Think of it:  there you are, divested of your usual social masks, so you’re not worrying so much about what others think.  You’re just focused on coming clean.

You’re probably more present, more attuned to your senses.  All you have to do is stay alert enough not to fall, then stand there and enjoy the fruits of others’ genius (thank you to all you inventors of plumbing, heating and great showerheads!).

As the hot water pours over your head, mental cobwebs get cleared away.  Whatever tension you normally carry in your shoulders and neck lets go.  Without thinking about it, great ideas can flow naturally, almost as easily as the water flows over your head.

It’s Harder to Block Great Ideas When You’re Naked and Vulnerable

As mindfulness practitioners know, most of us keep our minds so overloaded with chatter that we can’t notice or hear the quieter, more solid wisdom that’s always available to guide our minds.

Then there all the psychological and spiritual issues that block the reception of potential visions.  Fear is probably the best known visionary inhibitor but pride and self-will are equally potent.  So are belief systems, idealized self images and all the other things you may carry around with you, without even noticing it.

Take those off, and you become mentally, spiritually and emotionally “naked.”  In such a state, you’re better able to receive new ideas.  Or even old ideas that you’ve been ignoring.

How to Be “Naked” When Fully Clothed And Out in the World

A huge barrier to vision is the common tendency in our culture to rush decisions, as if not knowing the answer to something is weak.  In truth, we’re strongest spiritually and emotionally if we can also be vulnerable and open to help from others.

That’s why all great spiritual and therapeutic traditions require us to be naked emotionally and spiritually to ourselves, and often with others.  Indeed, one of the most powerful preludes to great wisdom is the spiritual practice of what St. John of the Cross called the dark night of the soul.

In this practice, we dare to go beyond all we know, or think we know, into the darkness of not knowing.  Here, we’re like travelers who have gone far enough from a city not to hear its noise, not even to see the afterglow of its lights.  Once we get attuned to the darkness, we can see more stars, more faint lights in the distance, and even the light of our own hearts.

Being naked out in the world doesn’t mean spilling all your beans to another.  But it does mean being bare of illusions or pretenses or beliefs that keep you from being fully present to yourself and the world around you.  Naked this way, you’re more attuned to what’s true about you and the world.  In this state, you’re more relaxed, better able to notice what calls you for work, for business, for service, and even for just having a great day today.

How Do You Get “Naked” So You Can Invite a Vision?

Do you actually hit the shower sometimes just to clear your head?  Do you meditate?  Do you have a spiritual director or friend who helps you strip away your pretenses and illusions so you can come clean to your true self?

Does a walk, or dancing or hanging out with a two-year-0ld help you get out of your own stuff so you’re more receptive to new perspectives?

Feel free to share your comments below.

As always, many blessings to you,

Pat McHenry Sullivan

Prime example:  the whole US Congress and our often spineless president, who have managed to lock us into a totally non-visionary plan aimed at avoiding default that in truth seems to make no-one but cable news pundits happy.  And for these pundits the only happiness lies in the fodder it gives them for more ongoing commentary.

Now I know the Congress isn’t totally to blame for this mess.  We’re all part of the culture that demands quick fixes and is addicted to fear, unfounded reporting, and blame.  We’re all at least partially the creators of an economy that puts our undiscerning trust into things like forever increasing housing prices and the big gambling casino masquerading as the stock market instead of finding a better way to discern what’s truly valuable.

Pride, Self-will and Fear Prevent Us From Having a Great Government

And we’re all part of an electorate who are anything but the visionaries we were born to be when it comes to electing our officials.  Instead of carefully assessing who gets our vote, we tend to make unstudied decisions based on our biases and a whole lot of emotional/spiritual distortions caused by pride, self-will and fear.

According to the Pathwork™ almost all human failings come from the innumerable manifestations of these three faults.  Each is a distortion of something wonderful about being human.  Each can readily be seen in politics, though it’s usually easier to see it in the “other side” than in our own.

Pride distorts our true self-esteem and self-respect into idealized self-images or beliefs “that we are better than others so we have a right to our self-importance and specialness.  … The antidotes to pride are honest self-confrontation and humble self-acceptance out of which real self-esteem comes.”

