EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

Equality doesn’t mean treating everybody the same. As American political philosopher Richard Arneson says, "When equality of opportunity prevails, the assignment of places in the hierarchy is determined by some form of competitive process, and all members of society are eligible to compete on equal terms".

In broader sense, equality of opportunity melds two distinct ideas: the availability of opportunities to improve one's lot in life and the actual ability of people to take advantage of those opportunities. To think through the various meanings of equality of opportunity, it is helpful, then, to distinguish among the sources of unequal opportunities in life. But nobody really believes in it. Equality of opportunity is often set in opposition to equality of outcome. However, equality of opportunity and equality of outcome aren't opposites. They are partners; companions; Inseparable amigos. You can't have real equality of opportunity without equality of outcome. 

When people say they believe in "equality of opportunity," they really mean they believe in "sufficiency of opportunity.". When you speak about equality of opportunities you also need to understand the role and tasks provided for individuals to attain the target. An unbiased environment with sufficient opportunities will always provide better results.

DO GOOD BE GOOD

As we start up this new month, let's move on more positively in approaching our life. If we want more goodness in our life, the solution is simple: send out more goodness. As per the law of attraction, what we think about and what we radiate out to the world is what we attract to ourselves. This is so true. Anthony de Mello, A spiritual teacher, writer, and public speaker in one his speeches said this short story:
Student: Why is everyone here so happy except me?
Master: Because they have learned to see goodness and beauty everywhere
Student: Why don't I see goodness and beauty everywhere?
Master: Because you cannot see outside of you what you fail to see inside.

Goodness is everywhere if we’re looking for it, but our eyes have to be open to see it. When we strive to be good only for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. When we act out of true goodness of the heart, we are obedient to God’s commandments and seek the benefit of others. Goodness is not about doing elaborate things to gain recognition. Oftentimes, it is the small acts of goodness we do throughout our day that mean the most to those around us.

At workplace, "goodness" is far more than a person's competencies; goodness is about people's humanity, their values, the qualities inherent in their character, and other intangible traits. When we ask ourselves why we admire leaders, the answer is predictable: they put people first and understand & practice the values that underpin goodness. These leaders are committed to improving everyone around them just as much as they are committed to improving themselves. They feel a duty to serve others by inspiring and shaping them to become the best, fullest version of themselves.

Doing good holds the power to transform us on the inside, and then ripple out in ever-expanding circles that positively impact the world at large. Have a blessed month ahead!

KNOW THOSE WHO WILL STAND WITH YOU

Have you ever worked with someone who defended you when you made a mistake, or, for honest reasons, performed badly on a task? If you have experienced this, it probably made a very deep impression on you, and strengthened the relationship you had with that person.

What if this is reversed? Do you feel comfortable standing up for your own people in this way? And do you know when you should and shouldn't do this? When you stand up for people, you show that you're "on their side" when they need help. This builds long-term loyalty, trust, credibility, commitment, and morale in your team, and it gives your people a confidence boost.

Loyalty is an essential quality in any close relationship. When your person is loyal, it’s a strong assurance of another person. Whether it be in work, business, family, friendship or a relationship, loyalty builds from specific characteristics. A truly loyal person will be loyal because they want to. Loyalty through obligation can be dangerous. But, sometimes it’s hard to detect. People can be deceiving due to their own personal agendas and show this subtly through their words and actions. 

Personal loyalty is displayed through love, devotion, dedication and commitment to the well being of another. It’s important to keep in mind that we are all a work in progress. We can strive to be better in all of these areas. It’s not up to us to judge or be harsh to those that aren’t – there’s a good chance that deep down inside of themselves, a desire to be loyal and have loyalty shown to them resides

YOU MOVE THE MOUNTAINS

"I've seen You move, You move the mountains 

And I believe, I'll see You do it again 

You made a way, where there was no way 

And I believe, I'll see You do it again" 

These golden lyrics are not just words but the faith in the power of God. We know the God who moves the mountains. He parts the seas, and He loves us more than we can imagine. We should believe that God is with us and He is in control of everything that happens. 

There are so many things in life we can't control. When we are facing challenges, we need to trust, completely surrender and rely on God for help. Spend time with God, and let Him redeem and restore you. He will handle all the struggles we are facing now and we can win battles through kneels. 

No matter whats Gods next move for us is, we must take that move. Step out on faith and move up, move out and move on. With God by your side, YOU CAN MOVE THE MOUNTAINS TOO!.

SEEKING GOD FIRST

Though I am not in a good frame of mind to write this post, it's something which I thought would share with my friends and well-wishers about SEEKING GOD FIRST during difficult times. He is our strength and shield. We should trust him whole-heartedly.

If we allow our thoughts to habitually linger on the “what ifs,” we will cripple our ability to trust God during hard times. We play those damaging “what if” thoughts over and over. Not because they are good, but, honestly, because sometimes it feels good to feel sorry for ourselves. The scripture says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand".

It’s true that God is working out all these difficulties into a beautiful future for me. One truth we’ve seen proven over and over as we trust God through hard times is that our God is so faithful that anyone who seeks Him can find Him. 

He has provided and will continue to provide for us. Because he is faithful, God desires faithfulness from his people. As we implement our faith, we begin to realize more and more about God’s faithfulness to us.

LEARN TO LEAD

Learning to lead is a lifelong education. We never graduate from leadership school, but we do advance as we become wiser students through our own struggles, failures and successes. Leadership that enables individuals to play with wisdom, foresight and sound judgement can only be learnt through experience. Wise leaders are learners, but if they stop learning they cease to lead wisely. Leaders who learn ask the right questions, get the most accurate answers, and are able to make the wisest decisions. “How can I get out of the way as the leader, and support the team to be successful?” “How can our organization go from good to great by integrating and sustaining best practices?".

The implications are that emerging leaders need to be exposed to the play of leadership and to be mentored by experienced leaders who can share their wisdom. Wisdom is not a formula or process. Leaders know instinctively that it's the people stuff that matters most. But reading people is hard work. Where do we start? Wisdom nurtures attentiveness in us. We listen for the words that free people to give their best and those that rob them of the power to act. We look beyond assured explanations. We learn to give equal weight to unity and diversity, and to give up the illusion of balance. We learn not to panic at complexity and ambiguity. Nor to dumb things down. We begin to think and communicate by stories more than by abstract definitions. These are some of the ways wisdom helps me lead.

By becoming more effective in our own self-leadership not only do we gain greater insight and empathy for others, who also struggle to make good choices and improve themselves, but we also serve as a model, which is central to leadership. Submitting to authority, being a follower, is a mark of maturity. Those who can’t follow, or are unwilling to follow another leader, shouldn’t lead. You want to be a leader? Good. 

You want to be a great leader? You want to be the greatest? That’s good too. Be a servant. Be the greatest servant. Serve everyone you can. Everyone you meet. Be all about others; be in it for others. Wisdom comes from the God and He leads us.