May 2, 2014
Sunday, Pope John Paul II became Saint John Paul II after being canonized in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Most of you know my faith. In my lifetime I have derived a tremendous amount of inspiration from John Paul II and his encouragement to reject fear in the place of our better angels. A short quote from JP2, as he’s known around our house, has been a constant companion and source of strength for me whenever I have felt life gaining an upper hand on me.
“I plead with you–never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”
His simple invitation to carry on, to maintain hope, and to resist rest is an invitation to persevere. It is an explicit advisement that in hope, there is no fear.
And that’s the point for the week.
I am certain that even the best among us have difficult days. I am equally sure that from time to time each of us becomes tired, of what we’re doing here, of life at home, or of the pressures of the world around us. It is in those moments that hope matters most. For in hope is a vision of something better. And from vision is borne both a desire and a confidence to act.
But without hope, there is despair and a lack of purpose.
All that we do here, our work to transform this business, is rooted in hope. Our hope for a future that is better than the past from which we started. Our hope for a life for each one of us that is better than the life we left. Our hope in a business we cannot see but only imagine but recognize as infinitely better than the one we help in our hands just two short years ago.
Without hope, we’d have only fear, discouragement and bitter taste of having long ago given up.
Hope inspires. Hope informs. Hope binds. Hope propels. Hope builds up.
For my part, I simply want to thank each and every one of you for never doubting, never tiring and for never giving up.
We are moving closer to that place we hope for.
One day soon, we will arrive at that place, together.
So, keep hoping.
And win.
If you like the blog, you’ll love the book. To purchase a copy of Phillip’s book, The Not So Subtle Art of Caring: Letters on Leadership, from John Hunt Publishing, London, please follow this LINK. “Letters” is based on 85 story-backed lessons Phillip used while leading actual teams to accomplish extraordinary things. It is an outstanding resource for those who wish to commit to becoming the sort of leader that people WANT to follow.
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