Stop

“Do not become utterly absorbed in activism! There would be so much to do that one could be working on it constantly. And that is precisely the wrong thing. Not becoming totally absorbed in activism means maintaining consideratio — discretion, deeper examination, contemplation, time for interior pondering, vision, and dealing with things, remaining with God and meditating about God. One should not feel obliged to work ceaselessly; this in itself is important for everyone, too, for instance, every manager, too, and even more so for a Pope. He has to leave many things to others so as to maintain his inner view of the whole, his interior recollection, from which the view of what is essential can proceed.” – Pope Benedict XVI, Light of the World


Wow. What an important message for anyone involved in any kind of activism. Actually, for anyone who does any kind of work, period.

How easy it is to become totally absorbed in our passions – so much so that we find ourselves working on them constantly. Even if they are all good things (righting wrongs, seeking justice, helping others), it can end up being “precisely the wrong thing.”

Don’t feel obliged to work ceaselessly. Instead, maintain “consideratio” and allow the “view of what is essential [to] proceed.” It will make you a better activist, too.

Daqui