Walk into any bookstore and you’ll likely find a nicely stocked self-help section. Psycho-spiritual authors such as Eckart Tolle are hitting bestseller lists as more and more people seek a balanced, meaningful way of life.
When compared to other countries with advanced economies, Americans tend to average a longer work year. The Chartbook of International Labor Comparisons: The Americas, Asia, Europe (U.S. Department of Labor, January 2006) indicates that in 2006, Americans worked an average of 1,804 hours per year, coming in behind only North Korea and Mexico.
In his book A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do, spiritual writer Thomas Moore declares, “Doing work that has no soul is the great hidden malady of our time.” With so many hours spent at work, opportunities for bringing soul into the workplace are numerous.
Preparing for Spiritual Growth at Work
Perhaps the first step in bringing soul into the workplace is setting an intention to do so. This intention is a touchstone from where one can delve into the spiritual dimension of work.
For example, a line cook uses food prep to practice mindfulness. An executive allows metta, or loving kindness, to inform his or her leadership style. A customer service agent cultivates patience and empathy while speaking with a disgruntled customer.
Focusing on the Here and Now of Work
Moore encourages his readers to shift their attention from the prestige of work to the attitude with which they approach work. He states, “While a destination may be enticing, try focusing on the path you’re walking now.”
With this in mind, it’s possible to glean insight and meaning from work even when it’s not an ideal fit. The point is to mine this particular stretch of the path for its gems. What learning presents itself in the here and now, and how will you meet it?
Practicing Mindfulness at Work
Tending to the here and now is a mindful act. Scientist, writer, and meditation teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
The gamut of beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors emerge in the workplace, making it a rich training ground for practicing mindfulness. Michael Carroll, author of Awake at Work and The Mindful Leader, describes how conflict – a reality that comes part and parcel with work life – can be held mindfully.
In a "Meet the Author" Q&A appearing on his website, Carroll explains, “From the perspective of mindfulness, we need not see conflict as an intrusion or a problem; nor is it something to be avoided or dismissed. Rather, mindfulness trains the mind to look right into the conflict without anger or resentment or fear, and to work skillfully with conflicts of all kinds...”
Aligning Personal Values with the Workplace
In the workplace, congruence is the degree to which an individual's qualities are in balance with those of the environment. Congruence is related to authenticity, which is the degree to which one engages from a place of personal truth despite external pressures.
Are your values congruent with the values of your workplace? A social worker may be drawn to the human services field because it directly reflects his or her desire to help others. Values can also show up in subtler ways. Rather than the work itself, maybe it’s a company’s family-friendly culture or commitment to diversity that is meaningful.
Does your authentic self have a voice in the workplace? Observing and reflecting upon the times when authenticity flows or is stifled can be an enlightening venture.
Holding Compassion at Work
The Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh is famous for his teachings on compassion and anti-violence. Compassion opens the heart to the suffering of others. In its most healthy form, it rests upon a foundation of self-compassion.
Thich Nhat Hanh is quoted as saying, “When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept.”
Compassion allows you to hold the tension of opposites. You might vehemently disagree with the actions of a colleague, authentically express your point of view, and still feel compassion for all involved. Holding such a stance in the workplace not only reinforces your capacity for empathy, caring, and non-reactivity; it feeds back into workplace culture at large.
In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, “A bodhisattva is someone who has compassion within himself or herself and who is able to make another person smile or help someone suffer less. Every one of us is capable of this.”
Life at work provides exposure to an array of experiences that can turn into opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. While not everyone seeks to embrace this view, those who do can find a greater sense of meaning, purpose, and balance.
Sources:
- A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do, Thomas Moore.
- Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn.
