We prove ourselves not to others, but to our ever-evolving mission

We prove ourselves not to others, but to our ever-evolving mission

I’ve been afforded a fortunate vantage point – being a teacher-slash-administrator of an academic program I was a graduate of. I see some pieces of me in every student I mentor, and this makes the space I am at all the more crucial.

I feel that if I’m not providing advice and opportunities that allow the new generation to be better than what I was back then, I would not be doing a good job or at least perform in a way that I would be proud of myself.

Looking at my past self and witnessing the journey of my students, I see how challenging peer pressure and hustle culture could be. At an age where our bodies are literally changing, the world ever-so-evolving, and the real world comes knocking, how do we find time to find our mission?

Our college lives are when it’s best to have an idea about our sense of self and what our mission could be. And it’s okay if we cannot articulate these as clearly as we would want – what matters is that we’re exerting the effort, experimenting, and willing to learn.

What should be managed is how much value we put to satisfying all the expectations of the world. As I ponder on these and witness my previous selves go through the same journey today, an insight seems to be getting clearer:

We prove ourselves not to others, but to our ever-evolving mission.

Matthew 4:1-11. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-057: FEBRUARY 26, 2023]