“So what happens when the things you know and the things you believe smash into one another like (the unstoppable force hitting the immovable object)?
– W. Lee Warren, MD in “I’ve Seen The End of You; A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt and The Things We Think We Know”
If you are a person of Faith, you’ve been standing in this very busy intersection at some point in your life and career. Maybe at multiple points. If you are a person without faith, you’ve at least spent time in the crosswalks at this intersection, and you’ve probably been caught standing there during rush hour at least a few times. Whether you believe that prayer is always a viable answer or that prayer is a colossal waste of time, you’ll relate to a question Dr. Warren asks us (and himself) on page 39 of the book:
“How can I pray for God to heal someone of something that no one ever survives? How do I ask God for something He never does?”
I’m halfway through the book, and I’ve taken 12-15 pages of notes. I’ve cried twice. I’ve stopped, dead in my tracks, and just thought for ten minutes at a time. And there you have proof of my point in yesterday’s post, reading makes us better.
Faith At Work?
I’ve been Blessed to speak as part of a couple of large Faith At Work forums. It’s been humbling because the other panel members have been much more worthy of their seats than I have been. One common theme for us panelists after the events, whether at a church in suburban Milwaukee or on a university campus in Nebraska, is some level of fascination with the questions raised at those events. “Won’t we get in trouble with HR if we talk about faith in a corporate setting?” “Isn’t it best to keep the two separate?” “Doesn’t one cloud the other?” “My MBA professor says that data overrules anything else, and no decision should be made without relying solely on data. Do you disagree?”
Look, 90% of the decisions we make at work are habitual or instinctive. (I made that statistic up, and I stand behind it!) And no work task on earth, based on Dr. Warren’s description, is likely more habitual or instinctive than a neurosurgeon looking at an MRI of a”GBM,” a Glioblastoma multiforme — a terminal brain tumor. Strike that. An always terminal brain tumor. The title of the book comes from Dr. Warren’s reaction when his scope shows him a GBM.
And, while I’m not done with the book yet, I can’t imagine a better backdrop for us to examine the question of whether or not Faith at Work is a good thing, or whether it’s even a thing. I’ll save that specific angle for later in the week. In the meantime, it ain’t just about Faith. It’s about our approach to dang near anything.
What if I’m not willing to consider the Faith angle, Heston?
Then go back to the question in the quote at the top of this post. What happens when the things you know and the things you believe are in direct, “unstoppable vs. immovable” opposition to one another?
Like when your forecast says you can’t miss, but you do? Or when your forecast says there’s no hope but you make the quarter anyway? Like when you just know you’re going to pass (or flunk) the final exam, only to wake up the next day having failed (or passed) it?
Let me propose this: Ask “Why?” Why are we so sure we know the outcome before the outcome occurs? Why do we believe what we believe? We oughta ask ourselves and others more questions that start with “Why?”
A mentor of mine often quoted Machiavelli: “You’re either for me or against me,” he’d say, flamboyantly. He’s gone now, but I’ve learned it’s one of few flawed concepts he espoused and I wish I could ask him, “Why? Why does it have to be one or the other?” Heck, if he could tell me, maybe I could fix politics! (Was that the dopiest thing I’ve ever written, or what!)
Whether it’s about Faith at Work or just work-at-work — shouldn’t we delve deeper into what we “know,” as well as what we “believe?” Haven’t markets changed over our careers? Heck, I’m reading this book on an App on a tablet, making highlights and sending snippets out from a beach chair, an airplane seat and my sofa! Those folks at Borders Books just knew that would never happen! It’s not just what we know, either. Haven’t our beliefs evolved over our careers? And if the answer is “no” to that question, then this book might be even more for you than the rest of us Difference Makers.
More on this topic tomorrow. And Friday. In the meantime, buy and read this book. Faith or no, you will not be sorry. At 51% of the way through I’ve Seen The End of You, I am already a better leader than I was 72 hours ago. I’m already a better Christian than I was 72 hours ago.
Reading makes us better — and reading this book is making me better, faster.
Rosey says
Thanks for sharing, I am ready to read this book. As always, I enjoy your emails and daily reminders.
Steve Heston says
Brad, thanks for engaging. You’ve touched literally thousands of lives in your amazing life and career — and a few characters in this book remind me of your always positive, always-moving-forward approach to life, no matter what it deals us.