I was listening to the "daily musing" of Manuel Astruc and I was struck by his way of simplifying complex issues. Today's topic was "leadership" which he pared down to "helping others help others."
It's not that I don't like that idea. Part of me wanted to say: I surrender. Go Manuel! But, I couldn't because for me that doesn't quite fit.
I have a primal belief that from our imperfection rises what "sacred offerings" there are. Maybe what really troubles me about Manuel's definition is the elimination of the reality that each human lives within. My definition of leadership goes more like this:
Ring the bell that still can ring
Forget the sacred offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in. --Leonard Cohen
Each of us rings the bell we have. I'm 73, for example, and severely hampered by arthritis and plaque growth in my back. Pain is my "crack in everything." What's my bell? I can bring myself to each arena available to me. Hence, I play bridge online with my brother and son as a way to connect with them and love them. I take an online class with my best friend and we speak weekly by phone about what we are learning. I still teach at a local college. I ring the bell that still can ring.
Manuel is making a "sacred offering" although he doesn't call it that. As a person who has and does change my life constantly, a mentor-teacher whom I admire more than most, there's no doubt that he brings a concept of excellence that his many followers online and in person will strive for. Go Manuel!
The difference is that I don't really believe in excellence. For me, Leonard Cohen has it right. Ring the bell that still can ring . . . There is a crack in everything. I'm so glad.
It's not that I don't like that idea. Part of me wanted to say: I surrender. Go Manuel! But, I couldn't because for me that doesn't quite fit.
I have a primal belief that from our imperfection rises what "sacred offerings" there are. Maybe what really troubles me about Manuel's definition is the elimination of the reality that each human lives within. My definition of leadership goes more like this:
Ring the bell that still can ring
Forget the sacred offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in. --Leonard Cohen
Each of us rings the bell we have. I'm 73, for example, and severely hampered by arthritis and plaque growth in my back. Pain is my "crack in everything." What's my bell? I can bring myself to each arena available to me. Hence, I play bridge online with my brother and son as a way to connect with them and love them. I take an online class with my best friend and we speak weekly by phone about what we are learning. I still teach at a local college. I ring the bell that still can ring.
Manuel is making a "sacred offering" although he doesn't call it that. As a person who has and does change my life constantly, a mentor-teacher whom I admire more than most, there's no doubt that he brings a concept of excellence that his many followers online and in person will strive for. Go Manuel!
The difference is that I don't really believe in excellence. For me, Leonard Cohen has it right. Ring the bell that still can ring . . . There is a crack in everything. I'm so glad.
