To start with there are many things that qualify as unenlightened work. Firstly not having any work. Being unemployed can generate feelings of apathy, discouragement and embarrassment. Not working can lead to a crisis of meaning and a certain lack of connection and engagement with the world. Then if your work is unenlightened work you might envy those who do not work. A major source of suffering arises when work feels dull and meaningless. Work that is too stressful is unenlightened. Stress happens through busyness, tight deadlines, frustrations, and demands. Work may require us to work long hours or even spend hours commuting. Stress in small doses can be a motivating force. But when stress is ongoing it can lead to feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. If it goes on for too long it will then feel like a way of life. The effects of stress increase or decrease in relation to a number of factors such as whether you have a strong or weak: network of family and supportive friends; self-awareness and emotional intelligence; optimistic attitude and level of self-confidence. Of course for many work is just a source of making money and nothing more. Chasing money in time can become a source of suffering. Money of itself cannot provide real meaning. Yes, money is important to live in the modern world, to pay the bills and support a family, but work is about so much more than money. The question worth asking is how much money can compensate you for a life unfulfilled? Conflict is, unfortunately, a very common cause of misery at work. Whereas creative disagreement can lead to new ideas and possibilities - destructive conflict rarely produces anything useful. Bullying at work is a very specific form of conflict. This can inflict suffering on others, especially when it is constant and spiteful. Any or all of the above can create a feeling of being stuck or trapped in a line of work is a source of misery.
The Four Possibilities
1. There is the possibility that at some point in your work you will suffer, either physically, emotionally, mentally or even spiritually;
2. There is the possibility that you will transform your suffering and go beyond suffering and explore a new way, a more healthy and joyful way;
3. There is the possibility that you will know your true nature, become more resourceful, play instead of work hard, know your heartfelt values, follow your true direction, and find or create work that you love;
4. There is the possibility that you will learn to flow, take effortless action, open to grace and awaken to bliss in your work.
Enlightened Work - is about feeling on track, have a sense of direction and purpose, and making a meaningful contribution to others. The world of work we are entering into demands that we are awake be and conscious rather than asleep or on auto-pilot. Enlightened work demands that we are courageous. Courage is the pivotal energy that can flip us out of situations our head says we must endure. Without courage we will simply endure situations that we should not! Courage makes us stand up and speak out, courage makes us move when we need to move. Courage leads to tenacity and change. By the way when I talk about courage I do not mean rash or stupid. Courage is not reactive it is deeply contemplative. Rash or stupid are reactive knee jerk states where there is no real sense of inner power. Enlightened work is about being adaptable. Adaptability is a core principle of evolution. We are now evolving from one mindset and identity into another. If we try and work in the new age of work with an old mindset we will struggle. Enlightened work is about a sense of possibility. Liberation happens foremost on the mental level. A free mind can create a life that feels free. A trapped mind is not really aware of its true capabilities, gifts, and potential. Enlightened work is a very powerful way to connect us with our gifts, talents and inner resources – often ones that we do not realise we possess. Enlightened work is about having a more whole-brained approach. We cannot rely on either logic and intellect we need both to survive and thrive in these times of change. Enlightened work is about reclaiming a sense of creativity and play. If your work is not fun then you need to consider changing something, either the way you work or the work itself. This is about shifting from a worker to a player. As a worker you know about hard graft, as a player you work in a different state of mind. Players naturally move towards what they love doing and away from what seems hard and overly serious. Enlightened work is about reclaiming a sense of passion and enthusiasm. We need our heart to be awake in our work. Passion is the doorway to inspiration. Enlightened work is about a state of flow where synchronicity and miracles can happen. In fact over time they start to feel more commonplace than extraordinary.
