Shout out to 'Leadership'

It's funny how you pray for things and God shows it to you in little things.  Not to dabble to much of what's been going on, but it's been CRAZY at work, which brings the lack of time.  To get a little personal, after I drop the kids off at school, I drive in complete silence and pray until I'm almost at work where I'll listen to music.

One thing that amazes me is how much more religious I've become since I've had kids.  I've always been somewhat religious, so I'll say more faith since kids.  Anyway, I'm blabbing.  Recently, I've dipped my feet into finding the right volunteer opportunities: from work to reading the bulletin every Sunday after church to see anything that's interested me.  I've tried the Young Adults ministry.  I was fooled because I thought they were high schoolers but learned that the demographic is geared toward 20s and 30s.  I started with serving food at our Parish feast.  I felt great afterward and kept receiving news on Young Adult ministry events.  One sprang to mind with there was a (in my words) seminar on Saturday with Fr. Nathaniel about Leadership.  I was really interested because I read his bio:

Fr. Nathaniel Bio:

Fr. Nathaniel is an RPI graduate (Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Minor in Mechanical Engineering), worked for Xerox and was aspiring to create his own Fortune 500 Company before God called him to the priesthood. During his years in Rome, he was the founder and executive director of the college leadership study abroad programs at the Universita Europea di Roma. While in Rome, he also helped organize and coordinate the first ever Vatican Executive Summit (June 2011) held in the Vatican Gardens. During this historic event, over 50 top CEOs and international business executives discussed the financial crisis and business ethics in the light of Pope Benedict’s landmark document, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in the Truth). Now in the US, Fr. Nathaniel is the National Business Ethics Advisor for the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as well as Houston chaplain for the Lumen Institute (www.lumeninstitute.org). He assists Texas area business leaders through personal coaching and advising in the areas of faith, character (integrity, stewardship, prudential decision making, perseverance) and leadership so as to have a 'Business Plan for Life' and not just their company. He also advises small to large Fortune 500 companies in the creation and application of business ethics policies.

I felt it was really a message sent from the Lord because I've been having a hard time understanding certain things about myself in the professional arena.  I sent it to Tom, he wanted to go so we arranged for my brother to watch the girls while we attended.

When we got there, it was a retreat.  I haven't heard that word since I was about 16.  None the less, whatever, I was excited.  We started with Mass where the priest homily talked about leadership and the ultimate leader we want to become is Mother Mary.  I never thought of it in that perspective.  She opened her heart in order to lead.  Followed by adoration, which is meditation or prayer.  I didn't know that until today.  We had breakfast and a couple of ice breakers to where we were then seated for the priests discussion.  

Fr. Nathaniel asked everyone a say one word or sentence of what they want to get out of this.  Tom said he be a leader for his family.  I said I wanted to understand my greatness.  I won't go into everything he said but some things that stuck out to me is he started with "The foundation of Leadership is to have humility".  Hmm.  I never thought of it that way.  Also, that one thing he's noticed with the CEOs and leaders he works with is that many times, their company's foundation is built on integrity but many times they don't have integrity within themselves to lead.  Another thing about the CEOs was that often times they didn't know their value of their own work.  Listening to his whole speech enlightened and helped me understand that everything he was saying is applied in everything in my life: bring a mother, wife, professional, and so on.  He took a few questions at the end, so I asked him "You were saying that the CEOs you've met , didn't know their value, how did you pass the word to them?  Or what did you say to them to help them see that?"  His answer, "Before asking the question of 'do I have what it takes?', you need to ask yourselves 'Am I the child of God?'  Of course the answer is yes and once you understand and accept and open your heart to him, then the answer to everything else is 'yes'.  He went on but it was that answer where I took a deep breath and knew it was all OK and there is more to life.  A lot more.  He mentioned that after the CEOs career, they are often times bored upon retirement because they didn't find their true calling.  

It was a great day today.  Thank you Lord!