 |
 |
 |
 |
2. His thoughts
The Passion and the Romance
Turning our Values into Value
But the story does not end there. When we cherish a person, we naturally accommodate and welcome the person into our own inner selves. We allow him or her to influence us. There comes between two spirits that deep sense of intimacy, which literally means “touching each other within.” What happens after that is called a romance. They can be likened to two individual gears locked and engaged to one another; the movement of one causes and conditions the movement of the other and vice versa. They move with clockwork precision as one altogether.
On the human plane, the inner splendor of the cherished person so enamors the beholder that little by little, often through inexplicable ways, the latter lives the values of the cherished person. Thus, a transformation starts to happen in the beholder’s heart. We can safely say that such personal changes are genuine because they are born out of influence, not imposed by any external pressures or manipulation. These changes, since they come from within the person, can be counted upon to last the extra steps of life, in time or in intensity.
Such is the magic of genuine friendship; it sets the beloved free. My fidelity to my values awakens, so to say, the same values lying dormant in the other. The inner splendor raging in my heart ignites the same splendor in the other person. Psychologists say we cathect with the object of our love. We become literally hooked on the person in time, much like a foster parent considering truly an adopted child as her own.
In the business setting, there can be no productive effort unless the connections among the people engaged in the enterprise are reasonably established. Teamwork builds upon the romance binding the spirits of everyone. Or maybe we can rephrase that by saying that relationships get the job done. And relationships are but the entire gamut of positive behavioral indicators of values lived together in community.
Then, what about the leader? He will ultimately condemn himself to anachronism should he ensconce himself in his comfortable corner office. He has to touch flesh; his foremost concern shall be the well-being of each and everyone in his team. Surveys show that people will stay even in low-paying jobs if they feel appreciated and cared for. In fine, leadership is getting the job done while building relationships. And values tighten the connections.
The challenge, I believe, lies in taking the initiative to live my own values without waiting for others to do the same, nor expect some kind of requite. It is the Law of the Harvest at work, so natural, and truly guaranteed. If only we respect each other, we can get the job done with least expense of resources at the soonest possible time. Call it animo; call it chutzpah. Call that creating opportunities in the workplace. But respect will remain a moribund seven-letter word in the dictionary if I will not take the first step to show my respect to others. I decide to respect people and choose to be consistent with that choice. In time, others will deal with me in a more or less predictable manner, because I am consistent in dealing respectfully with them. And how do you deal with a person who respects you everyday despite your changing moods and whims? Of course, you will also show respect to him. Voila!
Allow me to add that living consistently my values trigger the same values in my neighbors. What really happens is that the value does not remain in the personal plane; in time, it becomes an operative value for the entire team or community. From a personal transformation, we create a positive change in the lifestyle of the community. Stephen Covey never tires of assuring us that private victories precede our public victories.
Enthusiasm makes the difference.
A wise old gentleman of eighty tells his friends as they reach sixty: “You have spent sixty years in preparation for life; you will now begin to live. At sixty you have learned what is worthwhile. You have conquered the worst forms of foolishness. You have reached a “balanced period” of your life, knowing good from evil, what is precious, what is worthless. Danger is past, the mind is peaceful, evil is forgiven, the affections are strong, envy is weak. It is the happy age.” Maybe we can add: “Welcome to sixty, the ripe age of quality.” I’d like to underscore the theme of enthusiasm in these words. Many a people gather mounds of fear as they count the years of their lives. And yet, at a time when one’s knees shake and the memory sometimes mistakes the left knee for the right, here is a soul who proclaims: “it is a happy age.”
Message from the Publisher
His thoughts - p.1 |
p.2 |
p.3 |
p.4 |
p.5 |
p.6
Schedule of talks and seminars
Viewers reactions
|
|
|
|
|
 |
