Driving to Sydney yesterday I heard the ABC news describe how Justice Michael Kirby had delivered a speech on the topic of love to a bunch of law and commerce graduates. It was one of his last speeches before stepping down from his role as one of our High Court judges.

I guess I was a little surprised to hear him encourage the graduates to think about more than just money, and to highlight to them the importance of empathy and respect for our fellow human beings. He informed them he would share “a precious jewel”

I refer to love. Love for one another. Love for our community. Love for others everywhere in the world,” he said. “Love transcends even scholarship, cleverness and university degrees. It is greater than pride and wealth. It endures when worldly vanities fade.”

I am pretty sure Justice Kirby would include the workplace as one of the places where love is important. Hmmm, that reminds me I have an unread book titled ‘Love @ Work’ published by the Australian Institute of Management. Looks like I have found some reading material for the holidays.

Here is a link to the audio of Justice Kirby’s speech.