“The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt." --Frederick Buechner
I remember the first time I heard the term “servant leadership”. I was listening to Relevant Radio while I was driving to visit my mother about three years ago.
One of the professors from the servant leadership graduate program at Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Tom Thibodeau, was being interviewed and I don’t know how to explain it but there was just something about him…His storytelling abilities are out of this world and I was drawn in by his description of what servant leadership involved.
This summer I finally had an opportunity to take that class for online certification and it was incredible!
I discovered that servant leadership is a calling that involves seeing the world not just through your eyes but also through the eyes of every person you meet. It is a way of life that focuses on empathy in the truest sense of the word. Being able to feel what others are going through is so important, along with being patient and kind, as you discover that the learning will be life-long and therefore never really end.
Servant leaders listen more than they speak and have open minds and hearts to accept and welcome people who may be quite different then they are but nonetheless, have value. It also involves not only believing in the good of others but also being an example of that goodness.
We had three optional Zoom meetings during the class and it was so interesting meeting my classmates and hearing each of their stories.
One of the most powerful parts of the class for me revolved around leading during change and transitions. People shared how the pandemic impacted their lives and it was so reassuring to me that I was not alone in my own struggles during that time period. The entire world shifted during those months and following years and remembering our fragility as human beings…that is the key to learning to evolve and adjust…
I was also drawn to the servant leadership program because I have felt a calling to help others throughout my life.
In high school I had a summer job where I worked as a receptionist at a support organization for disabled adults and that was the beginning of my journey working in service-oriented jobs.
I loved the feeling I had of helping people and in college I pursued a degree in elementary education with a minor in library science. The library science portion developed during my work study positions when I worked in the university libraries where I attended college.
After graduating in 1992, I started working in public education and stayed for 28 years. I loved teaching elementary students about technology and literature appreciation, while running four different elementary school libraries over those years. Both teaching and library services gave me opportunities to help others and I really enjoyed that.
During Covid, I had to leave teaching and start all over. I tried to get a job in public libraries and I had interviews but nothing that worked out for me. It was a very difficult time in my life…not having a clear path forward…Then I was offered my current position as a church secretary and found myself in a whole different area and a new path, which I am loving.
Currently, I am working on finding out more about servant leadership and looking forward to what the future may hold for me in that area…
If you ever have the opportunity to take this class, please do. It is a wonderful experience and you will meet so many great people who also have the same intentions - making the world a better place, one person, and one positive experience, at a time.
I can’t think of a better goal to have than that…
What do you think?
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Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
Austin Perine may look like your average 4-year-old. But once a week, he turns into his alter ego: a superhero set on feeding as many homeless people as possible. Steve Hartman has his story.
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
What I am reading…
This week I finished reading The Second Mountain: the Quest for a Moral Life by David Brooks. I love his books and this one didn’t disappoint.
The Amazon description is as follows, “Every so often, you meet people who radiate joy—who seem to know why they were put on this earth, who glow with a kind of inner light. Life, for these people, has often followed what we might think of as a two-mountain shape. They get out of school, they start a career, and they begin climbing the mountain they thought they were meant to climb. Their goals on this first mountain are the ones our culture endorses: to be a success, to make your mark, to experience personal happiness. But when they get to the top of that mountain, something happens. They look around and find the view . . . unsatisfying. They realize: This wasn’t my mountain after all. There’s another, bigger mountain out there that is actually my mountain.
And so they embark on a new journey. On the second mountain, life moves from self-centered to other-centered. They want the things that are truly worth wanting, not the things other people tell them to want. They embrace a life of interdependence, not independence. They surrender to a life of commitment.
In The Second Mountain, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.
In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. But it’s also a provocative social commentary. We live in a society, Brooks argues, that celebrates freedom, that tells us to be true to ourselves, at the expense of surrendering to a cause, rooting ourselves in a neighborhood, binding ourselves to others by social solidarity and love. We have taken individualism to the extreme—and in the process we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. In The Second Mountain, Brooks shows what can happen when we put commitment-making at the center of our lives.”
What I am watching…
I have returned to watching the cooking series Pioneer Woman on the Food Network. This was a television show I loved watching with my mother. Ree Drummond is an award-winning blogger and best-selling cookbook author and her show shares her special brand of home cooking, from throw-together suppers to elegant celebrations.
I have made dozens of her recipes over the years and I love her use of ordinary ingredients that when combined, turn into extraordinary meals!
https://watch.foodnetwork.com/show/the-pioneer-woman-food-network
This week’s TED Talk
Servant Leadership is both timely and timeless. The practice of servant leadership can be found in all cultures, nations, and religions and is finding expression in our contemporary institutions. All of us can practice servant leadership because we all serve. The positive power of servant leadership is expressed every day through our words, our presence and our commitment to the common good.
Thomas Thibodeau is a distinguished professor of servant leadership at Viterbo University and is a 33 year veteran of the Viterbo faculty. The Master's degree in Servant Leadership at Viterbo is the only Master's degree of its kind in the country. Tom is a husband, father, grandfather, teacher and founding member of the Place of Grace.
Podcast picks…
The Bible tells us to be thankful and to say so, not just with words, but also with our actions. Today, Joyce teaches on the importance of serving others and the power that comes from helping and loving people.
Mind/Body connections…
Sleep can be a tricky thing! If you aren't sleeping all that great lately, try listening to this before you fall asleep. Affirmations are a quick and easy way to put your mind in the right space to fall asleep and get a beautiful, deep sleep!
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. I love the “classics”. Here’s The Beatles with Hello, Goodbye ...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….