Use your "higher faculties" on the job today
You go through a busy day in the office and suddenly it hits you - some sort of bad thought or intention. Maybe it's a pretty woman that catches your eye; maybe a flash of anger brewing into a scheme to get back at an enemy; maybe the pang of jealousy and envy because someone else got the promotion you thought you deserved.
It's frustrating. You work diligently, always keeping busy and meeting deadlines. Yet your mind or emotions somehow get the best of you. If an idle mind is the devil's workshop, shouldn't our mind be immune from the Evil One if we keep busy?
Whatever the reasons, potentially sinful thoughts and impulses impose themselves - even when we're doing everything right. The key is that they're only "potentially" sinful so long as we don't "consent" to them.
Way back in the 16th century, Abbot Blosius, O.S.B put it simply: "Resist, struggle, keep thy will free from consent." Then he listed a bunch of typical things that literally "pop" into our heads from time to time, not matter how busy we keep ourselves:
"...a wicked delight in prosperity, or an inordinate sadness in adversity; although thou mayest feel in thyself an impulse of vainglory, anger..." Yup, he got that right.
But don't fret. He reminds us to use "the higher powers of thy mind, and clingest to God, without ever consenting to the absurd motions of the affections and passions…"
We're not just a jumble of emotions. Yes, even if your job seems "mind-numbing" at times, we've all got an intellect and a will. And they make up our "higher faculties." (Those medievals had a pretty clear understanding of human nature, didn't they?)
But here's the thing: you've got to strive to use those higher faculties. If you don't, then you'll just be that jumble of emotions. Hardly manly, is it?
So don't slip into a thoughtless "just do it" business mentality. Don't spend all your time in mindless entertainment when you're off the job. If you need some motivation, remember that the world doesn't want you to think. Heck, sometimes it seems like not only our politicians but our bosses would prefer us all to be "boobus Americanus" (catchy phrase, isn't it?). But we're not going down that road, are we fellas?
Fire up those braincells, guys. Read, study. You think you don't have time? Make time. What interests you? C'mon, there's something. Probably a bunch of things you stopped thinking about that you really like. Or start with your job. Do you know the history of your company, your product, your industry? I can't begin to tell you how few of my professional colleagues have any idea about the industry I'm in, and it's history.
Knowing all you can about your company, your industry, your product or service will benefit you in so many ways. But the key is you're thinking. You're using the mind God gave you. You're not just bouncing along from day to day.
Well, I could go on, but here's the point. For every conceivable reason, you want to use, to develop your intellect. There's the whole practical side of it...and there's the whole spiritual side of it. If you're not developing your intellect, you're brain's shutting down, slowly but surely. And the Devil's watching and waiting. He's looking for another boobus Americanus to invite to his dance of death.
It's frustrating. You work diligently, always keeping busy and meeting deadlines. Yet your mind or emotions somehow get the best of you. If an idle mind is the devil's workshop, shouldn't our mind be immune from the Evil One if we keep busy?
Whatever the reasons, potentially sinful thoughts and impulses impose themselves - even when we're doing everything right. The key is that they're only "potentially" sinful so long as we don't "consent" to them.
Way back in the 16th century, Abbot Blosius, O.S.B put it simply: "Resist, struggle, keep thy will free from consent." Then he listed a bunch of typical things that literally "pop" into our heads from time to time, not matter how busy we keep ourselves:
"...a wicked delight in prosperity, or an inordinate sadness in adversity; although thou mayest feel in thyself an impulse of vainglory, anger..." Yup, he got that right.
But don't fret. He reminds us to use "the higher powers of thy mind, and clingest to God, without ever consenting to the absurd motions of the affections and passions…"
We're not just a jumble of emotions. Yes, even if your job seems "mind-numbing" at times, we've all got an intellect and a will. And they make up our "higher faculties." (Those medievals had a pretty clear understanding of human nature, didn't they?)
But here's the thing: you've got to strive to use those higher faculties. If you don't, then you'll just be that jumble of emotions. Hardly manly, is it?
So don't slip into a thoughtless "just do it" business mentality. Don't spend all your time in mindless entertainment when you're off the job. If you need some motivation, remember that the world doesn't want you to think. Heck, sometimes it seems like not only our politicians but our bosses would prefer us all to be "boobus Americanus" (catchy phrase, isn't it?). But we're not going down that road, are we fellas?
Fire up those braincells, guys. Read, study. You think you don't have time? Make time. What interests you? C'mon, there's something. Probably a bunch of things you stopped thinking about that you really like. Or start with your job. Do you know the history of your company, your product, your industry? I can't begin to tell you how few of my professional colleagues have any idea about the industry I'm in, and it's history.
Knowing all you can about your company, your industry, your product or service will benefit you in so many ways. But the key is you're thinking. You're using the mind God gave you. You're not just bouncing along from day to day.
Well, I could go on, but here's the point. For every conceivable reason, you want to use, to develop your intellect. There's the whole practical side of it...and there's the whole spiritual side of it. If you're not developing your intellect, you're brain's shutting down, slowly but surely. And the Devil's watching and waiting. He's looking for another boobus Americanus to invite to his dance of death.
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