Lessons for a father - Taking Care Of The Whole Organism

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We are all a part of a multi-cellular organism called the world. We are also the components of our familial and professional structure. From playing the part of individual cells and doing very specific functions to working with other "cells" towards the overall good of the entire system, we do it all.

In doing all this, we work in a system, I think, that resembles the human body in more ways than one.

The skeletal system can quite easily be the core values that hold us strong as beings. The skin and muscles are what we have to offer - our art, our interface to the world. The nervous system is all about what and how we communicate. 

Does that resemble anything to you? To me it looks like an organization where different components come together to make it work. The teams that might constitute the organization (a multi-cellular organism) act as cells that work towards the greater benefit of it. A family (again a multi-cellular organism) too comprises of components that continually work towards making the family happy and healthy.

So, where do we tend to falter? At the cartilage, tendon and ligament level I would think.

Metaphorically, at least for me, the "support staff" tends to get ignored. If our bones are healthy, and we are working on our muscular strength and communicating well why do we need to take care of anything else?

Let me ask, how should we feel about doing good to others? Or, helping out people in need or in distress? Or better still, leading in a world that craves, but seems to shy away from leadership? In the grand scheme of things, they might seem way less important, but go through a ligament tear or a ruptured tendon and you would suddenly realize that there is something more to it than just the basics.

For us to be great as a whole, IQ and EQ both are important. We as a complex system have multiple components working together too. We tend to not strengthen what we think is less important. A more holistic approach to growth seems necessary.

Let us, then, take care of the entire organism not just part of it. Things that are usually categorized as "soft skills" are not deemed important when compared to being a good engineer, architect, nurse or a doctor. 

The issue is this: for us to be a good "anything" the support staff, the cartilage, tendon and ligament (leadership, faith, kindness, empathy for example) of our lives should be celebrated as well.