Chapter 10: Back in the Baracks
Summary
This chapter integrates the previous 9 lessons. It’s the “now what” of the book. I will use a story to exemplify the point. Explain how to apply all the lessons to life as a business executive. How do you not only integrate your different roles, but also live these lessons in the face of the current culture?
After having taken this journey of asking all kinds of questions, after having considered your vocation, your roles in life, objective truth, prayer, planning, action, leadership, vision, attitude, ethics, etc., how do you integrate the intellectual, spiritual side of things with the practical, every day situations?
I will give some practical explanations and suggestions, repeat or summarize some of the key points of what was said in the chapters, and make some overall conclusions and recommendations.
A key issue I will draw out is that the success of the Free Market Economy rests on the personal morals of the participants, especially its leaders. Personal morals are a derivative of a person’s self-perception and perceived relationship to the world and God. Thus a company’s leadership would benefit from having its members contend with these questions. This would not just benefit the shareholders, but the employees and other stakeholders in the firm as well.
I hope that by reading this book you will notice that there’s more to what we do than meets the eye. Be it in our family relationships, in our friendships or in business. John Pauls’ particular gift was pointing out how there is a deeper, even spiritual meaning to all these undertakings.
Living a fully developed and integrated life according to the nine lessons described in this book will be a good start toward living up to that potential.
Back to the TopPrayer
Prayer 1
Gracious God, it’s time. It’s time to make the hard decisions. Sometimes I’m scared, sometimes I’m confused and sometimes I just don’t want to believe I have to make a decision. Help me to trust You. Give me strength and wisdom so that whatever happens honors my loved one and You. Thank You for hearing me and answering my prayer.
Amen.
Prayer for Decision-Making, http://www.marypages.com/PrayerstoOurLord.htm
Prayer 2
Almighty God, Whose hands hold all matters of life, give me grace of success in the work that I do.
Help me to give it the careful thought and the strict attention that will lead to success.
Watch over me and govern my actions, that I may not mar its perfection.
Show me how to give my best, and let me not despise the toil that is necessary to complete it.
Make my life a successful one, in that every duty You give to me, I do it well. Give me the blessing of Your help and guidance, and suffer me not to fail.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Prayer 3
“To ask God to “reveal His Presence” is to ask Him for something that is personal, powerful, and at the same time, life-changing. It is the essence of why we were given the gift of life.
Life can never be the same, once we discover that in the deepest center of our soul, we can live that intimate relationship with God for which we were created. Yes, we will continue our daily routine, but it will become a life lived from our deepest center, filled to the brim, good measure and flowing over – and because God is infinite we can always go deeper.”
Carmelite Sister Marie, Los Angeles
Back to the TopRecommended reading
The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism by Michael Novak
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman
Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman
Motivation & Personality by Abraham Maslow
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie