessments, and responsibility in our decisions and actions.
Matthew 5:17-37. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-043: FEBRUARY 12, 2023]
Generosity is the miracle
In a jungle-like world, a miracle is less about the multiplication of bread and fish and more about a kind of generosity that transcends our ego.
Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) captures the theme “survival of the fittest” especially through the redemption journey of Kenshin and the cruel philosophy of Shishio. Everything Everywhere All at Once proposes that “being kind” is a great default in an absurd and chaotic multiverse.
We cannot be blamed if our priority is to protect ourselves first because we have to survive. But the transformative miracle is when we internalize that kindness and generosity are greater than ourselves.
Sharing food may be finite, but sharing a piece of ourselves is like a gift that keeps on giving – with enough leftovers to uplift those who need our help.
Mark 8:1-10. They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets.
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-042: FEBRUARY 11, 2023]
Overcoming our blind spots
We all have blind spots, those areas in our lives where we cannot see our own biases and limitations. They can be dangerous traps that prevent us from growing and experiencing the full range of life’s possibilities. Blind spots can be like a dense forest, where it is easy to get lost and never find our way out.
Our challenge is to be soberly self-aware, almost like having a map of the dense forest that is our minds. We can only do so by reflecting on our thoughts, actions, and behaviors until we understand our patterns, tendencies, and weaknesses.
When we have discovered our weaknesses and blind spots, it is through our faith in others and the love we receive that we can overcome our blind spots.
Mark 7:31-37. And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-041: FEBRUARY 10, 2023]
Expanding the scope of our mission
We are not superheroes. There are so many grand challenges today that if we try solving them all alone, we either fail at doing anything at all or burn ourselves out.
It takes a lot of sober discernment to understand our limits and to know our niche. However, there could be times when we are granted a rare opportunity to go beyond our initial scope. Maybe it’s due to luck – having extra capacity at a very opportune time.
But to sustainably scale our reach, we must rely on building coalitions and designing ecosystems of support.
Mark 7:24-30. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-040: FEBRUARY 9, 2023]