Special Tools to Establish Stability in the Workplace - 9
As we proceed with our Special Tools, let's be sure to recognize that we do so in the Holy Season of Advent.
Recall that, in his Rule, St. Benedict provides us with "tools" that can help us foster stability in the workplace. Today we look at some of these tools. Let's see how we can apply these in the workplace. We'll see how St. Benedict's remarks can help us produce our best work in an atmosphere of stability, despite any problems and distractions we face, especially those coming at us these days. The stability that will come if we heed St. Benedict's advice will be a great aid in observing Advent faithfully, no matter how busy our workday, not matter how many problems and distractions we face.
Last time we noted a specific example of a recent source of distraction: the omicron variant of the C-Virus. While that's a universal example that pretty much affects not only our country, but the rest of the world as well, here's a more specific instance of something that could distract and destabilize us: Jim Cramer. Yeah, that guy, the CNBC investment "guru" whose show garners a significant following. While not my cup of tea, I'm aware of his "schtick." Having watched him interviewed a few times, he struck me as maybe possessing some basic level of intelligence. Guess I was wrong.
Cramer recently advised the government to mandate universal "vaccination" to "end this pandemic. Setting aside the obvious totalitarian nature of such a policy - a big set aside - his belief that such a policy could end the pandemic is beyond dumb. Even the CDC has acknowledged, in no uncertain terms, that the jabs don't prevent people from catching COVID, nor does it make the jabbed any less likely to spread it. All they can claim is that it minimizes symptoms - maybe. That gives Cramer not only far less intelligence than I credited to him in the past, but it also puts him in the category of a "bad" character. Not that I spent any meaningful time listening to him, but he's really not someone anyone should listen to at this point.
While Cramer's comments won't distract me as much or for as long a time as the omicron deluge, it serves as a good illustration of lesser examples of quick bursts of distraction from here, there, and everywhere.
With that in mind, we pick up today where we left off last time with "The Tools of Good Works."
- To listen gladly to holy reading.
- To apply oneself frequently to prayer.
- Daily in one's prayer, with tears and sighs, to confess one's past sins to God.
- To amend those sins for the future.
Here's a combination of powerful practices that can easily drown out the ignorant, even dangerous ranting of the Jim Cramer's of the world. Prayer and holy reading will supplant the time-wasting habits of paying attention to what the world purports to "offer" us. We're not talking about being oblivious to what's going on around us. We're talking about closing the door to that which at best wastes our time, but worse causes us mental, emotional, and - at worst - spiritual harm.
The slop that spills from the mouths of the media's Cramers dulls the intellect, potentially undermining the sound judgment we need to make prudent decisions. If we're not discriminating in what we allow our ears to hear and our eyes to see, our emotions can be manipulated, dragged this way and that. You've likely seen this in those who get all worked up over virtually nothing. A good friend who reads and listens to far too much political "news" frequently gets into a froth when the conversation turns to current events. Sometimes there's substance behind his rising blood pressure. Too often, though, the danger of stroke has been stoked by some writer or talking head who uses their platform to generate controversy in order to assure a steady stream of - what to call them - political thrill-seekers(?).
So we spend our time instead in holy reading and prayer. And, yes, you can take a few minutes during the work day for such holy reading. Right now, I've been taking 10-15 minutes here and there to read through the Catechism. It's a good reinforcement of what I already know about our Holy Religion; but it also inevitably produces gems I've missed in the past.
And if, in our humility, we add into the mix a consciousness of our sinfulness, our having offended God in so many ways over the years, our reading and prayer can be done in a penitential spirit. Such a spirit creates a desire to make recompense for our past failings. This can only reinforce the stability we find in our reading and prayer. Distractions will find no welcome mat when they come knocking.
So applying today's Special Tools with that penitential spirit plays right into this Holy Season of Advent, as we prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Our Savior. We want to provide a warm, welcoming interior space in our souls that's swept clean for our dear Baby Jesus.
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