“Self-will says we must get what we want when we want it, thereby justifying our egotism: ‘I want what I want when I want it’. Self-will is distinct from free will, which is simply the capacity of the entity to choose, to direct, to activate. Self-will occurs when free will is used in the service of the little self, the limited ego consciousness, in an attempt to control others and life.”

Fear distorts the brilliant instincts and information systems that warn us of potential danger.  Fear instead comes from attitudes that say, “‘I will not trust’, and often also ‘if I am not special, or do not get my way, then something terrible will happen’. Fear both supports and results from the attitudes of pride and self-will. Fear keeps us restricted within the narrow boundaries of the little ego-self. The attitude of fear often makes us justify negative thoughts and acts which we never face directly because we are lost in the disorientation caused by fear.”

(The preceding quotes were taken from notes from the Pathwork™ in Texas on “Facing the Lower Self,” Chapter 6 of The Undefended Self by Susan Thesenga

Yes, I know it’s fun to assess all the fear, pride and self-will in various “them” categories.  A more productive path is to look at our own stuff, so we can see how it’s blocking our clear sight of what is, our tremendous possibilities to imagine something better, and our ability to discern the difference between truth and illusion.  The better we do this, the easier it is to work with others who also get stuck in their own pride, self-will and fear.

Without Vision, The US Wouldn’t Even Be Here

So much US history is truly visionary.  The dreams of freedom from a motley crew of scattered ordinary people led first to the vision of freedom from colonialism, then the creation of a constitution and bill of rights that can still work today.  Over the decades, various individuals and groups have faced down various manifestations of pride, self-will and fear — like racism, a hurting environment or massive impoverishment — and created visionary approaches to big problems by bringing out the best that is in us.

We very much need such visionary leadership now. Especially now, in the wake of the debt agreement that sets us up for so much ongoing disagreement.  Especially now, when we are so divided, so overwhelmed by information and so starved for due diligence or the quiet time we need to discern either what we truly need as a country or how to get it.

I know it’s not easy to create a vision, but we can do it.   The first step I’d like all Congresspeople to take is to kneel by the Washington National Cathedral’s statuette of Abraham Lincoln kneeling in prayer.  Like all of you, he needed guidance to deal with a country at odds with itself.  And like I know many of you have found, as Lincoln did, “I have often been driven to my knees by the knowledge that I had no place else to go.”’’  You can see the photo of Lincoln kneeling here. http://dcmemorials.com/index_indiv0001484.htm

In fact the sculptor of this statuette, Herbert S. Houck, was the grandson of a man who saw Lincoln kneeling in the woods just before delivering the Gettysburg Address. Notice how this only 38” high statuette manages to portray strength, courage and a lot of humility.  We need that from our leaders.

Please, dear Congress, President and other leaders, go past your own belief systems, to what Meister Eckhart http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meister_Eckhart#Eckhart_today calls “the god beyond God,” to the truth that is bigger than any pride, self-will or fear, so we imperfect people can work better together.

Please, help us break free of the crippling idealized self images like America First of “Greatest Country in the World, Always!.” Help us see our true gifts so that we can not jus deal with the challenges of economy, but find our rightful, humble, truly self-respecting country among other great countries.

Please.  Please be the best self we elected you to be so you can help call out the best in us.

And thank you for being willing to be out there in the public eye, daring to take on the challenges.  Let us know how we can help you.

Comments are welcome.  Many blessings as always, Pat McHenry Sullivan

The Olympics are about so much more than winning or the feelings that go into it.

For me it’s about doing one’s very best after many years of focused practice and extreme dedication. It’s about the ability to be centered enough to perform at one’s peak in front of the world watching. It’s about the drive and passion to be the best we can be at something and going after it. It’s about the ability to perform with precision despite any pain or obstacles that get in the way. And these lessons are applicable to all of us, including the spiritual practices that we can bring to our work, money and other important matters.

My friend Marilyn King was an Olympic pentathlon athlete. About 6 months before the Moscow Olympics she was in a bad car accident and was hospitalized for months. Rather than give up her Olympic dream, she watched videos constantly of other pentathlon athletes performing at their peak and very consciously visualized doing the same.

Although she only had a few months of actual practice time before the Olympics, she placed second. Her practice of visualization was a powerful tool of success.

