| It's Not in My Job Description! In Our Spirit of Unity | by Jeanette Monterio Caller ID indicates that it's my best friend from California. I'm excited to take the call. The first thing I hear: "I hate my job! My boss is a tyrant! I'm unappreciated and under-utilized! I'm going into his office and going to quit right now!" After a brief "sanity check," she decides that it might not be a good idea to quit -- at least not right now. She proceeds to tell me the Story du Jour and the theme is one that began two weeks into the job -- when the job honeymoon was over. "What is at the core of your discontent?" I asked. "I'm not being spiritually fed here. I feel like a human machine and not honored for the gifts that I give." "Who is responsible for your spiritual nurturing?" I asked. We used the process I had taught in one of my Unity classes, which is from Deepak Chopra's The Seven Biological Responses: -- Am I running or fighting? -- Am I offended? -- Am I centered? -- What is the deeper significance of this situation? -- What may I create that never existed before? -- How does this affect my relationship with the larger web of life and transform me and all those affected by my choices? What would an archetypal figure (Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Mother Teresa, etc) that you admire, do? -- And...does this experience bring me a sense of awe, reverence for the sacred, connection with divine intelligence and love for all sentient beings? Her greeting indicated that she had already experienced the first two Biological Responses -- many times over. The next step in her process was to become centered, so she could "think with her heart." My friend is a deeply spiritual person and her spiritual life is at the top of her priority list. How can she reconcile her spirituality with her "dysfunctional" work situation? The deeper significance can be summed up by this quote by Martha Graham in her letter to Cecil B. DeMille: "There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium. It will be lost." This quote seems to answer most of our issues of Divine Discontent. (Divine Discontent is a deep knowing that there is something greater wanting to be expressed here, and it won't let one rest until it is uncovered and expressed.) Discovering our Unique Expression My California friend identified her unique gifts. She is an excellent communicator; she does an outstanding job networking and connecting people, and she is very intelligent. None of these attributes are listed under Obtainable Goals on her job evaluation form, nor are they listed as prerequisites in the job description. These are some of her highest spiritual gifts and part of her unique expressions. Anyone who works with her would attest to these attributes. What is wonderful about our unique expressions is that they may seem to be "hidden gifts," not necessarily hidden from others, but not recognized for their specialness within ourselves. It is part of Life's Mystery to uncover our gifts and to claim them as our unique expression of Spirit. Others may tell us about our uniqueness, our spiritual gifts, but to truly claim them, we must be willing to see, accept, and appreciate our uniqueness for ourselves. The Divine Discontent (the internal urging that keeps us in the flow of change) was nudging my friend to claim her uniqueness. Stepping into Your Power The next point of reflection for her was to step into her power at work. What could she do that would be one step towards creating what never existed before? She made a list of things that she could do. Tops on her list was deciding that she would not allow her boss to interrupt her during staff meetings. She decided that in the next meeting, she would calmly smile, stating, "I would like to finish my thought." Each day, the list towards coming into her power expanded as she took action steps towards her goals of creating the space for her expression of her uniqueness. She changed the experience at her workplace -- one choice at a time. Now, her coworkers are more respectful, not just with her, but in listening to each other without interruption, because she is modeling a new way of being in the workplace. Several weeks later, I asked her how it was going at work. Her response was, "Scotty is still Scotty. He doesn't interrupt as much and catches himself when he does. It is not my job to change him. He really is doing the best that he can. It is my job to stand in my Truth, filled with Love, and to model the way I want to be treated. And, guess what? It's working!" This is what Dr. Chopra described in step No. 6, as the relationship with the larger web of life. Is there a lack of spirituality in your workplace? Does this story sound familiar? What are some of the factors that contribute to spiritual bankruptcy on the job? How may we create a setting that nurtures your soul, on the job? Because Truth of Spirit is always present, there can never truly be a lack of Spirit in the workplace! By not remembering this fact, we may not be expressing our spiritual nature in the workplace. How can you create Spirit in your workplace? 1. Identify your unique gifts. 2. Take one step each day to express that gift, such as: -- If you are creative or love nature, place flowers on your desk where all may enjoy. -- If you enjoy connecting with people, ask the new person to join you and your friends for coffee. -- If you want to increase the peace in you office, take moments out for centering or silent prayer. -- If you want to serve your co-workers, be thankful and show gratitude. -- If you want a friendlier environment, invite your co-workers to refrain from getting caught in the gossip mill. 3. Look at everyone as an opportunity for a Holy encounter, a chance to create a higher expression than what currently exists. 4. When faced with confrontation, ask, "How would Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, Moses, Mother Teresa respond to this?" 5. At the end of each work day, reflect on that day's sacred moments. Give thanks for all the opportunities you have had to "see" Spirit. Spirit is not only found in holy places, prayer and meditation, yoga and retreats. It is everywhere -- in our relationships, our work, our daily chores, if we are willing to recognize the Presence in our lives, It will reveal Itself in every situation. Take one step towards Spirit today and Spirit will rush in to support you. We are just beginning to understand that it is vital to optimum job performance for us to view the work environment from a holistic approach. If your workplace does not support the spirit of individuals, take steps for yourself, and for others. If you want to know more about spirituality and the workplace, check out www.spiritatwork.com To learn more about one of the Unity Churches/Centers in or near the Twin Cities call: Unity of the Valley, Burnsville/Savage (952) 895-0745; Unity South, Bloomington (952) 884-6656; Unity North, Coon Rapids, (763) 554-6489; Unity Christ Church, Golden Valley (763) 521-4793; Unity East, Newport/Woodbury (651) 731-5330; Unity, Sanctuary of the Heart, St. Paul (952) 922-7500, Unity, St. Cloud (320) 259-4006; and Unity Christ Center, Eau Claire, WI (715) 836-0010; or visit www.unityminnesota.org. |
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May 2004 |
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