Life Upgrade: a three minute motivational newsletter

Life Upgrade
a five minute motivational newsletter

Issue 26
By Master Coach Ginger Cockerham

Quote
Spirituality In The Workplace
Life Upgrade Coaching Tip
~o^o~ Resources

"Our goal is to make heaven a ‘down to earth' experience."
AKM (Australian Kindness Movement)

Spirituality in the Workplace

Last week I was in the audience of the McCuistion Television Show. The topic for the show was “Spirituality in the Workplace” and the panel was made up primarily of the people featured in a Fortune Magazine article on that subject this summer.

The question I asked the panel was about guidelines. How do coaches/consultants bring spirituality into a company while honoring and respecting the diversity of beliefs and values of the people in an organization? It started a lively discussion, and I have been pondering the question ever since.

I think I got a glimpse of an answer yesterday. I left on that glorious October afternoon on the “Secret Walk.” The grandchildren call it “secret” because we seldom meet more than one or two people on the beautiful path in the middle of the city that meanders around a big creek deep and lush with trees and plants and vines and birds and critters.

I did a meditative walk using a sacred word to center myself and clear my mind of all the thoughts of a busy day so that I could be fully present to the afternoon. As I was finishing the 45-minute walk, I saw a young woman coming toward me. She was jogging with her head down and wearing a padded head set. She had a radio on her waist, a heart monitor on her wrist, and she was reading from the handful of papers she was carrying in her hand.

I was amazed. My first thought was (so much for centering) – “this young women is so adrenalized she can’t go jogging on a glorious afternoon without doing four things.” I even began thinking about how that is true of our society in general. Then something happened that changed my thoughts and touched my spirit.

As she approached me, she looked up from her papers with sparkling eyes and a beautiful smile. I saw the face of a joyful person. Suddenly, there was a new vision. I saw a young woman who was happily multi-tasking. I thought of all the times in my life when I was so grateful that I could do several things at once. In fact, times when it was an important asset and the biggest blessing.

I silently celebrated her experience and my experience on the Secret Walk. Our experiences were just perfect for each of us on that autumn afternoon. As I returned to my sacred word, I understood a little more about honoring the diversity of our spirits in the work place.

1. Not judging anyone else’s experience.
2. Not assuming anything!
3. Being grateful for our own experience.
4. Celebrating our common experiences.

A great exercise I often encourage my clients to do: Spend an entire week without making a single assumption. A nice challenge for the last week in October?