Marilyn then applied her Olympian wisdom to peacebuilding and education in a process she calls Olympian Thinking.   Her formula is passion (source of energy and creativity), plus vision (crystal clear images of goal), plus action (everything I do in alignment with vision) equals exceptional human performance (ordinary people doing extraordinary things).

What lessons can we derive from the Olympics for the workplace?

1. Strive for excellence - Excellence doesn’t mean perfection, rather the ability to focus and care deeply about our work to do the best we can. Striving for excellence motivates us; striving for perfection is demoralizing. We all make mistakes, but the opportunity is to learn from them and not repeat them. Excellence takes time, hard work, patience, practice and commitment. It doesn’t mean settling for just good enough.
2. Vision - In order to excel in something, we need to be clear where we’re going, what we want to do well. What drives us? What are we passionate about? It’s hard to excel if our heart is not in what we’re doing. Find what has heart and meaning and go for it.
3. Ask for Help or Guidance – All Olympic athletes have coaches – people who work with them, oversee their training, encourage them and keep them on track. We can’t do it alone. If we don’t understand something or are confused or overwhelmed, we need to be able to ask for help or guidance. Consider hiring a coach or finding a mentor.
4. The 3 C’s – Courage, Creativity and Commitment – Athletes don’t make it to the Olympics by being wimps. It takes tremendous courage and commitment to stretch beyond their limits and practice over and over, even when they are exhausted, until they achieve their personal best. It takes creativity to keep trying new routines (ice skating), faster runs (skiing) or new strokes (swimming) until they discover the best, fastest and most creative they can be. Do you practice the 3C’s in your work?
5. Ensure you have the right practical tools - We can never excel if we don’t have the right tools for the job. If you have an older computer, not enough staff, outdated software, need for training, slow internet, etc, be sure you take steps to upgrade. Yes, these cost money upfront, but in the long run save you time and money and enable you to get the job done. Prepare a brief proposal to your boss and explain why upgrading makes sense. Don’t waste time with outdated tools.
6. Don’t forget your spiritual tools! This blog is filled with spiritual tools and practices that can be applied to any task.  Just click on the “Spiritual Practices” category near the bottom of the categories list.
7. Use visualization - See yourself doing what you love at your very best. What does it look and feel like? Remember how Marilyn King used visualization to help her succeed in the Olympics. Use it for yourself.

What is your passion? Your personal best? Where do you excel?

Are you using Olympian thinking to combine your passion with your vision and action to achieve your best? If not, try it.

In peace,

Kim

Kimberly Weichel is a social pioneer, educator, author and specialist in global communications, leadership and peacebuilding. She is co-author of “Healing the Heart of the World” and director of the Institute for Peacebuilding.  www.kimweichel.org.

Since that interview, Elizabeth has written The Compromise Trap: How to Thrive at Work Without Selling Your Soul. The spirituality and work movements have grown along with a movement towards socially responsible business or conscious capitalism.  Still, simple, compelling pictures of what it’s like to do ordinary work with meaning and joy are still fairly rare.  That’s why I’m excited by the new TV show, “Undercover Boss,: which puts CEO’s into entry level jobs throughout their company, with a fake identity and a real quest to see what’s really happening.

When Employers and Employees Care About What They Do, We All Benefit.

Probably the biggest blessing any employer could give is to be fully acknowledge employees, as President and COO Larry O’Donnell of Waste Management did when he demonstrated a willingness to learn from his employees and to honor them during the launch of “Undercover Boss” on CBS.

While there was not a “religious” word spoken in this show, I saw in it a great model of the basic Buddhist practice of mindfulness, the Muslim practice of creating no split between what you do in the marketplace and what you do in your religious life, the Jewish and Christian practices of compassion and service, and the Hindu practice of engaging fully with any task but surrendering the results to God.

7 Spiritual Practices Demonstrated by the First “Undercover Boss”

No, none of these principles was stated in the show, but they’re what I saw in action:

See The Truth, Then Live By It, That You May Be Free. In business, truth is often hard to come by, because most managers are surrounded by spin doctors and “yes” men or women who only say what seems currently expedient.  Also, rarely do all of us see others without projections or fear, or a quick dismissal because they don’t seem to offer us anything at the moment — which leads to the power of the next tip.

