Skip to main content

SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-ACTUALIZATION

On his deathbed, St. Francis freed his Brothers by saying, “I have done what was mine to do, may Christ now teach you what you are to do.”  Why did he say this? So that his Brothers would not try to become him.  God created each of Francis’ Brothers to be who they were, not who St. Francis was.  The key for them finding out what was theirs to do was discovering whom God intended them to be. 

Now, 800 years later, self-awareness for our students is just - if not - more important.  A Franciscan view of career suggests each of our students needs to know who they are so that they can see the Good inside themselves, and share that Good to maximize their contribution to transform a world desperately in need of their Good.

Sadly, for most college students, self-awareness is in short supply.  On my radio show Thank God For Monday, guests advise that today’s college graduates are not self-aware.  Sure, they know accounting and biology and information technology, but are hopelessly clueless about who they are. 

When reflecting on my life, I discovered it was not until I was in my mid-40s before starting to understand myself.  I had no idea of the importance of self-awareness.  As a result, I spent a majority of my 29 years in big pharmaceuticals unfulfilled, frustrated, undernourished and angry - even worse, my contribution was a fraction of what it could have been.  Since becoming a Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn, my self-awareness and, therefore, contribution have greatly enhanced.

As we concentrate on getting our students “career-ready”, we need to remember the importance of creating opportunities so they can learn about themselves, especially their Core Values, Life Purpose, Personality Type and Strengths.  This enhanced awareness will provide them significant competitive advantage not only in the workplace, but in life.  Most importantly, at the end of their earthly journey they will be able to say, “I have done what was mine to do.”

Brother Gregory Cellini, OSF
Director, Office of Mission, Ministry and Interfaith Dialogue
St. Francis College

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE MANGER & THE MONSTRANCE: WHAT ST. FRANCIS’ MANGER SCENE CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE BREAD OF LIFE IN THE YEAR OF EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

The manger scene evokes our memories of Christmas: sharing delicious holiday dishes with family members, sitting around a Christmas tree with hot cocoa, or roasting chestnuts on an open fire. However, on this night, St. Francis did not partake in the feasting typical at Christmastime in the Middle Ages. Instead, he desired to “…enact the memory of that babe who was born in Bethlehem: to see as much as is possible with [his] own bodily eyes the discomfort of [Christ’s] infant needs, how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and ass standing by, he rested on hay”. Thus, the manger scene was born. On Christmas Eve in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi had the first live manger scene created in the town of Greccio. He gathered the townspeople from near and far to celebrate Mass and recall the origins of Christ’s humble birth.   Francis saw Our Lord’s birth as fundamental. His Birth is intimately tied to His Death. The two bookends of Christ’s Life on earth form the basis of Francis’ spiritu...
Post a Comment
Read more

THREE TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES

There are three experiences that profoundly shaped St. Francis of Assis’s life. Two were early: one year spent as a prisoner-of-war (from 1202-1203), and subsequent homelessness living among lepers outside Assisi’s walls (likely 1205). The third, Francis’ journey to Egypt (in 1219), occurred seven years before his death in 1226. Each unfolded differently than Francis anticipated. Seeking fame, Francis joined Assisi’s ongoing fight with its neighbor Perugia. The son of a wealthy cloth merchant went off to war well equipped with horse and armor. When the battle turned against Assisi, Francis’s life was spared because his equipment revealed he came from a family capable of paying a ransom. His poorer, fellow soldiers who survived the battle were likely executed or if wounded “dispatched” on the battlefield. Strangely, Francis wrote nothing about his year-long imprisonment. Released from captivity, he was shell of his former self. Having witnessed men killed in battle, others executed as...
Post a Comment
Read more