DOZ Issue 28 February 2018 | Page 10

M other Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on the 26th of August 1910, and she died on the 5th of September 1997. She is said to have been a living embodiment of love and compassion, and I agree. At the young age of 12, she felt that God was calling her to serve Him and this led her to become a nun and take her first vows in 1931. It was at this stage that she changed her name and became known as sister Teresa. In 1929 when she arrived Calcutta India to begin her two-year training prior to taking her vows as a nun she saw the face of poverty first hand. This experience did not leave her the same or indifferent. It changed her life forever. Initially, because of church policies, she could do little or nothing for the poor she passed by daily in the slums. However, in September 1946 she felt a call to forsake all and follow Christ into the slums. It was at this point that she began her own religious order, the Missionaries of Charity which had its own set of vows for nuns. Mother Teresa lived the rest of her life from that point serving the poor, and her order quickly spread to other nations of the world. In her lifetime, Mother Teresa met with many wealthy and powerful men and women, kings and rulers of nations. She became a celebrity by serving the poor. The Leadership Lessons from the Life of Mother Teresa are; Great women do not seek fame, but fame seeks them eventually. As they commit to serving others, they rise from obscurity to limelight. Mother Teresa did not set out seeking to be famous, but as she met the needs of the poor and became a voice for the voiceless, the world came to know and revere her. She dined with kings and rulers of nations. Great women are compassionate. Compassion drives them to serve others and ultimately leads them to greatness. Mother Teresa had an unusual level of compassion which drove her to the slums to serve the poorest of the poor. Great women are pathfinders and trailblazers. These women go where others have not gone. They take the road less travelled, and they do not give in to fear. Mother Teresa was able to establish her own religious order that had its own vows and a different dress code from other nuns in the Catholic church. Great women follow their heart. They do the things that they love to do. They are not just passionate about what they do; they do things that they are passionate about. The things that bring them fulfillment. For great women, money is never the goal, but they end up getting plenty of it. Mother Teresa did not set out with wealth in mind, but wealth came to her eventually. « 10 DOZ Magazine February 2018 Great women remove the limitations that hold others back, and in so doing they live a life without limits. Mother Teresa allowed nothing limit her in her quest to serve the poor; not even church policy was able to hold her back. Great women are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone. Mother Teresa had a comfortable life in the convent, but s