on accompaniment, attentiveness, and contribution
Introspection seeks deeper understanding by turning inward, exploring our own thoughts, emotions, and motivations.
Outrospection seeks deeper understanding by turning outward, focusing on the experiences and perspectives of others, deepening empathy and connection.
We each need both, and probably gravitate to one or the other.
We each may be well-served by practicing the one that does not come naturally.
Each of us long for good leaders. People committed to the common good, rooted in wisdom and active love.
I’ve heard this hope expressed in the “prayers of the faithful” quite a bit recently.
What if, as an answer to this prayer, God is speaking you to the world as the leader that you long to see?
A moment of anger can be quite involuntary. Something happens, crashing against our expectations of how things should be, and all of a sudden, we are furious.
Okay. But then what happens.
Choosing to fan the fury leads to barricading oneself on a self-righteous patch of moral high ground. Not a fun or productive place to live. This approach keeps us from being able to listen and relate to people who think differently from us. And so, anger keeps us from seeing and responding effectively to the situation that made us angry in the first place.
If we find ourselves to be furious, we can afterwards choose to become curious.
In this situation where I feel stuck and stymied, what is in my power to change?
A deeply important question to ask, and one that can be tough to answer well.
I was recently shown this succinct (and fun!) 20 minute group exercise that helps each participant answer the question with clarity and power.
What is your 15%?
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