The Garland of Purpose: A Parable for HR A young boy wandered into a lush garden and was surprised to find dozens of fresh flowers scattered on the ground—not wilted, but fallen in their prime. Without hesitation, he rushed to his nearby home, grabbed a plastic tub, and carefully gathered every bloom, determined to give them a second life. Back home, he presented the flowers to his sisters. “Make a garland,” he said, “using all of them.” The younger sister took charge first, examining each flower with a gentle eye. She trimmed the dry edges, removed the bruised petals, and arranged them in a harmonious sequence of color and size. Then the elder sister took over, binding the arrangement with a thin but strong banana fibre—pulling every flower into place until the garland hung whole and radiant. When the boy saw it, he smiled. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “If we had left these flowers on the ground, they would have dried up and lost their charm. But now, for the next few days, ...
Our Character: Asset or Liability? Our character can be either an asset or a liability—depending on how well we understand the power of attitude. The word "attitude" is often used informally to describe someone who stands out or behaves differently. You’ve likely heard the phrase: “They’re showing attitude.” But attitude itself is neutral. It can be positive or negative, shaped entirely by how we perceive a situation and choose to respond. Let’s explore the connection between character and attitude. Consider someone who always views feedback as criticism. If that person constantly defends their mistakes, their character may be seen as unwilling to learn or improve. The issue isn’t the mistake—it’s the attitude toward it. Now imagine someone else who makes a mistake but doesn’t blame anyone. Instead, they look inward to understand where they went wrong. This person sees the error as a result of ignorance or oversight—not as a personal failure. Their reaction is to ...