“It’s so easy to get lost in our fears; to feel all alone. It’s true that there are some fears we—you, me, everyone—must face solely on our own. Yet compassion is a choice to not allow all to be lost. Compassion is affirmation that we live in a shared world—and are better for it.” -Karen G. Johnston
How can offering compassion be an act of service?
“…is your calling the work of the thousand arrows of your life,
the arrows that point to your hometown and your family,
the ones that point to your education and that weird summer job,
the ones that point to your greatest weakness and your greatest strength,
the one that points to the darkest moment of your life,
and the one that points at your most profound joy—
all these arrows of yours coming together in a way you never thought possible…” -Megan Foley, from “The Call”
How do you experience calling in your life?
“You’re either the leader who leads in the front of the line, trying to be seen and simultaneously heard as being the leader. Or you’re the leader in the middle of the line… trying to listen to every conversation being held, second guessing his own leadership. Or you’re the leader in the back of the line, allowing others the opportunity to know that it is to be a leader. From the back of the line, you see the front and the middle of the movement, and most importantly, all those that fell down in the midst of being misled, that have gotten tired and discouraged from lack of service. And you can extend your hand to help them back on their feet.” -Benjamin Jermone “Shorty” Freeman, as told to Gregory Davis, a CLF Member incarcerated in Maryland
When have you witnessed leadership from behind?
“Part of the Jaycee Creed reads that ‘service to humanity is the best work of life.’ It isn’t often that prison inmates are afforded the opportunity to pay it forward, be of service to others, think and act beyond the confines of razor-wire and cell blocks. Yet, this happens in the Character Building Unit, an unusual prison environment MacDougall Correctional Institution in the low country of South Carolina. Inmates sign a ‘social contract’ upon entering the program, committing to living the change they want in life daily while acting to have a positive influence on others who reside around them.” -Gary Farlow (a CLF member incarcerated in SC)
What would be in your “social contract” to build your character through service to others?
I was recently reminded of how often I have found myself dissatisfied with my leadership skills. If only I were more organized, if only my brain wasn’t so easily distracted by shiny things, if only my space was more neat… So many if onlys! So many judgements! This conversation reminded me that I lose a significant amount of energy and joy when I judge myself in this way.
What if instead I focus on the intersection of my passion, my natural skills, and a need in the world? I know through my life coaching work that this is the sweet spot for all of us, and that the intersection of those three circles is unique for each. – Julica Hermann de la Fuente (CLF Board Member)
What is the intersection of something you care passionately about, something that you do easily and enjoy doing, and a need in the world? May that sweet spot be a magnet in the days and weeks ahead for you, and for me, and for all of us.
