MONDAY MUSE (23 August 2010) Light, please!
Once, Alexander the Great went in person to see the Greek theorist, Diogenes and found him lying in the sun. When the monarch offered to fulfil his stated wish, Diogenes promptly requested, ‘please stand out of my light!’ The above anecdote raises pertinent points for mentoring as well as leadership. Too often we suffocate and stifle the very people we want to help out by dominating their space with our overbearing presence and shadowing their own inspired guiding light. So often, even mothers smother their children! All this seems so strange, as all of us, as young children, have resented the same domineering by parents, teachers and elders. Yet we repeat the same story of shadowy surveillance, interfering interruptions and back seat driving with the same people who we wish would do something on their own! However there is nothing wrong in standing besides as long as don’t eclipse their light! To be better at helping and supporting anyone, we must be able to give them the space to take ownership of their dreams, their plans and actions as seen in their own guiding light. In fact, after the incident with Diogenes, Alexander reportedly told his men who were jesting about the philosopher, ‘if I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes!’ Let’s BE BETTER at helping others grow By standing out of their light’s glow! - Pravin K. Sabnis * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ISSUES BEING DEBATED: In East Africa, despite colonialism, the British afforded the Goan a sliver of a socio-political voice. Read *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho. Soon to be available in Toronto. Pp 290. Via mail-order from [email protected] http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