Bless Others By Acknowledging And Appreciating Them As They Are. As many workplace surveys have found, a top yearning for many employees is simply to be seen, acknowledged and appreciated. When they get this from their employers, their morale naturally soars and stress diminishes. Often, productivity also soars — as was reported at Waste Management in the follow-up section of the show.

Open Your Eyes To The A Workplace Full Of Spiritual Allies. O’Donnell was blow away by the gifts and commitment in his own employees.  As I discovered during a hard time when my husband was out of work and we were dealing with three fatally ill family members across the country, workplace spiritual allies are everywhere, at every level of the corporate ladder.  I learned from such expert practitioners of acknowledgement and appreciation as receptionists and mailroom clerks that simply acknowledging and appreciating others is a deliciously satisfying practice.

Put Your Values Into Action. A huge value for O’Donnell is workplace safety, because his daughter was brain-damaged after a doctor failed to follow proper procedure in a routine medical procedure. That led his vow only to work for or run companies that take safety seriously.

See And Take Responsibility For The Impact Of Your Actions On Others. O’Donnell was shocked to see how badly his productivity policies impacted employees.  As CEO, he had the power to change hurtful policies, and he did.  We of lesser status in smaller companies always have the option to notice how we affect others for good or ill, as the Iriquois say, “to the seventh generation.”  We always have the option to be more socially or environmentally responsible, to be more kind to others, to tell the truth more.

When Life Hands You S__t, Laugh and Deal With It! At Waste Management, some employees literally have to work with human waste.  Fortunately, O’Donnell was taught to deal with it from a master, Fred the potty mentor.  If you don’t think of laughter as a spiritual practice, remember the proverb that a merry heart is healing for you and everyone around you.

Whatever Your Work, Do It With Caring And Integrity. Or, to paraphrase Khalil Gibran, allow love to take form and be seen through your work.  Or as people of many faiths say, through our work in the world, whatever our work,  we are God’s hands and feet.  So work as if we worked for God or another beloved.

What spiritual practices do you now quietly, and without fanfare, engage at work?  What else could you discover if you also shed your usual workplace personal and simply saw it afresh with new eyes?

Please comment below and, as always, many blessings,

Pat McHenry Sullivan

Flow is the opposite of what happens when get stuck in problems that beget more problems. For me, the opposite of flow is like a downward spiral that can worsen when I respond to problems by getting in a bad mood.  This irritates my family or colleagues, which makes me feel worse. My tension and irritability inhibits my ability to solve the original problems, because I can’t think clearly and make good decisions.  When I relax and get back into the flow, however, I am actually more productive!

Sound familiar?

The flow state is when we are totally immersed in what we are doing NOW, not thinking about results or time or outcome.

All we have to do to remember how much flow could be a part of everyday life is to watch children at play. We too can be in the flow as we paint, play music, or write a story.  Flow can happen over a fun family dinner, while spending quality time with friends, or taking a long walk in nature.  It can happen when we do work we love or  do any work with love.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,  a psychologist who has spent decades studying the state of being he calls “flow,” says that, “The flow state is accessible to everyone … and can occur at any level of skill, and is in fact necessary for real enjoyment of life beyond simple pleasure-seeking. We really don’t get much out of the passive consumption of pleasure, compared to enjoyment which is much more active and creative and self-directive.”

Being in the flow can happen when we are really engaged in our work, when we bring our creativity and aliveness into it.

It can happen when we have lunch or a conversation with work colleagues and really get to know them as if for the first time. It can happen when we believe in what we’re doing and we know our work makes a difference in people’s lives.

Most of my personal examples of being in the flow at work revolve around team projects. I love the excitement that is created when we begin our group brainstorm, then see how it evolves as roles are defined and our plan is established, as we check in with each other, support others as needed, and end up with a product we can all be proud of. None of us could have done this alone.  I usually (not always) feel closer with my team members at the end of the project.

