{"id":142,"date":"2018-10-08T01:17:51","date_gmt":"2018-10-08T01:17:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/?p=142"},"modified":"2018-10-08T02:22:31","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T02:22:31","slug":"light-of-many-lamps-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/2018\/10\/08\/light-of-many-lamps-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Light of Many Lamps – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

I chose to read the short story about the philosopher Seneca called \u201cTrue happiness is to rest satisfied with what we have\u201d (Watson, 1951: p.8). This story has a simple message that we all need to be reminded of: being grateful leads to true happiness. Considering it is thanksgiving weekend, this story was very timely as I am reflecting on all the blessings and people in my life that I am grateful for. It is easy to get caught up in the rat race or the “keeping up with the Jones\u2019” mentality; always trying to find the next thing that will hopefully bring happiness. However, Seneca argues that people look for happiness as if it is a destination; searching and searching without prevail. He articulates this by stating, \u201c True happiness\u2026 to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future\u2026\u201d (Watson, 1951: p.8). The timeless message that is still relevant centuries later reminds us that happiness is a state of mind. Happiness is an outlook on life; it is<\/em> the destination. We have no time but the present, and nothing added in the future will unlock the key to happiness.<\/p>\n

As a leader, sometimes it is easy to have my heart set on the next goal, objective, or quarter. I fall into the pattern where I think, \u201cif only I could make x amount of dollars or get my organization to x position\u2026\u201d Evidently, it becomes never-ending as I keep reaching and striving. Leaders are obsessed with growth and helping others reach their full potential; however, this can have its drawbacks. Sometimes, it never truly leaves leaders satisfied because before they have even accomplished one particular goal, they are looking for the next target. Leaders must learn to appreciate and be thankful for every moment but also look to the future for improvement. A balance must be sought between the two spheres of a growth mentality and a thankful mentality.<\/p>\n

This is relevant in my life because growth and never-ending self-improvement give me value. Stagnation or accepting the happy status quo is not an option for me. As a result, being grateful for the present, without continuously looking for a new goal to tackle, is a challenge for me. In the professional realm, I must appreciate the talent my organization has and not simply look for new talent that could have better skills. But, instead, I need to celebrate and be grateful for those that have transformed the business. As I seek to carry out the vision for my life (to mentor and empower women), I may become frustrated and unsatisfied by the results or lack there of. It will be my goal to be both grateful for how far I have come with my service as well as thankful that I get to continue to grow and inspire other women. Seneca encapsulates eloquently that happiness begins with being grateful for everything that we have in our life. I am very thankful that I got the opportunity to read this message this thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

Christina<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Watson, L.E. (1951).\u00a0Light from Many Lamps.<\/em> New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I chose to read the short story about the philosopher Seneca called \u201cTrue happiness is to rest satisfied with what we have\u201d (Watson, 1951: p.8). This story has a simple message that we all need to be reminded of: being grateful leads to true happiness. Considering it is thanksgiving weekend, this story was very timely … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Light of Many Lamps – Part 1”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,22,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ldrs500","category-light-from-many-lamps","category-unit-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142\/revisions\/148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/ccbeau\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}