KARIN WILSON | at Re:Imagine, 18 October 2007
Principles at Work
There are those who view work not as a quest for the material, but rather a reflection of the spiritual. Their journey focuses not simply on the work itself, but how we both experience and engage our work. Bringing the spiritual into work isn't about rules and regulations so much as it is about setting our intentions and being true to ourselves.
Kelowna author Ernie Tadla experienced this in a profound sense when he travelled to China in a late-life career change. In his book How to Live and Do Business in China, Tadla reveals how he arrived with a slew of preconceptions. Surely, he predicted, they would appreciate his guidance in the superior Western ways of doing business.
But it didn't work that way. Instead he was confounded by positive business meetings that led nowhere and at the critical three-month mark it looked like Tadla would return with his tail between his legs.
"From ignorance, comes arrogance and judgment - Ernie's Great Wall, and I had to learn how to relate with everybody," laughs Tadla, while chatting in a Westbank coffee shop.
Once he started to see with his heart, he quickly discovered the Chinese people's profound belief in respect and trust - cornerstones to their 5000 year-old Confucius-inspired tradition. "They will never laugh, argue, never say no to you because they respect you," he says, "and they will never enter into business with somebody they don't' trust. And that takes time," he says. With that door now open, he transformed his near failure into one of success. Nothing changed, except within. Once he was able to embrace the other he was no longer a stranger, and could see his work in a new light.
It's easy to see Tadla's experience as transformative when we look through the lens of another culture. Of course until you understand the culture, you won't make progress. But the principles of compassion and non-judgment are just as powerful here in this culture as they are elsewhere. The truths are universal.
Bruce Hiebert, in his book Your Soul at Work, says everyone is capable of transforming their work into what he calls soul work.
"There is no place where soul work cannot happen as we each make use of the opportunities and options we have to move toward the best in our situation," he says. And there are sign-posts along the way. If work feels more like toil, and less like a labour of love, then we need to change our perspective (as Tadla did) or move on. Keeping an open mind, and using tools such as prayer can make a huge difference in our outlook, and ultimately our experience. He suggests
And there are tools we can use to improve our experience of work. Hiebert believes an open mind is critical for success and prayer or mini-meditations can help with that. Before entering a meeting, take a few moments to honour the sacredness in others. "All it takes is two or three breaths, and my relationship to those I am meeting with has changed."
Ultimately, the path we take in work is largely based on the relationships we build. The product, whatever it is, is a reflection of those relationships. So how we communicate with each other - our clients and our co-workers, alters our experience.
Brenda Fischer, a financial planner with Edward Jones in Kelowna and one of the company's top planners nationwide, knows her relationship with work has changed immensely and it changed when she started to do work on her perception of money.
Fischer admits she always felt a bit guilty making money from other people's financial success. Even though she has been in the field since the 1980s, she still held the view that money was somehow bad.
"I was brought up to believe that money doesn't grow on trees. I questioned whether this was a real spiritual path that I was on." Fischer challenged her thinking and took a prosperity course. She now looks at money as a form of spiritual energy, and it's working for both her and her clients.
"My business improved by 88 per cent in one year after the course. There was a change in my perception of how I look at the care of people and taking care of their needs. Now I know that all energy is positive and money is part of that, and this is something that everybody can have."
What really shifted for Fischer was her perception about her work. Like Tadla, she moved from a place of resistance, to a place of abundance, growth and opportunity. When we find work that moves us in this direction - we are touching our soul work. When we come across bumps on the road, they are opportunities to re-engage ourselves with our soul - and either change direction or change perception. Ultimately, the key ingredient lies in knowing the universe is conspiring with us, not against us. With this knowledge, we can face our fears, overcome our challenges, and take on our soul work with gusto.
Copyright © 2007 Karin Wilson. All rights reserved.
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