day 121: Office Vibes

When you walk into someones office you can almost get the "vibe" of who they are even before you meet the person. The pictures, the decorations, the furniture, the sayings on the wall, are all outward representations and testimonies of who that person wants you to believe they are. Sometimes, those representations are not real. At one of the places I worked, the story was well known that there was a person who had his office decorated extensively with any and everything you could imagine about his alma mater, Penn State University. He was all about The Nittany Lions and everyone he worked with couldn't help but know it. It wasn't until years later that it was found out that he never went to college. Not to Penn State or anywhere. Everyone was shocked. So, not always will what one's office says be what is real. On the other hand, I was once privileged to be able to have a meeting with Quincy Jones in his home, where he takes most of his meetings. While we were waiting we were treated to being able to look at the pictures, awards, and artifacts that he keeps in his living room. When he showed up for his meeting to us, he was already "larger than life" from everything we had been honored to see and read. And, of course, Q is the real deal. The point is that what we hang on our walls at work (literally and metaphorically) tells much about us and can make that first and longest lasting impression. As I think about the offices that we keep, how many of us use that space to tell the full story of who we are? This posting of Purposed Working is not like the usual ones where I have a Bible reference to pass along. Instead, I felt it on my heart to pass along something that was given to us in church last week. It is the ancient celtic prayer that St. Patrick wore on his breastplate - the only office that he likely had. If this touches you, this may be something you would consider hanging in your own office:

"Be Christ this day my strong protector; against poison and burning, against drowning and wounding, through reward wide and plenty, Christ beside me, Christ before me; Christ behind me, Christ within me; Christ beneath me; Christ above me; Christ to the right of me; Christ to the left of me; Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising; Christ of all who know me, Christ of all who meet me, Christ in eye of all who see me, Christ in ear of all who hear me."

Have a blessed day!