“I pointed out the stars and moon to you, but all you saw was the tip of my finger.” – Tanzanian proverb
We have all heard about the wonderfulness of virtues and how it makes life meaningful and fulfilling. Most of us have read about the benefits of compassion, kindness, generosity, gratitude, mindfulness and the likes, yet we do not observe the much-touted returns around us.
The gap between what we hear, and we see around us, especially in the context of preaching “the good” while living contrary to those ideals, is a pervasive issue across societies and cultures. This discrepancy is often a source of frustration and confusion, as the principles and values we espouse do not always align with our actions.
One of the main reasons people often fail to experience ‘the good’ that has been preached for ages is due to the attention we give to the distraction of the immediate. We are all inundated with responsibilities and challenges in our daily lives, that prevent us from seeing the broader, more profound aspects of life.
Just as toddlers might focus on the finger rather than the moon, when we point it to them, we get so caught up in the intricacies of the daily life, to the point where we lose sight of the greater good that exists beyond our immediate concerns.
For example, the virtue of generosity is often promoted as a pathway to prosperity, not only in material terms but also in emotional and spiritual fulfillment. Many are the readings and teachings about giving and the benefits it brings to the giver. However, it is not uncommon to observe that many of us are not generous.
We have become so preoccupied with attending to ourselves with the temporary pleasures, that we miss out on the bigger vision of helping those with talents and skills to make our humanity flourish on all fronts. Too many of us are focusing on the ‘finger;’ the tangible and immediate aspirations and rewards, that we are missing the ‘moon;’ the deeper, more enduring sense of fulfillment that comes from the giving of ourselves and our resources for the nurturing of meaningful relationships and contributing to the well-being and dignification of all people.
When our fathers’ philosophized that “the hunter who is tracking an elephant does not stop to throw stones at birds;” they wanted us to appreciate the temptation of focusing all our energies on the immediate and tangible rather than the profound and abstract. They knew how challenging it was to perceive the larger picture when we are being distracted by the immediate needs. This also highlights the role of perception and understanding in experiencing ‘the good.’ A child who has never seen the moon might indeed be fascinated by the finger pointing towards it.
Similarly, people who have not been exposed to deeper truths or who lack the capacity to see beyond the immediate may miss out on the wonderfulness contained in the greater good for all. That is why it is often said that a person’s ability to perceive and understand the bigger picture is often limited by his or her experiences, knowledge, and mindset.
Nevertheless, the time has come for all of us to help bridge the gap between merely hearing about ‘the good’ to truly experiencing it. The first step involves living mindfully. We need to cultivate the attitude of reflecting on our actions. Not only will that empower us to be deeply aware of the moments, but it will ennoble us to appreciate the larger context of life. A mindful attitude will help us in redefining the way we see ourselves and others and contribute to cultivating a holistic view of life that is rich in profound and enduring goodness. It will help us undertake activities and actions that extend beyond the immediate to the long term.
That will dovetail into us broadening our understanding of what it means to live, and we will recognise the diverse ways in which we are powerful enough to change the happenings around us for the better. Through that we will begin to shift our attention from the immediate distractions to the broader realities. We will start investing time and energies into building meaningful relationships.
We will learn to appreciate the value of social connections, as well as how our compassion generates goodwill which brings about profound experiences of ‘the good’ by all people. We will start experiencing significant personal fulfillment and a sense of connection with others as we engage in consistent acts of kindness, which will create opportunities and support systems that contribute to the immediate and long-term flourishing of our humanity…
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Kodwo Brumpon is an executive coach at Polygon Oval, a forward-thinking Pan African management consultancy and social impact firm driven by data analytics, with a focus on understanding the extraordinary potential and needs of organisations and businesses to help them cultivate synergies, that catapults into their strategic growth, and certifies their sustainability.
Comments, suggestions, and requests for talks and training should be sent to him at [email protected]
