What defines us?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” That comes from Aristotle, or someone who translated a line by Aristotle.

What defines us?

Each day, as we go about our life, we do this and that. Rarely do we think of the unseen consequences of our actions. Of course, we know the outcomes of some of our actions and behaviors. We know, when we mark our students’ papers, they will get a grade. We know, when we go to staff meetings, our voices will be heard. But we rarely think of the results of our actions in the long term.

Are we who this man says we are?

We choose to meet a friend and have fun instead of working on a soon-to-be-due assignment. We go to a movie with our buddies rather than visiting an elderly aunt. We take a vacation and have fun, knowing we have stretched our purse strings. We choose to stay close to certain friends and not to others, regarding some as just acquaintances. It is hard to tell the meaning of all our actions, even though we make choices every day.

I sometimes encourage my students, using this proverb from Aristotle, so they know they can do well and excel if they keep trying. I would like to see them make hard work a habit. I believe in the normal curve. I know that the majority of people can do well because we possess more or less the same intelligence.

Do these behaviors and actions define who we are? Most of our actions are innocent, but in the end, probably everything we do defines who we are.

We like to spend our money in certain ways. We like to use our time in some fixed manner. We act and react toward others in ways that reflect our personalities (who we are over time).

I wonder if, in old age, we feel remorse over our behaviors and actions. Do we ever wonder why we are who we are?

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Fast lane not always quickest way to go!

Life is busy. Busy people can accomplish more within the same period of time than non-busy people, but being busy doesn’t equal being diligent or proficient. Being busy does not mean getting lots of things done well. Being busy seeing people doesn’t necessarily increase our social network or win friends for us.

One thing for certain, a busy life makes our entire being tense up. We frequently look at our watches, checking the time, making sure that nothing has been missed. We go faster and faster until things spin out of control. Our actions become brisk and abrupt, and we become short-fused.

As I grow older, life in the fast lane doesn’t seem to be taking me to places faster. Rather, it makes me bad-tempered. I get upset when people who work with me do not understand me fast enough. My speech gets faster, but I don’t always make myself clear. Being busy can mean that I am not being thorough. More often than not, being busy means that I am hard pressed for time, and I become rude. I easily forget my manners. Regrettably, as E.M. Forster wrote, “Rudeness poisons life.”

Are we missing something?

Hong Kong is known for its efficiency, and because we are so busy—and therefore short of sleep—some of us sleep standing up. Do we know what we have missed by being so fast? What have we sacrificed to be efficient?

Wake me when I get there!

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Loud

The world is a loud place; loud not just in terms of auditory sensations, but also in visual and other forms of stimulation, including tactile. However, visual and auditory assaults are probably the more common types we have to face day in and day out.

One day, I walked past a Catholic high school and, suddenly, an image caught my eye. A display board above the entrance to the school was rolling out colorful, electronic messages announcing that evening courses were now open for enrollment.

I was fascinated. Was it really necessary to be displaying such messages? Would they be useful in attracting students? If even a Catholic school, which I assumed would be more subtle in its actions, would do something like that, what could one expect of secular institutions?

Nowadays, it seems that, to be heard, we have to make loud statements We protest, prepare elaborate publicity strategies, create stunts and make dramatic moves for fear that, if we don’t, we will be ignored. Do we have to be loud to be heard? Does nobody care unless we are loud?

Everything and everyone is competing for attention. We are drowning in all kinds of sensory messages. But are all of the incoming messages useful or meaningful to us as we live our lives?

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.