How do we best achieve flow?  Here are my favorite tips:

1. Have an open mind, be curious and open to possibilities, awe and wonder.  If you have forgotten how to do this, imitate how a baby watches the world.
2. Put your full self into what you do and how you do it. Trying to get by is not a way to achieve flow. Nor is doing the same thing over and over because it’s easy.
3. When something doesn’t go the way you hoped, stay flexible. Accept bad things gracefully, rather than resist them.  Otherwise, says a common spiritual principle, what you resist will persist.  As you accept and work with what is, you can soon flow naturally into enjoyment and fulfillment again. I love the John Denver song that goes “All this joy, all this sorrow, all this promise, all this pain, such is life.”
4. Tap into your innate knowing and creativity. Don’t limit yourself by saying “Oh, I’m not creative”, “I can’t write”, “I can’t ……………”  Just start acting as if you believed you were creative, and soon you will be creating.
5. Give yourself permission to have silent time, get lost in your thoughts, experiment.  This is where our inspiration and creativity comes from. When we stop trying to multi-task,  we can be more present to right here, right now.

Ask yourself, when are you normally in a state of flow? What takes you out of it? How can you achieve greater flow in your life? Wishing you many opportunities to be in the flow.
Enjoy,

Kimberly Weichel

Amazing how that inner critic can get in the way at work.

How often have we not spoken up at a meeting because we were afraid our idea or suggestion wasn’t worth it? How often have we delayed turning in a report because we were concerned it wasn’t good enough? Or how often have we not applied for a higher position in our organization or company because we didn’t think we were smart enough or experienced enough?  When we let these voices dictate our behavior, it definitely limits our potential. Our limiting beliefs get in the way of our advancement and fulfillment. And they also harm our sense of self worth and our relationships. This doesn’t mean we need to boast or push our ideas forward – a healthy reflection and sense of humility are important.

It seems that women suffer from listening to our inner critic more than men.

For years I told myself I couldn’t draw – a self-fulfilling mantra that would come up each year when I got out my sketch book and tried to draw something only to stop after minutes out of discouragement. Yet several years ago I decided that that concept was no longer serving me and I took up a painting class.  Now that I confronted that limiting belief and go beyond it, I love to paint.

Several girlfriends tell me in different words about why they can’t do something. When I suggest to one middle age friend who loves music that she take up piano, she tells me “I’m too old to do that”.

What can we do to tame our critic?

Our thoughts are our only power. They control our life in more ways than we know, yet the only thing we really have control over is our thinking. If we can learn ways to begin changing our thinking patterns, we can watch how our life begins to change, from our health to our work to our ability to give and receive love. Here are some things that have worked for me:

1. Be aware of those critical voices. Acknowledge them, confront them and assess them. Be honest with yourself.
2. Decide you don’t need them anymore. This is a conscious choice, and every time that critic surfaces, remind yourself of your choice. Grow beyond it, as I did with drawing.
3. Visualize yourself doing what you’d like to do – playing the piano, drawing, stepping into a new position at work, etc. Visualization is a powerful tool for healing and growth.
4. Be courageous, be bold. Step out of your comfort zone.

Sometimes this requires deep work.

We might want the help of a therapist or trusted friend. These inner voices can harm relationships, keep us stuck in a position that we’ve grown beyond, and run our lives in more ways than we know.

Rather than have that inner critic greet you rudely every morning and criticize you every time you fall short – perhaps causing harm to your personal success and relationships – reframe it and make it your friend.

There is at least comfort in knowing that most of us deal with this, so we are not alone. Yet we each need to do our own work to overcome the negative effects.

When your inner critic is at your service instead of against you, it gives you a tremendous amount of power.

So next time you stop yourself from speaking up, from applying for that next higher position, from taking that new class, from dating that special person, from writing that book, think again. Why not?  You can do it.
In peace,

Kim Weichel

Praying the News Begins by Being Fully Present To It

“Reality shows” can be watched as entertainment.  Genuine news demands that we be fully present to what is and allow it to affect us, even when there’s nothing we can do about it. That means honoring life as a mystery, not as a problem to be solved, but as a paradox where we are called to go deep into the heart of compassion without agenda or attachment to outcome.

Every faith has so much to teach us about surrendering to the wisdom and will of something greater than ourselves, whether or not we use the word God.  I have been particularly touched by the work of the late artist/peacemaker/oral surgeon Frederick Franck, who taught me the Dutch word “schouwen.”  Franck saw this as a way of seeing life in all its dimensions, so perceived separations between us and the other dissolve. This kind of practice, Franck said, opens us to inspiration.  It liberates creativity and builds respect for self and others.

