Give Them A Desire For The Sea
March 21, 2002
Dear Friends
I was reading an article about the challenges faced by busy people contrasting the need for ‘energy’ on the one hand, and ‘focus’ on the other. It opened with the reminder that we are not paid to ‘make the inevitable happen’ which reminded me of St. Paul’s ‘this one thing I do’, and Jesus’ determination to be ‘about his fathers business’.
Low energy/focus people are often procrastinators(30%) who feel insecure or fear failure. Low energy/High focus people (20%) are described as ‘disengaged’ who need to be revitalised with scope for creativity. High energy/Low Focus people (the distracted 40%) feel a desperate need to do something – anything! By contrast High energy/focus people – the purposeful 10% find ways of husbanding their energy and follow meaningful challenges, in which they exercise personal choice. Clearly there are many people with energy – but in need of focus.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery summarised the territory with the maxim “If you want to build a ship – don’t drum up the men to go to the forest to gather wood, saw it and nail the planks together. Instead, teach them the desire for the sea.”
May God help us to have a renewed ‘desire for the sea’, or to be specific, a deep concern for people who are lost and/or suffering.
Yours truly,
Victor Pilmoor
Treasurer