Journal of Sacred Work

(Note: Today’s Meditation was written by Catherine Self – Erie) 

    Our belief in the power of living with high purpose, and the criticality of meaning described by Victor Frankl has taught us what can be accomplished by a person who was forced into a terrible environment (see January 26, 2007 meditation on A Life of Meaning.). What about someone who chose to work in an environment that many of us cannot truly imagine? The late Mother Teresa is one who demonstrated personal commitment by choosing to follow her calling to serve the poorest of the poor…

   After serving for years in Ethiopia, Mother Teresa led her followers to serve in India. Despite access to the world’s most powerful leaders, Mother Teresa’s work was not dedicated to the rich and powerful but to the desperately poor and most powerless of all, people whose voice is rarely heard. In India lives were controlled according to caste, classes into which that society was divided, and that dictated the social position and status of people according to their professions. While some were born into the privilege of working as teachers or lawyers, others were born into the work of cloth weaving or farming. Individuals born into the lowest of caste professions were condemned to cleaning the latrines of the city, a profession that was expected and demanded generation after generation. If you would like to see this saint talking about her life of commitment, take two minutes of your life to listen to this beautiful person discussing her mission by clicking on a marvelous clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbLS-vivKf0

   You can hear her sincerety in this clip, and you can see it as well. One cannot fake such belief and one cannot achieve such a life by working for the goal of money. Mother Teresa and her fellow nuns devoted themselves to serve the poorest of the poor, those who did not enjoy the “privileges” of even the lowest caste of society. These were the untouchables, left to die on the curbs of the city, many aged, and many more newly born and abandoned, left to die of AIDS. Her resources were limited at best, the need almost overwhelming. The world by and large viewed her cause as utterly hopeless and influential leaders often suggested giving up. For those who viewed success as saving lives, the clear question was why expend effort on those who have no chance? Of course, the answer was easy for Mother Teresa and her nuns. She often said that the “worst disease is loneliness” and she fought that disease with all of her life, with courage, compassion, with extraordinary personal commitment.

   We have before us, anytime we decide to consider Mother Teresa, a shining example of personal commitment to meaningful work. In electing to serve the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa voluntarily subjected herself to constant risks to her personal health and safety. Personal commitment requires taking risks. But it also requires partnership, trust and being equally dedicated to best results at all times. "The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire." (– Ferdinand Foch A potential danger for committed caregivers, however, is believing that success is about working all of the time. Personal commitment does not require that we become workaholics. In fact, workaholic behavior can block success just as effectively as can lazy behavior. So we all need to make rest a priority, to make time to play, to make time to breath oxygen so we can help others to breath it as well.

  Here are a few questions for reflection:

1) What is your level of commitment to your organization? Your team? Your work? Your self-care?

2) If your level of commitment is low, what would it take to "set fire" to your own soul?

3) How do I help others find the right balance between work and rest and play?

4) How do I nurture myself with rest, play and breathing to keep alive my own personal commitment?

Consider these words from a passage in W.H.Muray’s account of the 1950 expedition to Mt. Everest: "I believe goal commitment – the capacity to pledge oneself to a result worth creating – is the key to all success. It is through commitment to goals that we create what matters most in life, work, relationships, and business. Through goal commitment we navigate life’s messy complexity, create what matters most with whatever we have, and find our way to the real, lasting, and fulfilling simplicity and success on the other side of complexity."

-Catherine Self

Today’s Best Groundhog Day Clip: Finally, folks, it’s Groundhog Day. The movie of the same name is one of my top 5 favorite films of all time. Here is a brilliant 60 second clip put together by someone titled blueyoga. Watch it and celebrate this strange holiday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg2JCnYH6nM

-Erie Chapman