I know you aren’t in business for the money, otherwise why would you be doing what you’re doing?
And you are probably not in business merely to satisfy yourself. If you are reading this, it is very likely that you want to make a difference in the world. A contribution.
Beauty.
Meaning.
Complexity.
Mindfulness.
Or something else of equal value and importance.
Still, here you are, in business. (Even if you run a non-profit, you’re in business. You need to bring in the dough to keep the wheels turning.)
Given all that, I ask you to consider this: What if making money is not a necessary evil? What if making money and doing it consistently is part of your particular spiritual path?
This doesn’t mean that making money is, in and of itself, a spiritual activity. I think that’s hogwash.
What is a spiritual activity is facing and working through the stuff that would keep you from wholeheartedly engaging in ethical and effective business practices.
What is a spiritual activity is being at least as willing to thrive as you are to struggle. (And may I suggest that being willing to thrive is a more gracious and graceful stance?)
What is a spiritual activity is approaching business as a creative act, and therefore as a privilege, rather than a gigantic pain in the patootie.
When you step up to the business side of your work, every encounter, every concern, every joy has the potential to teach you something of profound importance about yourself and your relationship to the Divine and the world around you.
This week, pretend that your business is part of a curriculum perfectly designed to cultivate your higher self. Notice when you pretend that your business is a problem and look instead for the spiritual challenge and support inside each experience.
Let me know what you find out.
Sean Dreilinger via Flickr and Yew Fai Chan via Flickr
