Witnessing “meraki” – soul in one’s work

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.

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

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