Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Kids & Stewardship

There is much to be said about a kid who wakes up and makes his or her bed… help with readying up the table for dinner, doing the dishes after dinner, picking up after play, helping with the yard work, etc. etc. Each time we visit our friends I love to watch their kids, they inspire me… There is always something interesting to notice from one child to the other and from one set of kids to the other.

  • Not everyone will take on a task without being asked.
  • Some compete with their brothers and sisters and other family based on the effort
  • Some will do it but only half heartedly
  • Some will do it because a guest is present
  • Some others will do it for candy

The list goes on… When does stewardship really settle in our psyche? Almost every single one of us has heard fable of the boulder in the middle of a major road that blocks traffic but not a single resident would invest the effort in moving it to the side. Until one day a gentleman decides to move the boulder only to realize a handsome gift hidden beloe the boulder, from the king for his STEWARDSHIP and social responsibility.


And yet we all forget! Dr. Covey makes a profound statement… “the gap between stimulus and our response to that stimulus is choice”, in 7 habits of Highly Effective People. It is these choices that define who we are!

Organizations offer innumerable courses to its employees on stewardship and personal responsibility, I challenge the approach. I think what we need is a course that appeals to that inner self, the one that weights good versus bad, right versus wrong and drives our choices!