inspiritme

crisis in the workplace

..are you truly happy in your work..?...

"Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart." Rumi

Consider the image of the bees at work in the hive; making honey for us to enjoy. The bees have no sense of waking in the morning with a heavy heart at the prospect of the day ahead. No-one is telling them that they HAVE to go to work, or SHOULD or OUGHT to. They are not doing it for the money. They are not competing with other bees for more power or the largesse of the queen bee. They do not feel fed up and take it out on each other, or agonize over whether a cold does actually constitute "flu" and hence sick leave. They are merely doing what comes naturally to them. In human terms, our "natural action" is to do those things that we love doing. And yet, how many people equate "work" as the very thing that interferes with doing the things that they love ? What on earth has gone wrong ?

The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020 clinical depression will be the second largest cause of the global health burden, currently standing at 40 million prescribed cases in the affluent West. Of UK adults who have worked, about 2.2 million people suffer from some form of ill health that they believe was caused or aggravated by work. One study found that three in ten employees will have a mental health problem in any one year, mainly depression and anxiety. Over the past 20 years, sickness absence due to mental distress has increased by 20 per cent. In 1995, it was estimated that 91 million working days are lost due to mental health problems every year.(#) The BBC, in March 2008, reports the annual cost to the UK economy of time off work at £100 billion, the same as the cost of running the NHS. This is costing every one of us £1700 annually in tax. The implications of this are profound. The income tax on over £1000 of your monthly earnings is paying for the cost of the harmful effects of going to work ! Not changing it, just dealing with it. If you don't particularly enjoy work or paying tax, does that make you feel better ? Especially if you are a low-earner when, due to UK tax changes, income tax on the first part of your earnings will double from April 2008 ?

Of course it could be argued that all this is maintaining the health of the economy, especially the international pharmaceutical industry in both its legal and illegal aspects, providing work for other people and affluence for us all. In fact the range of work open to us all will be determined largely by the needs of the economy. From an early description of a network of barter and exchange, the industrial revolution saw the establishment of the banking system and the beginning of the development of modern economic theory. Currently, within the UK, the "services sector" (education, retail, banking, insurance, tourism, social services) is now the largest part of the economy. There is another way of expressing this. From historical origins as a "description" of human activity, the "servant" of what we do (the bees making honey), "the economy" has now become our master. It teaches us our role within life, it tells us what to believe in order to be happy, it persuades us to buy stuff we don't really need, it lends us the money (at interest) to buy all this, it provides us with increasingly stressful and insecure work to maintain it all, it charges us to soothe our fears at losing it and finally offers a sub-standard service when we can't cope with it any more!

This is by no means the whole story and not everyone finds it a problem. The economy HAS alleviated huge amounts of suffering and poverty and enables countless individuals to lead a rich and rewarding lifestyle. Vast numbers work within the mainstream, maintaining high standards of integrity and enjoyment, providing a multitude of real benefits for all. The challenge for the individual arises when the need for money clashes with the circumstances, conditions and values associated with the workplace. This is highlighted within the caring professions of teaching, health, and social care. Traditionally attracting young, and not-so-young people, who wish to make a humanitarian positive difference to others rather than become embroiled within the rat-race, even in these sectors the requirements of profitability are increasingly superceding the needs of the service-users, producing escalating worker stress and managerial bullying. We all need money to live. However, when the need for money comes into conflict with our spiritual needs as human beings, then there is a major problem which won't go away. Similarly, on a global scale, the conflicts between the pursuit of financial profit and the well-being of the environment are deepening. [See : planetary perspectives]

How does all this affect the bees ? They will just simply carry on making honey, immune to our concerns. Similarly, an increasing body of expertise, backed up by the personal stories of successful and wealthy individuals, shows that a commitment to doing those things that we love rather than what we think we ought to do, conforming directly to our personal value system and refusing to compromise on our standards, precisely indicate a path to the financial abundance which we seek through work. This may not be everyone's choice. For instance, it may simply be a case that the individual right livelihood has not yet been found. Or maybe the job is right but there is a need for self-transformation in some way to make it better? Blessed is the person who is happy in their work. Let's go and make honey !!

(#) Statistics from "The Social Context of Mental Distress".

 Recommended Products

Life Makeover System . These issues challenge us to respond in a creative way. The six hour audio system and action plan covers topics of Programming Oneself for Success, Capitalising on Change, Managing and Preventing Stress, Developing the Entrepreneurial Spirit, Creating Prosperity, Creating a Compelling Future. A useful product for anyone wishing to make fundamental life changes and create a more satisfactory work style. Full one month money-back guarantee.