For Franck, schouwen led him to humanitarian service throughout his 97 years of life, authoring The Zen on Seeing and 29 other books, and creating the beautiful trans-religious oasis, Pacem in Terris in Warwick, New York.

One Way to Pray the News

Please join me, right where you are, in praying the news.  As you do so, edit the following prayer as you see fit.

Let us now attune together, heart and soul, as we enter the mystery together.  In the silent fullness of sweet surrender to what’s most eternal and wise, let us rest for a moment and refresh our souls.

Into the heart of this quiet mystery, let us place our care and concern for whatever is happening.  Let us bless it by seeing it just as it is, right now.

Let us bless it by envisioning the best for all concerned (even if we do not yet know what is best); let us bless it again by calling forth the best.

Let us bless our own questions about the news as we reflect: how do outer events mirror our own gifts, faults, etc.?  How are we like the dazed wanderer or the tyrant or the healer we see in the news?

How are we being called to serve this particular challenge or follow this opportunity or vision?

How can we do what calls us, when so much calls?

The News Isn’t Just What’s Reported on “The News”

The real news includes the ongoing reporting of your intuition, your instincts and other elements of your natural genius that are too often quashed. When those gifts come alive, we see life more clearly.

The most dramatic experience of praying my own news happened during what is now known as the Loma Prieta quake in 1989.  Then, I felt the bristles going up and down my spine warning danger long before my mind registered “Earthquake! Big one!” and way before I felt the building sway wildly.

Hyper-alert, one part of my brain reviewed quickly a recent show on “How to Survive the Big One” on the local PBS station.  I saw this information almost as if it were an internet home page, allowing me to skim quickly the various offerings and to click for further information.

At the same time, I surveyed the room for likely dangers and my safest spot.  Almost immediately, my two bad knees (from torn tendons in separate accidents) bent easily, and I was under my desk fast.  I heard the same inner voice that has guided me to my husband, my right work and other good things in life.  “You are now going to learn the difference between fear as a fault and awareness of danger as a gift,” it said.

Under the desk, I became aware of that part of my psyche that some call the mask or persona, which was obsessed with whether or not my crystal glasses at home were safe or if colleagues who were then laughing and talking throughout the quake were going to tease me afterwards.  Underneath the mask level, in what the Pathwork www.pathwork.org calls the “lower self,” I was just furious.  How dare God put me into this situation where I could get killed?

Underneath all that, the quiet voice spoke again.  “You could always die at any moment.  The question is, how are you going to live your life in the meantime?”

In that instant, I surrendered to the choice to live fully in the present, at least for that moment. I was overcome with awe and wonder, as if I was riding the power of earth and feeling how it connected the approximately 7,000,000 of us who live in the Bay Area.

Afterwards, the awe and wonder continued,  as I became more aware of both the power of humans to build with the earth and the impossibility of taming it.  In the weeks to come, it was always amazing to watch buildings that looked irreparable to my untrained eye be made whole again, while buildings that looked safe to me bore the red tag of unsafe and had to be torn down.

Ever since that quake, I have had a clearer touchstone for what it means to see more clearly what is and to be guided by a force much greater than ego or will. This is what it is like, my personal news archive reminds me, to be engaged with life and let it teach me, let it call me to work more from that sense of connection to others and the earth. This is a reminder of how much can be learned and experienced in a short time, for the Loma Prieta quake itself lasted only 15 seconds.

What’s Your News?  How Does It Call You to Live and Act?

In the days to come, I pray for the renewed commitment to keep praying the news, to find my best service for Haiti, for my hometown, and elsewhere. Without prayer, it feels impossible to take in the news.  With prayer, I can sometimes see how the little I can do, the little I can give, can grow and be enough.

What’s your prayer?  What does your prayer guide you to do?

As always, many blessings,

Pat McHenry Sullivan

Let’s be creative with the word creative. Creativity isn’t just in what we do, but in who we are.
Creativity for me is a way of expressing myself, incorporating my own ideas into what I do and how I do it, a desire to step out of the ordinary and try new things, to think “out of the box”, and to take risks. It means having a flair for beauty and color and design. It means having a zest for life and deepening my connection with my inner child. It means giving myself permission to try something new.

