Privilege

As I write this I find myself enjoying the company of two energetic teenagers who are giving me the opportunity to relive my earlier life. After weeks on a course designed to challenge them and apply their energies, they are taking a few moments to reflect on their achievements. They have planted trees, built paths in the mountains, learned about heathland fauna, cut trees and cleared beaches. At 16 years they have a practical experience of ecological issues that did not cross my mind at the same age. Every day I’m confronted by the dark side of our everyday life. I’m aware of dangers in our foodstuffs, in our air and water and in our cultural norms which threaten our future. But when I see that the following generations are already aware of these threats then I know our future is in good hands. In another piece I will expand on my metaphor of life and operational amplifiers. – In summary I’m struck by the similarity between energy in the young and gain at DC and how best this can be harnessed to provide the functionality we need. Few of us appreciate our potential as we grow to maturity. Indeed, it is often said that many of us grow old without ever growing up. I am privileged as a coach to support individuals as they awaken to their potential, restore their health and grow in confidence. I get to witness the flowering of health and the application of enthusiasm. When it comes right for a client, a winter’s day is turned to spring. Walking with these client’s is to walk on hallowed ground. It seems to me that the human pursuit of happiness lies at the heart of continual professional development. When we experience the reward of our work as the growth of others then we naturally want to understand how to maintain or enhance outcomes for our clients. It is a privilege also to serve our time doing what we love and to contribute to the co-creation of our world. As a young father I had little understanding of human transience. For a few short years in early adulthood we bathe in bliss and are invincible. Unconsciously we apply ‘hard-wired’ patterns of behaviour from our childhood without truly understanding that we are equipping our replacements with the life skills, beliefs and human empathy that give meaning to lives. In recent years I have had the privilege of watching my elderly parents confront the challenges of old age. Their dignity in the face of debilitating illness has been both admirable and deeply challenging; they are a hard act to follow. Whereas in younger days behaviour is unconscious, even instinctual, by middle age we are more aware of the realities of life and its implications. There is a natural pull to be over-concerned about the future and sometimes remorseful of the past. It’s comforting then to remember the privilege of living today, one day at a time and to enjoy life moment by moment. Whatever tomorrow brings may I always remember that, more than any fortunate circumstances of family origin, my greatest privilege has been life itself. ©Paul Curran