Balance of being and doing
Rather than putting being and doing at two ends of a spectrum, I think there is a reflective kind of ‘doing’ that does not come from our drivenness, but arises out of a sense of purpose. The question is, “what motivates you”? If our motivation comes from a desire to prove ourselves we become slaves to our own and other people’s expectations. This makes us harsh critics of our own perceived performance and escalates stress when receiving feedback from others which we may hear in a negative light.
Motivation is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I want to achieve and succeed, but it is how we measure ourselves which determines whether that is energising or deflating. Reflecting on this as I write stirs me to think how I measure myself. Most of us are performance driven – we have absorbed the mantra that we only as good as our last performance. We do need to be accountable, but I need to remind myself that getting things ‘wrong’ is OK, provided we learn from the experience. Groff suggests this is linked to the balance of the soul’s going out (descent or separation) and returning(ascent and reintegration). The Prodigal Son is a classic example. So I learn again today, not to let others intimidate me, to use experiences as opportunities for growth and development and to check my motivation when I start to feel the pressure.
On the One Show last night Sister Wendy Beckett described what it means to live a happy life which they also picked up on in the Breakfast Show. (You can tell I’m living on my own at the moment!) Interesting that I was also meditating on Philippians 4 where Paul describes the people he is writing to as his joy and crown (crown in greek is stephanos from which we get the name Stephen) Crown can be the wreath of victory or the kingly crown or it can be the garland of celebration(joy). Sister Wendy suggested that the secret of her happiness came from her motivation to serve God. My thoughts keep coming back to motivation and service to others. Hospital Chaplaincy gives plenty of opportunity to serve other people.
Rather than putting being and doing at two ends of a spectrum, I think there is a reflective kind of ‘doing’ that does not come from our drivenness, but arises out of a sense of purpose. The question is, “what motivates you”? If our motivation comes from a desire to prove ourselves we become slaves to our own and other people’s expectations. This makes us harsh critics of our own perceived performance and escalates stress when receiving feedback from others which we may hear in a negative light.
Motivation is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I want to achieve and succeed, but it is how we measure ourselves which determines whether that is energising or deflating. Reflecting on this as I write stirs me to think how I measure myself. Most of us are performance driven – we have absorbed the mantra that we only as good as our last performance. We do need to be accountable, but I need to remind myself that getting things ‘wrong’ is OK, provided we learn from the experience. Groff suggests this is linked to the balance of the soul’s going out (descent or separation) and returning(ascent and reintegration). The Prodigal Son is a classic example. So I learn again today, not to let others intimidate me, to use experiences as opportunities for growth and development and to check my motivation when I start to feel the pressure.
On the One Show last night Sister Wendy Beckett described what it means to live a happy life which they also picked up on in the Breakfast Show. (You can tell I’m living on my own at the moment!) Interesting that I was also meditating on Philippians 4 where Paul describes the people he is writing to as his joy and crown (crown in greek is stephanos from which we get the name Stephen) Crown can be the wreath of victory or the kingly crown or it can be the garland of celebration(joy). Sister Wendy suggested that the secret of her happiness came from her motivation to serve God. My thoughts keep coming back to motivation and service to others. Hospital Chaplaincy gives plenty of opportunity to serve other people.
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