Today I am thinking about my role as a 'leader' and in that role know that I need both wisdom and encouragement. I find that sometimes in words, and along with Scripture, O'Donohue's blessings have been a comfort. Here's some words that help me.
For A Leader
May you have the grace and wisdom
To act kindly, learning
To distinguish between what is
Personal and what is not.
May you be hospitable to criticism.
May you never put yourself at the center of things.
May you act not from arrogance but out of service.
May you work on yourself,
Building up and refining the ways of your mind.
May those who work for you know
You see and respect them.
May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.
When someone fails or disappoints you,
May the graciousness with which you engage
Be their stairway to renewal and refinement.
May you treasure the gifts of the mind
Through reading and creative thinking
So that you continue as a servant of the frontier
Where the new will draw its enrichment from the old,
And you never become a functionary.
May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity,
The springtime edge of the bleak question.
May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.
May you have good friends
To mirror your blind spots.
May leadership be for you
A true adventure of growth.
- John O'Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us
© John O’Donohue. All rights reserved
"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." - Colossians 3:12-14, The Message
the musings of a simple 'girl' that eats dirt and wants to grow wellness and wisdom
About Me
- Dee
- Northfield, MN
- investigator into the integration of health, wholeness, and the holy; beloved child of God; half-centurian; wanna-be nurturer; promoter of family togetherness; grateful girl!
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Booklist
- Behold Your Life: A Pilgrimage Through Your Memories, by Macrina Wiederkehr
- Felicity, by Mary Oliver
- Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth, by Robert A. Johnson
- Glittering Images, by Susan Howatch
- Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
- Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins
- Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins
- Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
- Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, by Cynthia Bourgeault
1 comment:
It is so great to see how John’s work continues to weave “words of love . . . an invisible cloak, to mind your life.” I want to support you in sharing that inspiration and love; and I am also responsible for minding the technicalities connected with the preservation of John’s estate and literary legacy.
John’s family would be very grateful if you would add to your quote a note that gives the title of the book from which the poem is quoted, as well as the copyright attribution ( © John O’Donohue. All rights reserved). It would also be great if you could provide a link to the web site: www.johnodonohue.com — so that those who want to know more about John can come to us!
warmly and with gratitude,
Lindaa
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