I can be creative in the way I dress, in how I set up my office, in how I relate with others, in how I manage other people, and in how I do my work. I can be creative in the way I write, speak, and act in everyday life.

Being creative is a way to grow, to experiment, to deepen, and to enjoy life.
I am more fully alive when I express my creativity. I love to play the piano, sing, and paint watercolors. Once in awhile I love to get creative in the kitchen and cook up something unique – without a recipe. And when people like it, I make up a title. I also love to be creative in how I dress. In the Washington, DC area where I now live, many people wear dark suits.  Dressing in a bright colored outfit accompanied by an ethnic necklace or scarf at professional events is my way of expressing myself and rebelling against the norm, I’m always amazed at how many people compliment me on my outfit.

How can you expand our creativity — even if you believe you are not creative?

1. Be aware of what your own voice wants to express, whether in words, actions, dress, cooking, writing, or otherwise. Listen to your intuition. Then, express yourself!
2. Try something new or different. I find there is nothing more stifling than doing the same thing the same way over and over. Be bold!
3. Courage. As Erich Fromm says “Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.” Go for it!
4. Brainstorm. See how many different ways you can come up with to tackle a problem, handle a situation, work with a colleague, etc. We often think there are only 2 ways of doing something – your way and my way, but there are always many more options than we think. Practice being non-judgmental and listing as many options as you can, despite how silly or impractical they may sound. This is how advertising agencies work.
5. Don’t limit yourself.  Don’t believe your own limiting comments such as “I’m too old to learn to paint/play music”, “I can’t do that.” Plum under the excuses, e.g., “I tried writing once but it didn’t work” ignores the fact that to get good at something we need to practice it. “I don’t have time” belies the fact that when most of us want to really do something, we want find the time. When you go beyond self-imposed limits, you just might find that your life takes on new meaning.

Creativity connects us with our soul and our innermost yearnings.

I love Alan Alda’s description of creativity: “The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.”

And Albert Einstein says it well, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

So remember your gift and explore your creativity in as many ways as you can.   At work you might consider:

1. Looking at how you decorated your office – does it express your uniqueness?
2. Examining your relationships with your boss and colleagues – could they be improved?
3. Exploring how much creativity you put into your work. Are you simply going through the motions and doing the minimum possible to get by, or are you putting yourself into your work and making it truly yours? If the work doesn’t spark you, what can you do to change it?
4. What might you suggest at work to enhance the creativity of yourself and others? Brainstorm with others and make recommendations.

Remember, we are ALL creative.

May 2010 be a creative year for you.

Blessings,

Kimberly Weichel

We judge people and situations constantly based on our own frame of reference.

If we’re extroverts, we might consider those who don’t speak up meek or timid; if we’re introverts, we might judge extroverts as forthright or pushy.  Neither judgment is considered a positive by the person making it.

When I was a manager of a department, I asked for agenda items at the beginning of weekly staff meetings. I assumed that silent staff weren’t interested or had nothing to say. After our department took the Myers Briggs test, I learned the quiet staff were introverts who preferred to get the agenda in advance so they could think about their responses ahead of time. It was a great lesson in the danger of assumptions and the importance of acknowledging different working styles.

Finding common ground means looking beyond stereotypes and trying to understand the issue or situation from the other person’s perspective.

It means being open to listening to the other person’s viewpoint – not like a cat ready to spring with our response, but really hearing what they say. Sometimes it helps to summarize what the person has said to be sure you have understood their message – which lets the speaker feel heard and gives them a chance to restate their message if it wasn’t fully understood.  It means asking questions for further clarification.

It doesn’t mean we need to agree. When I really disagree with someone and neither of us is going to change our minds, I often like to say “Let’s agree to disagree on this issue.” This at least provides a common ground ending on that topic.

Finding common ground requires emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is understanding and taking responsibility for our feelings, and showing respect for other people’s feelings. It includes several key components:

1. Self Awareness - The ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions and drives, as well as their effect on others.
2. Self regulation - The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods; the ability to suspend judgment – to think before acting.
3. Empathy – The ability to understand the emotional make up of other people; skill in treating people according to their emotional reactions.
4. Social skill - Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks; an ability to find common ground and build rapport.

