The days are long but the years are short

It’s fascinating how slow things move when in the moment. But when we begin to look back, it’s as if the moments have moved in such a hurry. If we’re not careful, the moments we cherish will only become a blur; we need to be present and pay attention so that the moments turn into lasting memories.

What does it mean to have an offspring? One to two decades ago, I would have answered in such a way that my child would carry on my dreams. My child could be my instrument to live vicariously for whatever dreams or goals I cannot accomplish in my lifetime.

But as I begin to understand the reflections of my students, make sense of my own journey, and witness how my child seems to grow so fast, I realize that my former line of thinking is selfish.

Those who come after us should not be burdened with an inherited responsibility. They must grow, discover who they are, and find out how they can become the best version of themselves.

What we can reasonably offer to them, then, is faith and love. Who knows, maybe in a few moments, they will be the one carrying us to a future of flourishing we have not even imagined yet.

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Matthew 5:17-19. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-074: MARCH 15, 2023]

Of adventures, treasures, and clichés

Franco seems to like stretching his arms after we remove his swaddle. He’s so animated when he stretches!

His movements reminded me of a game I used to play when I was around 3 years old when I’m alone and bored. I would imagine a fantasy world while lying in bed – acting out anime moves (kamemaheha!) and different characters. (Yes, sometimes, toys just don’t cut it!)

So many stories have been told about fantasies and searching for treasures (Dragon Ball, One Piece), which is typically found in the shonen genre of Japanese manga and anime. The cliché would be something along these lines:

“It’s the journey, not the destination.”

“The true treasure is the friends we made along the way.”

From a passive viewer’s perspective, these clichés seem dull or even corny at times.

But as I embark on a new journey as a father and also reflect on what we’ve been teaching about managing and organizing… the clichés seem so true when we are not viewers anymore, but proactive actors in the stories we write.

And as I start this journey, my hope is that I won’t be taking anything for granted – be it the clichés or the unique things that would make us different from the journey of others.

It’d be such a thrill to both witness and help Franco in his battles and journey towards becoming the best version of himself!

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Luke 4:24-30. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-072: MARCH 13, 2023]

When I held him in my arms for the first time

It was a brief moment of rest in between family visitors and nurses and doctors doing their rounds. After the hustle of logistics, a certain kind of peace descended unto our hospital room.

I finally got my alone time with my son. Him, in my arms, for the first time.

Words cannot explain the emotions that I felt. When a person gets to hold, literally and figuratively, a piece of themselves in their arms, it both feels most real and most miraculous.

How amazing is it for someone so little to be able to touch my heart and soul?

Right then and there, I knew that it was possible for a person to be the embodiment of love.

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Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. “…because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-070: MARCH 11, 2023]

Attention is a small price to pay that we must never take for granted

The digital arena is a war about something that we may be taking for granted but is increasingly becoming more valuable: our attention.

“Paying attention” is such an apt phrase, because the structures that surround us compete for our attention. In other words, there are many things around us that are built to distract – ads, smartphones, endless reels and shorts, or even general noise pollution. But when we allow ourselves to be pulled in too many directions, we risk losing control of our time and our lives. It is easy to get lost in distractions and let our focus slip away, but when we do, we miss out on our experiences.

We miss opportunities to encounter new insights and to find new ways of flourishing.

The next time we mindlessly do something, maybe we should pause: is what we’re doing worth the price we pay, worth paying attention to? By making a conscious effort to be mindful of how we pay attention, we can better predispose ourselves to insights and flourishing.

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Luke 16:19-31. “He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-068: MARCH 9, 2023]