Light From Many Lamps –Sir William Mulock (Post #5)
Sir William Mulock: The shadows of evening lengthen about me, but morning is in my heart.
I have to admit, I was drawn to this story because of it’s title The shadows of evening lengthen about me, but morning is in my heart. As the mother of a newborn baby, evening literally lengthens about me and the morning is truly in my heart because baby Macey sleeps all day and eats all night! Every night as I sit awake with her from 2am to 6am, I long for morning to come when she sleeps four or five hours!
In his passage, Mulock (as cited in Watson, 1988) urges his readers to find happiness and contentment even in their later years of life. At 28 years of age, I do not consider myself in my later years of life, but Mulock’s message really resonated with me. As I go through this transitional period into motherhood, there have been several times where I look back and I miss the freedoms (and sleep) that my pre-baby days entailed. I love my baby girl but I also miss going out with my friends to the newest restaurants and coming home knowing I can get a full night’s sleep. When I sit in bed, pumping for the seventh time that day and I scroll through Facebook and my friends posting pictures of their latest outing, I have to admit I feel a twinge of sadness when I realize I do not have the freedom to join them like I used to. I enjoy motherhood and spending time with Macey, but I also miss being me. Mulock encourages his audience, stating “The best of life is always further on. Its real lure is hidden from our eyes, somewhere behind the hills of time” (as cited in Watson, 1988, p. 268). I am reminded that while I had many enjoyments in the past that I have left behind, there are greater and better things ahead of me such as the first time I will be able to see that Macey recognizes me or when she says her first words (please let it be mama!). Trying new restaurants with my friends was fun, but it can not even begin to compare to when I will witness Macey’s first steps.
An important characteristic of a leader is being able to be flexible when internal or external factors shift and to embrace change as it comes. Organizations often need to be reassessed and processes need to be updated to reflect a changing environment. A strong leader implements necessary changes in order to ensure that the organization remains relevant and competitive. In order to inspire commitment and faith, leaders must focus on the future and be positive rather than dwell on the past and processes that are no longer relevant.
References
Watson, L. E. (1988). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.