What Were You Thinking?
In 1994, Mother Teresa gave a speech where she recounted four people in poor condition on a street in Calcutta. She asked the sisters who were with her to take care of three of them, telling them she would tend to the one who seemed closest to dying.
When Mother Teresa did everything she could to comfort, feed and place the poor woman in a bed, the woman had a beautiful smile on her face. She took Teresa’s hand as she uttered two words: “Thank you.” Then, she died with a smile on her face.
Mother Teresa continued, saying, “I could not help but examine my own conscience in that moment. What would I say if I were in her place? My answer was simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said, ‘I am hungry, I am dying, I am in pain’ or something like that. But she gave me much more; she gave me her gratitude and died with a smile on her face.”
We’ve all uttered the phrase to someone when they do something unexplainable: “What were you thinking?” We say it to our kids, spouses or colleagues in their irrational moments. The question is quite paramount. What we are thinking explains our words and actions. In Mother Teresa’s story, the dying woman was focused on the kindness she’d just received from a stranger, not the condition she was in.
May I ask you in this moment: What are you thinking?
What I Am Thinking
The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us. It’s when we consciously reflect on the things and people from whom we’ve benefited. Sadly, Thanksgiving is only a season for most people. The next time you find yourself feeling resentful, entitled, or perturbed, ask: What was I thinking? You clearly were focused on some inequity or inconvenience in your life, not the bigger picture.
If you think, you’ll thank.
Usually, when I ponder the word “thankful” I am oriented toward the past. I am grateful for someone or something that’s entered my life in the past. I feel appreciative for it. Today, I am oriented in my thanksgiving toward the future. I am thankful to you who serve the next generation. Your focus is on preparing them to lead the way one day. Your focus is forward.
·Young team members.
Young students.
Your own children.
Thanks for what you do now to prepare our young for the future. |