"Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed."
- William Saroyan
I first heard the quote above during the summer between my first and second year of teaching. Spoken at a retreat and used as the springboard for a reflection on seeing our students as children of God, I find myself returning to the heart of its message in moments of striving to continuously improve.
It also popped into my head this morning after reading, "Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea" to my son last night. In this short story, Jellyfish identifies Narwhal's superpower as bringing the superpowers out of other people.
Seek goodness everywhere. Find it. Bring it out of its hiding place. Let it be free and unashamed.
In doing so, we unleash the greatness of others, enabling them to excel as well.
Marianne Williamson phrased it in this way, "We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."
So, let your light shine. Identify the light in others and call them to radiate in turn. Continue to find the next area in which to improve, the next step to take to achieve even higher levels of success.
This isn't just about finding grand, sweeping innovations. It's about cultivating a mindset where we actively look for the "good" – the efficient process, the helpful suggestion, the spark of insight – in every corner of our work and lives.
In the Pixar movie Cars, Lightning McQueen's efforts to pave the main road of Radiator Springs inspire a city-wide clean-up effort.
