COLLEGE PARK, MD –
The last few weeks have been a dive into the topics of rites of passage and preparation.
Those who actually experience rites of passage are more likely to be preparers for tomorrow.
Preparation for tomorrow pretty much sums up our entire job as believers. Those who do their job are givers. Their giving makes them leaders.
Among that select group of givers there are the leaders of the leaders. They have something in common.
Internal passing
People who excel at giving and add to the wealth of the world usually have an acute vision of tomorrow. That vision allows them to clearly sift through what is important and what is not.
That ability is the key to giving.
For example, many people wish they prioritized their families more once they are too old to rectify the matter. Special people see their family’s importance from the beginning and give of themselves accordingly. They are ahead of the curve.
These givers’ internal states undergo rites of passage before their external states indicate they would. They are able to use their blessings at the time they are most of use.
How often is it said that “youth is wasted on the young”?
This is said to reflect that most people either have strength coupled with ignorance or wisdom coupled with weakness, so both are left without reaching their potential. The foremost givers, however, gain wisdom rare for their biological age and make great use of their youth.
These people live by different rules – the rules of giving. That is how they get ahead.
They do the amount of giving someone may do in their entire lifetime in just a few years. As such, their wisdom and experience surge to the levels that a common man doesn’t reach until they are near their end.
This is the stuff of givers.
Nails
These people exist and are treasures for us and our communities. The trouble can be that they are misunderstood or even threatening to those that don’t share their giving streak.
As such, they can be targets for aggression, ridicule and exclusion. A Japanese proverb warns: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”
New research by professor Hui Liao from the University of Maryland’s Smith School reveals that the team dynamic [ie a community] can be particularly poisonous for high performers who out-give their peers.
In the context of employment, many high performers exit their organizations to escape the negative social consequences. But even when they stay, they often flounder without peer support.
I can’t help but draw a parallel to the many bright, amazing young people I sit down with who have either left their communities or floundered within them without the proper support. Collectively, we need to support our most talented as they bring their gifts to the world. This will help us transition from survival to thriving.
Instead of artificially attempting to create a monolithic personality everyone must exhibit perhaps we can use some of these business tips to help us get down to the business of progress within our selves and communities.
We’ll pick up on the theme of progress next week, God willing!
Best,
Tarif