I am so happy that Lauran, our August speaker, is presenting around the topic of balancing the doing/being (masculine/feminine) in our work/lives. This is precisely the topic that WAW has been exploring since our inception and it is certainly front and center in my own life. It is also perfect timing as we humans move from the lazy days of summer into the hectic activity of the fall season.
This fall we have a lot of “Doing” going on with a full roster of luncheon presentations, a new fall workshop with Dan Morman on Nov. 12th on “Life, Leadership and Self-Deception” plus the plethora of holidays that begin in October and see us through the first of the year. Yet, it is the “Being”, the way we show up for all of the “Doing”, that seems to bring the richness and satisfaction to life. It is the “how we relate to one another”, no matter what we are doing, that colors our accomplishments with purpose and fulfillment.
Often, I will find myself getting a bit stressed with all of the things that need to be done to keep an organization running, but it is my interaction with all of you at each program, each meeting, through emails and phone calls chocked full of exciting ideas, that brings me back to what matters. It warms my heart and makes me look forward to the next "doing". And sometimes, although I often forget it in the moment, it is the "Doing" that creates a structure for all of this "Being together" as a community.
I so appreciate the people that are the community of Wisdom at Work, for “Being” who you are – full of inspiration, curiosity and aliveness. I also value you for all of the work that you are "Doing" in our world. Clearly it is making a difference and clearly wisdom is at work here.
"What Drives Us"
For those of you who enjoyed Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, I want to enthusiastically recommend his newest book, Drive, The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.
I’m guessing that it won’t really be too "surprising” for most WAW members to learn that it is the intrinsic value of an activity itself that actually motivates us to high levels of productivity, creativity and accomplishment. Contrary to popular opinion, it is NOT the promise of money and benefits or the threat of punishment that gets us moving.
Unfortunately, most companies still operate on the carrot and the stick principle to raise productivity and profits. But Pink says that this action actually shuts down our internal drive over time, especially in fields where creativity and original thought are needed.
“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another,” he says. The most successful people are the ones who are self-directed and devoted to becoming better and better at something that matters. In other words, just like most WAW members already know, the highest levels of success and satisfaction come with connecting the quest for excellence to a larger purpose, a purpose that is bigger than ourselves and designed for the well-being of all. Still, it's nice to have the research back you up.
"Professional Behavior"
Lately, the word professional has been popping up all around me, as in “You should dress professionally, have a professional website, behave in a professional manner, stand up for professional ethics, etc.” The way most people use the term seems to imply a judgment of some kind and a belief that your professional self is somehow held to a different standard than your private self. So I looked up the word in my handy Webster’s. There are nine definitions for professional as an adjective – all related to “following an occupation or pertaining to a profession.” So using this definition a (stereotypical) plumber would be dressing professionally with his low riding jeans and beer belly.
Then there are four more definitions as a noun and here is where it starts to get a little stuffy, with “a person engaged in one of the learned professions or who is an expert in their field.” Now I know that I am probably over sensitive, but didn’t a plumber have to learn how to plumb? And don’t you find the plumber an INCREDIBLY learned expert when your toilet is overflowing?
So what on earth does all of this have to do with WAW? We stand for authenticity, for people being themselves at work and at home. So how does a professional consultant, coach, social entrepreneur, artist, HR specialist, small business owner, or CEO show up professionally? How do you even know if you are being professional or not?
I don’t think the clothes that you wear or the fancy words that you use or the degrees on your wall make you an expert or any more engaged in your chosen profession. Doing the profession technically makes you the professional. But choosing a profession that is in alignment with your heart and soul, showing up fully engaged and present, living true to yourself and in service to others – that makes you a professional to me – whether you are a plumber, a lawyer, or a candlestick maker.
Integrating Physical and Spiritual Aspects
Perhaps everyone spends a lot of time contemplating the meaning of life and how it is all “supposed to” work, but it seems that lately that is all I notice. This past month we lost our dear friend Sue Cullen from the physical world. But in her passing, I noticed the incredible outpouring of love that came over all of us that got together to celebrate and remember her life. I also spent probably too much time watching the Olympics. But one thing I loved about the personal stories that accompanied the athletics is the incredible inner challenges that come with the amazing outer results. Lately, I have been noticing how important it is to be in both the materialistic world of physicality (such as doing logistics for a WAW luncheon and workshop in the same week) AND the spiritual world of deeper truth (making sure the events and the experience are meaningful and touch our hearts) at the same time.
It is this dance of living in a physical world with a legitimate need for a way to create money (work) and also being on a spiritual path with the deep longing to be purposeful and meaningful (wisdom) that continues to fascinate me. It seems that humanity has evolved to a place where the integration of these two aspects of our existence can finally be mutually fulfilling. Even though I know that we all still have moments of anxiety about the economy or feel stress about relationships in our lives, we do also have the resources and cultural support now to approach these “issues” from the viewpoint of its value to our spiritual path.
