May06
20
John O’Donohue
I was blessed to have recently been invited by a client to a talk on Celtic Wisdom for South African business by John O’Donohue, an Irish poet, philosopher and scholar. John also served 19 years as a Catholic priest and brings an interesting blend of philosophy to the table.
It had been a long day of tiresome meetings, so my notes (in my newly acquired Moleskine reporters notebook) were rather, well, nonsensical. Here are some of the highlights (in no particular order):
“Stress is the perversion of time. Have a healthy disrespect for urgency”
“The magic of conversation slows down the surface of time and excavates identity”
“Biography is not the same as identity. You are more than anthing that has ever happened to you”
He also quoted Meister Eckhart, saying “There is a place in the soul where neither time nor flesh nor no created thing can reach” and intimated that it is from this place that creativity emerges
“Nature is the first gospel”
“An awakened imagination is the key to the richest life”
The Need to Win from The Way of Chuang Tzu
When an archer is shooting for nothing
He has all his skill.
If he shoots for a brass buckle
He is already nervous.
If he shoots for a prize of gold
He goes blind
Or sees two targets-
He is out of his mind!
His skill has not changed. But the prize
Divides him. He cares.
He thinks more of winning
Than of shooting -
And the need to win
Drains him of power.
John also spoke of critical loyalty - a subject that intrigued me, especially in context of corporate culture - I hope to write more about it a little later.
All in all, a very enriching experience.
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