Nature of Heart

Constraints

Feelings of uselessness may be directly related to identifiable constraints.

Long after a destructive flood, patches of green border the small stream that flows unimpeded through a still-broken canal lock. The lock gates wait for their time of repair. One of the massive horizontal poles used to control the lock gates, and thus the flow of water in the lock, is still in place, but useless without the gates. It is secured in its uselessness by a sturdy wire cable that prevents its movement.

Points to Ponder . . .

• Have you ever experienced a feeling of uselessness in your organization when, for some reason, you were constrained from making a contribution you wanted to make? if so, what effect did this have on your work? The work of your group?
• What would you identify as "sturdy wire cables" in an organization? What is your thinking about the use of "sturdy wire cables" to prevent movement?
• When something isn't working the way you or your organization thinks it should, what might be alternatives to securing it in its uselessness?

Posted by Wanda McGee - Sunday, 04/25/10, 06:08 PM - Comments - Category: Nature's Metaphors for Life