So, as I watch the flowers blooming with such renewed vigor as spring is upon us, I am reminded that we are living in amazing times with equally amazing opportunities. As I am sad that I can no longer see my good friend, Sue, I am reminded that her love can still touch me every day. As I am confounded by some technicality in my work life, I am reminded that this too is part of the experience of wisdom at work in the world.
Winter Reflections on Life
Life seems to be full of opposites. Outside the frigid wind is blowing, but it is warm inside my heart as I reflect on 2009 and look ahead to 2010. Mine was a quiet holiday on the outside, but it took a lot of concentration and almost two weeks to fully quiet down on the inside.
And as usual, it was worth the effort. From this quiet place, I can feel the grace that surrounds us all and I can hopefully act with more patience, tolerance and compassion to those around me. I can feel the gratefulness bubble up inside as I think of all the wonderful people – past and present - in my life. I can feel the wonder of love as we gather to send prayers of healing to those we know who are dealing with illness, heartbreak or fear. And from this quiet place, I can also feel the clarity of recognizing what is important to me as I plot my actions for the upcoming year.
I am so grateful for the chance to work with all of you in the WAW community and to look forward to many more opportunities to share the wonder of life with you all. Here’s to a wonderful 2010!
Money as a Vehicle for Intention - A Two-Part Series
Part I: What matters most in your life? What do you spend most of your time thinking about?
Chances are you answered the first question with something like: your family, your spirituality, or making a difference in the world. But what about the second question? Most people would have to say that money is the thing that they actually spend the most time thinking about. Between thoughts on how to make it, how to spend it, how to protect it, how it affects perceptions of our “success” and how to stop worrying about it, most of us spend a huge percentage of our firing neurons on some variation of focusing on money.
About 99% of Americans choose their jobs based on a consideration about money. On top of that, most of us also spend most of our waking hours and attention thinking about our “jobs.” Even those who have managed to turn their passions into businesses still spend much of their time thinking about how to attract or control the money stream – in and out of our pockets.
No wonder we are out of balance. Is there a better way? Undoubtably! How do we get there? Perhaps the first step is just identifying where it really is that we want to get to. WHAT do you really want?
Yes, I know that you REALLY want that fabulous condo with a great kitchen and a short commute. And I believe you when you say that you want enough money to feel safe and to pay for your children’s college education or to take care of your aging parents. But how much attention do you put into how you want to FEEL WHILE you achieve all of these milestones for “success” and gold stars for meeting obligations. Is it possible that achieving a FEELING of complete peace and relaxation at the core of your being is MORE important than all of the other accomplishments combined?
If you feel anxiety and worry when you are contemplating taking care of your loved ones or guilt when you take an expensive vacation, then something is out of whack. If you feel like you are holding your breathe or hiding from reality when it comes to anything related to your finances, then something is off. If you spend great deals of time planning for success or just making ends meet, then you aren’t living life to it’s fullest. On the other hand, if you operate from a deep sense of trust and well-being, in spite of what’s happening in your outer world, then it might be possible to create a world of incredible value all around you – no matter what your financial situation.
Part II: Gratitude in Action
Money is a man-made invention. It was actually designed to foster human interaction and to celebrate relationships – not commerce. It doesn’t have any inherent value nor has it been imbued with any divine power. We assign it power over us and loose our own vitality by putting our attention so wholly on the morality, the importance and the movement of money. What if instead of attaching feelings of fear and discomfort or feelings of longing and desire to our money thoughts, that we instead thought of money as a vehicle to send our love and positive intentions into the world?
Here is a wonderful exercise that I learned from the former economist, William Bloom a years ago. This is from his book Mind, Heart and Money.
When it is time to pay your bills, gather you attention and make the exercise a meditation. Light a candle, settle your energy and as you pay each vendor, do it with gratitutde. Imagine all of the wondrous things that are possible because of the work of this particular vendor. For example, be thankful that your phone company exists because of all the connections that you can make to all of the people in YOUR network. Think of all the calls you made and received in this particular month and FEEL the importance of that to your being. Appreciate the comfort that came from having electricity to run your AC during the days of triple digit temperatures. This is indeed something to thank the utility company for
.
Now imagine the appreciation that is riding on your money as it goes out to pay each of the employees at those vendors. Instead of resentment, it is now carrying a vibration of gratitude. Imagine that these employees have learned the same meditation as you and that they will add appreciation to the money as it moves along when they pay their bills.
Money may be man-made, but it is constantly moving – at the speed of light. It is connecting the whole planet in an electrical impulse of connection. So let’s send it off with our love and powerful intentions. Let’s spend it in ways that make us feel alive and awake. Let’s use money for what it was originally intended – an expression of our human connectivity.
