Stepping Up to the forefront.

¹⁹ So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
²⁰ And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.”
And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” ²¹ So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.


I think this is a familiar story to all those who has read the bible, a very well known story. What i'm trying to get across is that more than just inheriting from the generation before us, those of us who are viewed as the future would eventually supersede them but just because it is our destiny doesn't mean that we can just slack and act like it's our right. As even rights though naturally will be given but should also be earned, so that it is passed down willingly and not a forced act. 


It wouldn't be fair to just view things from one perspective. So I would look at both sides of the coin. As said there would be two sides, one being on the handing down side and the other would be the stepping up side. 


On the handing down side, as people who have been there and done that. We know what it would entail and also over time would be able to observe who are possible candidates, those who have shown capability of handling it. Nevertheless, all that is good but we're still humans and have our own blind spots. Our judgement will go as far as our experience goes, we can't impart something that we do not have. Our gifts and talents differ from others, both what we are good at and what we are not so good at. Here are some practical ways this can take happen: 


1. We must be able to release it from us
From v19, its said that Elijah passed and threw the mantle on him (Elisha). There will come a time where we would have to pick a successor, as we need to move on as well. We won't be here and there forever, doing the same thing due to our limitations and phases we encounter in life. 


2. We must later then take them under our guidance 
From v21, said that Elisha became his (Elijah's) servant. This would be assuming that we have to allow them to follow us, and provide the right/necessary guidance to help and allow them to just follow us through. 


While the stepping up side, what we know is only a fraction of what is the actual scenario. Similarly to our predecessors, we also have blind-spots. The advantage we have, is that we can see those mistakes made, but don't have to experience it first hand. Sometimes, we have to work harder when things are not handed down to our liking. Ideally, it should be a give and take situation but often it is not the case. Most of us who are vying in these positions, understand its predicament. What we usually have to do:


1. In order to succeed, we got to give up more sometimes. 
From v20, Elisha left the oxen(s) and bid goodbye to his parents. In reference to give and take, if it's 50-50. If they give us less, then it would be like 20-80. In order  to make things, sometimes we got to make our own luck. Put ourselves in the best possible position to receive from our predecessor. 


2. We gotta be humble.
From v21, Elisha became a servant of Elijah. A servant is someone who starts at the bottom, and sometimes even though we know more than others. We gotta be humble and willing to learn, be open and take in the opinions of others. 


Conclusion, it is not impossible but possible :)