Catholic Education Tasmania -North: Selfless

'When all is said and done more is said than done!
So what will YOU DO!

If you have not watched Neale Daniher's speech to Melbourne players last weekend it is worth every minute!

The last 3-4 years of Neale's life and his remaining time here on Earth is his legacy! He will be remembered and admired for this far beyond any sporting glories he has achieved. On the video he states something close to the following:

' There is a continuum with selfish at one end and selfless at the other. Nothing great can happen when it is near selfish. To be great together you have to be over here (selfless).... you can say what you like but your teammates they know by what you do.....
so WHAT WILL YOU DO?

As Neale states 'to be great together you have to be over here (selfless).' It would be naive to believe that everyone working within C.E.T. operate from the side of selfless in the Neale Daniher continuum. It would be naive to assume that all people are motivated as Neale says for 'meaning and purpose....ahead of the individual bucket list..'

What do your teammates see with you as their colleague?
Do they see someone focused on selfless more than selfish?

The answer may be difficult to swallow for some of us. I struggle to be at my best like the next person. At the same time, I see people who consistently give public witness to their faith in attending Mass while struggling to live out the Gospel message in their actions the remaining six days in the week. I really struggle with this. When all is said and done more is said than done!

The ability to be selfless as a default behaviour, to have a sense of gratitude does have benefits.

Gratitude reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., a leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and reduces depression.

Grateful people are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, even when others behave less kind. Study participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy toward other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge.

So to my way of thinking then, there are benefits to your overall wellbeing in being grateful and selfless.It is worth doing even if it is for your own selfish reasons!

If we as staff in Catholic schools within Tasmania made even a small effort towards improving our own selflessness, the impact would be significant. We would be when all is said and done doing more than saying. We as communities would be giving more authentic witness to our faith!

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