Power of Belief - Sept. Article
This week, I have been mesmerized by the performance of 17 year old Melanie Oudin at the US Open Tennis Championships. This virtual unknown has defeated three of the world’s top ranked players, each time with an incredible come from behind victory. Her tenacity, positive attitude and belief in the possibility of success are inspirations to both my tennis game and to my adventures in the world of work.
Her performance, in all three instances, has been a perfect example of how much our thoughts affect our reality. Her opponents, originally full of optimism when they were winning, clearly shifted into attitudes of self-doubt, resentment and emotional reactivity when they faced adversity. But no matter how far fetched success looked for Melanie, she kept digging for the next move, kept her feet moving and kept her eye on the ball.
Compare that kind of focus and perseverance with your day at work. Do you have that same sureness of the end goal and a dogged determination to get there? Or do you adopt an attitude that work is too hard, that it’s too hot outside or that life is unfair? Are you willing to do the preparation, the footwork and the follow through to reach your goals?
I love sports because the correlations to life are so quickly obvious. A tennis game lasts a few hours, not for a lifetime, yet the lessons are completely available. I know that we were not all born to be superstars, but I wonder how often that it is not the raw talent that is missing, but something more like the spirit of believing.
On the heels of Melanie Oudin’s tennis shoes is printed the word “BELIEVE!”. It is there to remind Melanie to keep putting one foot in front of the other and to keep giving it her best. Yet, it is also there for all of us to see and to ponder. What kind of superstars can we be if we only BELIEVE!? What kind of results can we create if we BELIEVE! enough to do the hard work and to stay the course even in times of adversity?
Affecting the Tides of Energy - Sept. Article
Energy is an interesting commodity. And no, I do not mean the kind of energy that sells for $50 per barrel. I am referring to the internal energy that resides inside us. Just like the tides, it ebbs and flows, but unlike the tides, it does seem to respond to human attention.
Consider the concept of “allowing” for instance. Have you ever noticed that once you acknowledge that your energy levels are low and allow this state of low energy to just “be” – that it magically rises again? But if on the other hand, you resist and fight the fact that you are experiencing low energy, then you will undoubtedly continue to experience tiredness.
Energy also appears to be mutable. The power of a positive thought isn’t just for others; it also has significant internal possibilities. Watch what happens to your energy level when you think about anything that you are passionate about. Or notice the difference in your noisy, busy energy when you come into a WAW luncheon and join us in a centering exercise in which you quietly get present to your breath and body and to those around you.
Recently, I was in overwhelm when I remembered Timothy Ferris’ advice in the 4-Day Work Week. He recommended committing only to one or two mission critical events per DAY and only working a few days per WEEK! When I switched my attention from the feeling of overwhelm to the more reasonable concept of one task, I suddenly had plenty of energy to complete everything that mattered. And more importantly, I was feeling accomplished, successful and just plain happy.
We may not have any control over the ocean tides, or the attitude that our team brings to work, but we do have the mechanisms to shift our own energy and to create more positive results. Now the trick is just remembering that we have access to all of these skills.
Cutting to the Essence - July Article
Usually summer means lazy days in the sun, but this year in Austin, it has been an exercise in finding the nearest air conditioner. Our temperatures have been seriously over the top. But, as usual, there is a silver lining in being stuck indoors and for Wisdom at Work, it has meant some very productive time together. The Council has been busy developing a series of profound workshops that we will announce very soon.
In the meantime, all of this deep thinking has made me wonder what would define the perfect place to work? I discovered that my answer has far less to do with what the product or service is and more to do with four basic principles.
Imagine a workplace that honored the spirit. This workplace would have a culture in which people were recognized as spiritual beings in physical bodies. Values like respect, compassion, honesty and authenticity would be the norm. This practice of honoring the spirit basically encompasses the teachings of all of the wisdom traditions.
Now consider that this same work environment would also have a clear purpose. Everything it created and presented and delivered would be about fulfilling that purpose in the world. Marketing campaigns, hiring decisions, product design – all would become easier when the purpose is clear.
Of course, purpose implies that the workplace has an importance outside of itself, a value to something bigger than itself. This might mean the physical community, the social fabric, the planet or even the spiritual world around us.
Finally, imagine that the people leading this work were passionate about what they were doing. They had fire and enthusiasm, drive and determination, enthusiasm and heart about coming to work every day. Passion is contagious, so, in this perfect workplace, everyone would catch the wave of energy.
I don’t know about you, but I would work for this company in a heartbeat. I would also bet that this company would be very successful in a financial sense. So what do we need to do as a culture to move toward such a workplace? I’d like to invite all of us to ask ourselves and each other what steps we can take personally and professionally to create workplaces that honor the spirit, have purpose, contribute to the community, and operate from a position of passion?