Article: The Sleeping Giant
The Sleeping Giant
Author: Severo "Sonnie" Santos
Do you have what it takes to succeed?
Your answer to this question will determine the future of your career. We will only become what we conceive in our mind. Others think they can be managers and they became one. And others believe they can only be supervisors and they also became one. Many of our great business leaders in our time started with a dream. And what seems to be impossible 50 years ago is now a reality. Those who can't see themselves becoming a leader will never become one.
As Rene Descartes said "I think, therefore I am"
When successful leaders of our time are just starting, they started with what we also have? Two hands to work, two feet that keeps us standing and moving forward. And the little thing called brain that does the dreaming and planning.
Do you have what it takes to make a mark in your field?
When your mother conceived you, the leader's instincts are already provided for. It only becomes dormant, inactive and untapped because of lack of self-confidence. John Gokengwei Jr., one of the Taipans in the Philippines, in his commencement speech at Ateneo de Manila University, said "let me leave you with one last thought. Trade barriers have fallen. The only barriers left are the barriers you have in mind".
To be a leader and an effective one, an individual must answer these questions:
"Who made me . . . What am I designed for?"
"What is my destiny, my assignment in life?"
Let's look at the story of creation as basis of our study:
Then God said, "let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals of the earth.
Genesis 1:26 (NCV)
WHO MADE US?
Based on Genesis, we are made from the image and likeness of the Divine.
Come to think of it, we are patterned after the greatness of the one who creatively started all things, and systematically maintained the creation by his wisdom. We possess the same creativity, wisdom and power. And even though those attributes are limited in nature, we are still capable to be creative and to be wise. The reason why others have succeeded is because they tapped to this inner traits that are already provided for.
WHAT ARE WE DESIGNED FOR?
God made man with these purposes:
(1) To work AS RULER and MANAGER.
"Then God said, "let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them RULE over the fish of the sea, and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals of the earth". Gen. 1:26 (NCV)
"God took the man and 'put' him in the garden, to DRESS it and to KEEP it..."
Gen. 2:15 (ASV)
"From the ground, God formed every wild animal and every bird of the sky and he brought them to the man so the man can NAME them' Gen. 2: 19-20 (NCV)
Man's job description was:
To Manage the Garden
To Name all the animals/plants
To Rule over all the earth.
Man is expected to manage, to be creative and to lead. The ability to excel is not exclusive to a privilege few. When we look at the giants of businesses today, have you ever thought of how they started? Most of them started with what you and I also have, the limited proportions of God's abilities-- we possess the potentials to make a name for ourselves. Successful people are able to recognize these potentials and exerted effort to transform this into skills. So don't look for what you don't have, start with what you have.
(2) To have a relationship with the Divine
" And they heard the voice of God WALKING in the garden in the coolness of the day, the man and his wife HID themselves from the PRESENCE of GOD and God CALLED on the man and said WHERE ARE YOU?..." Gen. 3:8-9 (ASV)
There is a special place for man in God's heart. In the beginning, God prepared a special place for man to live, work and meet with him. In every area of their life, God is involve.
Even this day, God is walking in our midst and calling us by name. Because Spiritual Intelligence is not fully understood, people tend to be like the first man who hid from God. God is there in our work place because he wants us to fully grasp our potential greatness and purpose in life. He is interested in our success and prosperity; God wants to be involved in our professional development.
(3) To enjoy prosperity
Before woman was created, God gave man a job and a place to live(a pre-requisite to marriage) . The garden of Eden is a place of abundance and prosperity. Lack is not part of the plan. Though, man was later evicted outside the garden, he still has ability to gain wealth. Being poor is not necessarily wrong, but something is wrong if a family stays poor for more than one generation.
DISCOVER YOUR DESTINY…
You may not be occupying a leadership position yet, or your business has yet to break into higher grounds. But it doesn't mean you are not and will not be at the cutting edge. When man was made, he was designed to 'lead', 'rule' and 'recreate' , just like his Creator. We all have what it takes to become leaders in our field. However, because of the circumstances of life, these instincts are untapped. We either look down on ourselves or we leave our future to fate. We let economic status, education and a lot of other factors define our future. We look upon ourselves with little confidence that we forgot who made us and what we are made of. Because of unbelief and lack of self confidence, the giant in you is sleeping.
This story may help illustrate my point
It's a fine sunny day in the forest, and a rabbit is sitting outside his burrow, tippy-tapping on his typewriter. Along comes a fox, out for a walk.
Fox: "What are you working on?"
Rabbit: "My dream"
Fox: "Hmm... What is it about?"
Rabbit: "Oh, I'm writing about how rabbits eat foxes."
Fox: "That's ridiculous! Any fool knows that rabbits don't eat foxes!"
Rabbit: "Come with me and I'll show you!"
They both disappear into the rabbit's burrow. After few minutes, gnawing
on a fox bone, the rabbit returns to his typewriter and resumes typing..
Soon a wolf comes along and stops to watch the hardworking rabbit.
Wolf: "What's that you are writing?"
Rabbit: "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat wolves."
Wolf: "you don't expect to get such rubbish published, do you?"
Rabbit: "No problem. Do you want to see why?"
The rabbit and the wolf go into the burrow and again the rabbit returns by himself, after a few minutes, and goes back to typing.
Finally a bear comes along and asks, "What are you doing?
Rabbit: "I'm doing a thesis on how rabbits eat bears."
Bear: "Well that's absurd!
Rabbit: "Come into my home and I'll show you"
As they enter the burrow, the rabbit introduces the bear to the lion.
It doesn't matter how silly your dreams are to others, what matters is who's behind your dream.
Be inspired. Take into heart the very purposes why you are created-- you are created in God's image, and the Divine is interested in you.
Look deep down and discover your destiny- God's plan for your life, ask God and unearth your potential. Realize in God your supposed leadership place in this world, and in your lifetime. You were born with a purpose-- You may hold the solution to the needs of organizations and society, either as a professional or an entrepreneur.
When Tony Tan Caktiung, President of Jollibee Foods Corp, delivered a speech at Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) Summit on Employment and Industrial Relations, he shared that one of the driving force of his organization to succeed is to provide employment. "Doing good business is a form of philanthropy." Generating job, he believes, is his service to mankind. What if Mr. Tony Tan missed this part and chose to take a different path? Where do you think will be the more than 25,000 present employees of Jollibee?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please ask permission from the author for use and/or reproduction of this material.
Severo Santos, also known as "Sonnie", is a Human Resource Manager, Trainer, Volunteer Worker and Forum Moderator. He is married to an educator and are gifted with two kids. Sonnie has authored several anecdotes on work issues and career development in the context of life principles. He is in the process of completing a book on practical wisdom at work.
If you wish to receive Skopun-- Centre For Spiritual Intelligence e-zine or join the forum, please register here.
You can contact Sonnie by email at skopun@gmail.com
posted by ASKSonnie @ Tuesday, June 07, 2005
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