Of discovering potential and maximizing them

When I reflect about the things it took for me to be where I am now, I cannot help but pay attention to how lucky I am to have been supported and mentored in my personal, school, and professional life. I find it impossible to “repay the favor” (what can I offer to mentors who are wiser than me?), so the only way it makes sense for me is to express my gratitude by paying it forward.

It’s not easy to discover our own potential – we often need guidance from others who went before us. And if I should serve as a guide to others, I would admit that it is also not easy. It is a mix of logic and intuition, especially when what we’re advocating is authenticity.

Lately I have been reflecting on the tension between “meeting standards” and “being authentic”. This is triggered by my students’ essays, and this seems to be a theme worth thinking about. I find that students, in this “cheesy” but necessary quest of “finding one’s self”, would lean into standards and ideals echoed by the school, society, and the world. The initial phase seems to be to anchor self-worth on the validation of others, because the younger ones likely haven’t found the credibility and built the track record to soberly yet fully trust one’s strengths and weaknesses.

And it is during this formative phase when the presence of mentors and guides are most important – providing accompaniment, sober advice, and a balance of optimism and caution, but all anchored on a faith towards flourishing.

It is another end of the academic year full of transitions, embracing the post-pandemic era yet cognizant of the disruptions an AI world may bring. Hopefully, the smallest of seeds can indeed fully grow into the largest of trees.

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Matthew 13:31-35. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-212: JULY 31, 2023]

When it feels that God is absent

When we feel distant from God or question where He is in difficult times, it can shake our faith to the core. However, it is in these lonely moments that we must cling to the beliefs that provide our foundation.

Choosing what is right in the midst of doubt and uncertainty takes courage and commitment. We must reflect on the values God calls us to – compassion, justice, service to others – and make them our guideposts.

When we act in alignment with these, even when we feel unsure, we create good in the world. Through small acts of love and sacrifice for others, we can feel closer to the divine spark within us.

After all, faith is not something we simply acquire; it is a muscle that we must continue to exercise both in easy times and hard.

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John 11:19-27. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-210: JULY 29, 2023]

Smithing words: Gifts that keep on giving insights and meaning

Smithing words is a craft that requires patience and care. An insightful phrase can be a gift that keeps on giving, illuminating new perspectives each time it’s unwrapped.

The blacksmith reheats and reshapes metal into useful forms. A writer can rework words and shape ideas into meaningful forms too. With each strike of the pen, they fold in new layers of understanding.

A well-turned phrase is a gift that never stops teaching. It shifts our gaze, revealing truths we hadn’t seen before. The gift of insight is not flashy, but its value deepens with time.

A single line can light up connections across years.

The most meaningful words are those smithed not for show, but to share fresh ways of seeing. They offer insight as a gift that keeps on giving, quietly shaping perspectives even as the world changes around them.

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Matthew 13:10-17. Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-208: JULY 27, 2023]

Seeking to bite more than we can chew

Why do we so often try to take on more than we can handle? Sometimes it comes from a healthy desire to push our limits and grow. When we challenge ourselves with tough goals, we can surprise ourselves with how much we can accomplish. But other times, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs due to less noble motivations. We can overload our plates out of greed, ego, and a sense of entitlement.

We have to be careful that our ambition drives us to flourish rather than merely accumulate and consume. There’s a fine line between striving for excellence and being overwhelmed by excess. The wise know how much is enough; they focus on developing their character more than expanding their possessions.

To thrive, we should grow slowly but surely – biting off what we can chew while mastering each mouthful. Our reach should exceed our grasp, but not so far that we lose our balance.

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Matthew 20:20-28. “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-206: JULY 25, 2023]

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

I can imagine how much it would amuse the devil if he succeeds in making an otherwise good and intelligent person “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Sometimes in the course of trying to do something good, we may unwittingly discard something of value and virtue.

For example, a business owner trying to cut costs and increase efficiency may decide to eliminate an old program that also provides crucial services to the community. A parent trying to help their child improve their grades may put so much pressure on academics that the child loses their passion for learning. Or a society fighting against inequality and injustice may, in its zeal, begin to cancel people for innocent mistakes.

Thus, we must be careful not to undermine the very principles we seek to uphold. Discernment, nuance, and moderation are needed to enact meaningful and sustainable change.

The devil surely revels when in trying to do right, we end up doing wrong. But if we stay grounded in wisdom and compassion, we can avoid his traps. With care and conscience, we can fix what is broken without breaking what still has value. We can cleanse without destroying, improve without compromising. There are always babies worth protecting, even in the dirtiest bathwater.

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Matthew 13:24-43. He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ His slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ He replied, ‘No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-204: JULY 23, 2023]