|
|
|||
|
The Sacred Dimension by Michael Toms and Justine Willis Toms |
|
||
|
|
Michael can remember the career counselor at his college preparatory school saying, "Since you performed better on the mathematical section of the college board exams, you should consider becoming an engineer." His personal leanings were away from math and much more toward creative writing and the arts. Still, he found himself in the school library looking up various engineering careers, and he eventually decided that aeronautical engineering seemed the most interesting. Looking back, he can see that wanting to know how to fly was symbolic of part of what was driving him--but that metaphorical interest had little to do with building airplanes. This impulse to expand into newness may feel like discontent. The Reverend Mary Manin Morrissey, the author of Building Your Field of Dreams, says "Our discontent is actually a gift of spirit. . . As I have learned to honor the discontent, it has always been the doorway into the next dimension of life." This divine discontent is the internal generator that gives us the power to act on our dreams. We have only to tap into it, make friends with it, and allow it to flow within and from us into our chosen work. If we begin with being, then everything we do will encompass our whole self. When having is the impetus, then the doing is influenced by material concerns, which can never enable us to live our passion. One reason so many people are dissatisfied and unhappy in their work is that they began by seeking to have rather than to be. When being informs our actions, self-assurance and inner strength will permeate what we do. By focusing on being, we can feel the connection to all life. Work becomes a living, moment-to-moment process in which meaning is ever present. The industrial and technological age has done much to alter the workplace. Not the least of its influence has been the virtual extinction of the artist/craftsperson, who valued the process of his or her work as much as (if not more than) the product. The experience of doing the work was as important as the result of the work itself. Now the artist/worker has become an employee in a job, for the purpose of achieving and surviving. The linear ladder of success, based on reaching a series of goals, is the operable image, and spirit and soul are lost in the course of doing. So often the workplace is one-dimensional and does not ask us to live in the fullness of our being. It is up to us to listen and feel as deeply as possible so that our soul can speak to us. In Care of the Soul, Thomas Moore writes, "Soul is not a thing, but a quality or dimension of experiencing life and ourselves. It has to do with depth, value, relatedness, heart and personal substance. . . It is impossible to define precisely what the soul is. Definition is an intellectual enterprise anyway; the soul prefers to imagine." Though there is a movement to recover creativity and spirit within the corporate organizational structure, this is still an embryonic movement. By and large, the vast American corporate workplace is populated by dependent employees who fear downsizing and are unable to express their creativity. As a result, they eagerly embrace the TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) mentality. Downsizing, job sharing, telecommuting, new technologies, and more are radically altering the workplace. What we were taught in school about work and career is turning out to be very different from the reality. The rigid "rules" of society are breaking down and becoming fluid out of necessity. At no time in modern history have so many human beings been in a position to shift the fundamental assumptions by which they have been living and working. As the old system disintegrates, people are finding themselves out of work, and all their worst fears are realized. However, when there is nothing left to lose, there comes a freedom of choice--a freedom to choose again. There is a sense of momentum created by so many people changing their work situations. We can grow beyond the assumptions that have been binding us in dull and oppressive occupations. Doors are wide open. We must take the initiative and choose to step through them into new ways of being. Indeed, each of us must choose this, for we are living in a burning barn. And unlike horses that stay in the "safety" of their stalls and burn to death, we must gallop away from these small, disintegrating confines and move toward freedom. The corporate promises of security were always an illusion. Several generations ago, companies presented themselves as families, although often they did not encompass the ethics and values of the family. People separated their lives into work, family and religion. The realms of family and religion were distinctly separate from the business area. No one can know the future. A new kind of loyalty is necessary--one that honors a dynamic, firsthand engagement with life in the moment. The ability to give our unique gifts to the world comes from following our own path. If we don't follow that course, the world is the poorer for it and we are deprived as well. There is no bargaining with the soul. We must embrace it wholly or we will find ourselves living a half-life, one that does not include our originality. The world needs your creativity. Now is the time for you to make your original contribution. No longer is it appropriate to sit back and let others do everything. The national and global crises we face today demand that each of us do what we can. No matter how small your action may appear, it will have an effect, so don't hold back. To help us recognize these crossroads we have found it useful to practice remembering such questions as: "Why am I here? What is life really about? What is the purpose of my life? Whom or what do I serve? How have I constructed my life to come to this place? What do I want to contribute to the world?" These
core questions serve as reminders, helping
us to recall that there is more to life and work than making money
and having a job. To make such an inquiry on occasion deepens our
spiritual roots and restores our connection with soul. As you are
able to give energy to your passion, purpose will emerge. Clarity of
purpose comes from honoring what gives your life meaning. Work has
become void of meaning because people are asked to follow
instructions rather than their creativity. True work is an expression
of following your inner voice, heeding the spiritual call, and living
your passion. Reprinted with permission
from True
Work ©1998 by Justine Willis Toms and Michael Toms,
published by Bell Tower, New York. Available at your local bookstore.
Home  Health Directory Articles Index Interviews IndexReviews Links About Share Guide Contact us |
||
|
|
|||
|
|
|
||
If
you liked this article,
you'll love The Share Guide's