Building Common Ground Begins with Personal Spiritual Practice

My practice includes taking personal responsibility for my words and actions, being mindful of the impact of my words and actions on others and making adjustments where necessary, caring about the wellbeing and feelings of others, and nurturing my relationships.

To nurture my relationships – at work, at home, with friends – I need to be sure that each relationship is free of misunderstandings and conflict. Where misunderstandings occur, and of course they do, I take time to speak with the person with as open mind as I can to talk about the misunderstanding and what we can both do to clear it.

The more open I am, the more able I am to hear any concern and make amends or adjustments in my words or actions. Sometimes the misunderstanding is just that – and talking about it clears up confusion. Sometimes it’s a difference of opinion or upset about different ways of doing things, and talking about it honestly can dissipate the energy and lead to healing. I don’t need to change my mind – just understand their perspective.

Intent is key!

When talking with someone about a misunderstanding, is my intention to heal the difference, or do I want to score points or get back at the person? Clearly, a healing intention supports common ground, while the intent to score points shatters it.

When I speak up with an intent to heal, I am vulnerable and I open the door to a deeper kind of dialogue. I have found that misunderstandings or even conflict have deepened a relationship if both of us are willing to be vulnerable and to really listen.

I encourage you to review your relationships.  Check your intention, and see if there are conversations you might want to have to clear up differences – you may be very glad you did.

Blessings,

Kimberly Weichel

Transforming Practices: Finding Joy and Satisfaction in the Legal Life by Steven Keeva is just as powerful a transformative tool for real estate agents, receptionists, doctors or people in any other profession as it is for lawyers, judges and legal staff. That’s because Steve wrote about how ordinary people, without permission from the powers that be, bring transforming practices (such as meditation) into their work and thus transform whatever is their work.  Plus, legal work touches all of us, and if lawyers can work more effectively by working more deeply from their souls, then there’s more hope for all of us.
Steven Keeva’s writing and speaking voice have been stilled for several years due to illness.  His website, www.transformingpractices.com, was hacked into some time ago and has not yet been restored.  His book was for several years out of print.  Now the American Bar Association has brought Transforming Practices back.  If there is only one book you could read to discover the heart and soul of your work, this is it.

Transforming Practices is full of juicy stories and practical tips that anyone can use to rediscover the values that drew us to our professions and to steer clear of ethical sandbars or to keep energy and spirit alive through difficult times.  As several attorneys noted in a tribute to Steve at a convention of the International Association of Holistic Lawyers, it’s a lot easier to make changes in a sometimes hidebound profession when someone else has helped make more creative and compassionate ways of operating better known and acceptable.

As you hear some of those tributes to Steve on YouTube, you can be inspired about the impact one person can have when we simply take time to listen, to reflect, and to articulate the longings in others’ hearts that they do not yet know how to speak.

Spirituality and law was not Steve’s original beat for the ABA Journal.  His introduction to the field came first from recognizing how dispirited many lawyers are, for when Steve had to consult with attorneys about a story he was writing, they often poured out their frustrations with the profession.  After discovering the field of spirituality and work about the mid-90′s, he started searching for signs of spirituality in law.  Soon he had enough examples to pitch an article on the subject to the ABA Journal.  Research on the article led to the initial publication of Transforming Practices.

I first connected with Steve while he was finishing Transforming Practices through my friend Judi Neal, Judi’s story of how her meditation practices transformed her experience as a whistleblower and legal client became the center of Chapter 11 of Transforming Practices.

It’s been a joy to speak to Steve over the years, to trade e-mails, and once to speak with him and Stewart Levine about spirituality and law at a spirit and work conference at the University of Massachusetts some years ago.

Steve may never be able to write again.  Those of us who have loved talking with him may never be able to carry on a conversation with him again.

Fortunately, the stories he has told and the simple, clear instructions he has given will endure.  So will his model for transforming a profession:  listen to your own heart.  Take good notes.  Listen to others.  Take good notes.  Open your heart to the hearts of others.  Take good notes, and when you are ready, share the best words that your heart can find to express what matters.

As always, many blessings,

Pat McHenry Sullivan