"Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." John 5:19
No one would argue that it is important to do the "right" thing, to the best of one's ability. Most would add that motive is also an important consideration. I would like to suggest that paying attention to how we do what we do is at least as important, and in many ways much more revealing.
The "right" thing to do is not that obvious. For one thing, we are really good at justifying our choices. The likelihood of self deception is higher than we like to think. Additionally, we're simply not wise enough to predict the long term consequences of our actions. In the end, we accept our limitations and trust that the best, as far as we can discern it, is worth doing.
Our motives might be even more elusive. We tend to understand that actions are contingent and that results are beyond our control. But motive is a reflection of our identity, so we're even more invested in thinking that our motives are good. Even when we are self reflective and understand that motive is complicated, there are loads of cultural and temperamental factors that work below the surface of our awareness. These realities may in fact be fathomless.
I have found that paying attention to the way that I do what I do gives me real feedback about, not only my motives, but the quality of my choices and even the implications of my actions. It's as if the action is the sun, the motive is the self that I can't quite see, and the way that I do what I do is the shadow cast by my actions and motives. If I'm paying attention, I get a pretty good impression of these hidden realities.
For example, if I notice myself hurried and distracted while I do my work, it's a sure sign that I'm not motivated by love. It reveals that I'm not really present, which is a prerequisite to love. It signals to me that the quality of my work is at risk. It also reveals that I'm effectively sleep walking, so I might not notice if the thing that I'm doing is still the "right" action.
I'm not really choosing until I wake up. While I'm asleep I'm a victim of my dreams, which include unexamined ways of seeing and valuing that were formed in me by my culture and family of origin. And these unconscious influences affect the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of my life.
The manner in which I do what I do, however, can be very revealing and has the added benefit of bringing my attention to the present moment. All my plans for change are destined to fail if I am asleep, so the first priority is to wake up. Wake up to the way that I am living, because the WHAT is already in motion and the WHY is largely a mystery.
No one would argue that it is important to do the "right" thing, to the best of one's ability. Most would add that motive is also an important consideration. I would like to suggest that paying attention to how we do what we do is at least as important, and in many ways much more revealing.
The "right" thing to do is not that obvious. For one thing, we are really good at justifying our choices. The likelihood of self deception is higher than we like to think. Additionally, we're simply not wise enough to predict the long term consequences of our actions. In the end, we accept our limitations and trust that the best, as far as we can discern it, is worth doing.
Our motives might be even more elusive. We tend to understand that actions are contingent and that results are beyond our control. But motive is a reflection of our identity, so we're even more invested in thinking that our motives are good. Even when we are self reflective and understand that motive is complicated, there are loads of cultural and temperamental factors that work below the surface of our awareness. These realities may in fact be fathomless.
I have found that paying attention to the way that I do what I do gives me real feedback about, not only my motives, but the quality of my choices and even the implications of my actions. It's as if the action is the sun, the motive is the self that I can't quite see, and the way that I do what I do is the shadow cast by my actions and motives. If I'm paying attention, I get a pretty good impression of these hidden realities.
For example, if I notice myself hurried and distracted while I do my work, it's a sure sign that I'm not motivated by love. It reveals that I'm not really present, which is a prerequisite to love. It signals to me that the quality of my work is at risk. It also reveals that I'm effectively sleep walking, so I might not notice if the thing that I'm doing is still the "right" action.
I'm not really choosing until I wake up. While I'm asleep I'm a victim of my dreams, which include unexamined ways of seeing and valuing that were formed in me by my culture and family of origin. And these unconscious influences affect the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of my life.
The manner in which I do what I do, however, can be very revealing and has the added benefit of bringing my attention to the present moment. All my plans for change are destined to fail if I am asleep, so the first priority is to wake up. Wake up to the way that I am living, because the WHAT is already in motion and the WHY is largely a mystery.