Unleashing Your Millionaire Mind is a 40 minute downloadable trance/hypnosis session designed to assist your unconscious mind in removing any beliefs that limit your wealth creation potential, and to activate your natural ability to manifest your positive desires. Part of the excellent product range from Adam Sargant, a hypnotherapist and licensed NLP master practitioner, the site also offers a range of free products.

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Astrology . A key issue when planning life changes is to co-operate with ones own natural tendencies. A good natal horoscope chart will indicate basic issues of personality attributes, pathways to accomplishing life purpose and especially indicated career choices. The best use for a chart is as a mirror for self-awareness. AstrologySource.com offers a comprehensive service from experienced practitioners at modest prices, including many free resources and useful information.

link to astrology chart services

Inspirit Me Bookshop.  We have here assembled what we believe to be diverse key approaches to the theme of creating change in the personal work-style. Reviews follow, while clicking the item will bring more information, reviews and product availability.

       

Zen and the Art of Making a Living is the life-changing book that revolutionized the career planning field by offering a new vision of work. This new edition has been updated throughout with up-to-the-minute contact information and hundreds of new bibliographical and Internet resources. It includes all-new sections on developing a successful home-based business and creating an effective work development support group to assist you in your quest for fulfillling work. For Laurence Boldt, everyone is the artist of his or her own life. The first part of this book is about identifying work that will be deeply satisfying - discovering what you really want to do. The second part provides practical, active steps to finding or ceating that work. In addition to traditional material on assessing career skills and conducting a job search, Boldt provides innovative ideas and strategies, with over 120 worksheets and over 500 inspirational quotations from sages of every stripe. A book that goes far beyond other career guides, "Zen and the Art of Making a Living" brings creativity, dignity and meaning to every aspect of the work experience.
Do What You Love. Pow, pow, pow! Every point Marsha Sinetar makes in this book hits home--sometimes painfully! For anyone who has ever asked him or herself, "How did I end up in this job?", this book is a revelation and a powerful guide to re-examining one's attitudes toward life, love and work. The author has done her research (see her excellent list of references at the end of the book), she interweaves concepts skillfully throughout, and her writing flows wonderfully. You will find yourself underlining passage after passage and consulting it again and again. Though many good books have been written on this subject, this is the one you will find yourself recommending to strangers, pressing upon friends and keeping on your nightstand! Shout it from the mountaintops!
Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway. Internationally renowned author, Susan Jeffers, has helped millions of people around the globe to overcome their fears and heal the pain in their lives. Such fears may include: Public speaking; Asserting yourself; Making decisions; Intimacy; Changing jobs; Being alone; Ageing; Driving; Losing a loved one; and Ending a relationship. But whatever your anxieties, "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway" will give you the insight and tools to vastly improve your ability to handle any given situation. You will learn to live your life the way you want - so you can move from a place of pain, paralysis and depression to one of power, energy and enthusiasm. This inspiring modern classic has helped thousands turn their anger into love - and their indecision into action - with Susan Jeffers' simple but profound advice to "feel the fear and do it anyway".
Transforming Work. How do you experience work? Is it a stressful rush? Or is it rich and rewarding? Here is a book that looks at these questions-and work-as part of one's spiritual practice. "Transforming Work" profiles windhorse: evolution. This multi-million pound Buddhist giftware business gives away most of its profits and encourages growth and creativity in its workforce by focusing on Right Livelihood, ethical trading and mindfulness. In "Transforming Work," we see Right Livelihood not only in its own right but very much as a part of the Noble Eightfold Path. Through a mixture of thought-provoking interviews both with those who work at the "office" and at retail as well as narrative, we see one way that work can be creative, alive and truly part of a vibrant spiritual practice.
The Work We Were Born To Do. Whether you are looking to change work, get re-inspired or are simply seeking direction, this text offers a chance to explore how to bring more creativity, integrity, fulfilment and fun into your work. Introduction -- the twelve principles of the work we were born to do; defining the work we were born to do; undoing our conditioning; discovering the spirit of our work; awakening the heart at work; knowing that money is never really the issue; working on purpose; integrity, authenticity and the return to wholeness; contribution and the discovery of meaningful work; welcoming transformation and change; the inspiration to create; abundance and inner riches; experiencing the true meaning of success; in conclusion.