The Weekly Word
I was speaking with a friend of mine the other day who is the CEO, Chief Executive Officer, of a successful company. And I asked him, ‘What makes a good CEO, what makes a good leader of a company?’ He said, ‘The secret is, whenever something goes wrong, a good leader takes responsibility for it and doesn’t blame anyone else. And whenever something goes right, a good leader praises and thanks everyone but himself.’
Within every soul, within each one of us, there is also a good leader – an inner, spiritual CEO. This spiritual CEO in us is the one that can let go of the temptation to blame others for our sufferings and take responsibility for the conditions of our lives. The spiritual CEO in us has the courage to say yes to our personal failures, and the strength to extend responsibility beyond ourselves. The CEO in us works in the world as though everything depends on us.
And yet, at the very same time, the CEO in us knows that we can do nothing on our own, that it is by the efforts of others and the grace of God that we live. Therefore, humble gratitude is the rightful response for everything good that comes into our lives, overcoming the temptation of pride to take credit for our blessings. The CEO in us works in the world as though everything depends on God.
Dear friends, may we always find in us these true riches of our inner CEO, these spiritual treasures that will not rust or be eaten by moths, that no one can steal; the inner strength and courage to take responsibility for everything that comes into our lives, and the humility and wisdom that knows all blessings, all fruit, are gifts from God.