Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

[Guest guest]

Sai Ram

 

Below is the article (in short) by Debra & William Miller "Getting To The

Heart Of The Matter," published in "Indiatimes Spirituality" Section: Work As A

Spiritual Practice.

 

When we draw from our spiritual view of life to evaluate a project, idea or

situation, we view it from a more holistic perspective and focus on what is

most meaningful.

Generating creative ideas at work can be fun and satisfying, but then comes

“the moment of truth”: what are we really going to do with them? It’s a time of

evaluating – a time that’s important, and always full of pitfalls depending on

how we go about it. Some people “go by the numbers”; while others get caught up

in “analysis paralysis.” Some decide by an intuitive “gut feeling”; while others

go by what emotionally feels best.

But what does it mean to be evaluative – the next aspect of being a SPIRITED

person – from a spiritual basis? From our own experience, we have found that

when we draw from our spiritual view of life to evaluate a project, idea or

situation, we view it from a more holistic perspective. We focus on what is

most meaningful, and we seek to serve others without letting our own

self-interest get in the way.

Sathya Sai Baba, a universal spiritual teacher, comments on the importance

of accessing our spiritual source: “There is a force in you through which God

works, and that is discrimination. Every man has the discrimination to know

what is the right action and what is the wrong action.”

The executive, working with high tech companies in the USA, gave us the

lesson about being evaluative: not relying on our own ego-driven intelligence:

“I think that the greatest conversion I have had spiritually in my work has to

do with the many times in my career where I thought that I was responsible for

finding and convincing others of the right answer. In other words, it was up to

me to figure it all out. I worked from sheer individual will power and

intelligence.”

 

“Now that I look back I can see that this type of attitude and behaviour is

what caused me to fail the most. Yes, I might have made it through the project

okay, but did I really help people to unite around a common vision? Today, I

feel that it is much more about working together in a collaborative way.”

 

Sathya Sai Baba brings these lessons about being evaluative into a clear

perspective when he says: “The educated person... must know how to keep the

mind well within check, the intellect sharp and clear, unhampered by prejudices

and hatreds, and feelings untouched by egoism. Reason can be tamed only by

discipline, by systematic application of compassion, calmness, forbearance, and

endurance.”

 

From all of this, we must conclude that being evaluative is the opportunity

to make creative decisions that really get to the heart of the matter –

bringing together the best of our spirituality and reasoning mind. From that

basis we can make decisions based on our higher values, seek input and

consensus with others, and anticipate consequence. And most importantly, we

follow what we know inside as right and wrong.

 

So, ask yourself: From what basis do I evaluate people and situations in my

work? How can I draw from my spiritual view of life when I am being evaluative?

 

Complete article:

http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1373602.cms Namaste -

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