Spirit at Work
Class Description
Spirit at Work. What does that mean? Entrepreneurial Spirit? Woo woo economics? Bringing religion into the workplace? More and more, you hear about wellness in the school and workplace, including work-life balance. Also, mindfulness is becoming mainstream, even at large companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook. It is now influencing executive decision making. More presence leads to better decisions and an increase in creativity, research says. However, the pressure to maximize profits usually gets in the way, especially here in Silicon Valley. Isn’t a more suitable name Stress Valley?
Now, consider small business owners and freelancers. It is said small business is the heart of our capitalistic society and the motor that drives the American economy. Most business owners are getting squeezed by large corporations. The majority of workers lose sight of their dreams and visions because they are usually in jobs that suck their energy dry, leaving them little time and energy to pursue their passions.
Is there another way to approach work and school? Is it possible to make a living or earn a degree without sacrificing our dreams and goals? Can society as a whole change so that profits-at-all-cost are not the main driver? If it is, won’t spirit play a big role in that? Business, not to mention school, is a great environment to allow workers at all levels to learn about themselves, as well as grow, heal and become whole.
Rather than working harder, you will learn about “no effort.” We will do exercises that will include meditation and mindfulness. We will look at how we often see our problems and how conditioning influences us, and a way to look at breaking bad habits that just doesn’t replace them with “better” habits. We will discuss the importance of generating ideas and how it relates to developing products. Also, we will explore the paradoxical nature of desire in work and in school. Finally, we will learn about what functional questions are and how we might generate them more often in organic and natural ways. You will be provided with resources that are unique and have the potential to be powerful, including concepts and techniques from Zen and Tibetan Buddhism an the work of Jiddu Krishnamurti. Discussions will cover smart ways to implement these concepts and activities into your work and school life. Rather than telling you what to do, this is more about working together side-by-side and talking like old friends. Learning is more natural and growth is more sustainable. There is a general understanding such as “this works”. Do you want to tap into this? Are you getting this from your current supporting cast? I hope you will consider exploring “Spirit at Work” with me!
Chapters/Subjects
1. What is Spirit at Work?
2. Meditation—Why it is Important!
3. Why we have problems, and What to do About it.
4. The Idea Factory & Product Development
5. Desire and Motivation in the Workplace
6. How to generate and ask Functional Questions
Class Requirements
This course is for adults 18 and up. They can be in school or working for large or small companies. Or anyone who has a project.
Class Supplies
“None”.
FAQ
I am retired. Can I still take the course?
Yes. This subject matter has been provided to older adults who have a project such as writing a memoir or even cleaning out their garage.
When you say spirit, do you mean religion?
Although some of the topics we discuss such as mindfulness and meditation are connected to religions such as Buddhism, certain forms of Christianity and others, we won’t get into specifics. Interestingly enough, all work up until modern times was considered spiritual or religious work. There was a higher purpose. It wasn’t until recently that profits were the main driver.
How can this course be applied to school?
This course can definitely help students who are unclear about what they want to do, not only with their education but also what they want to do professionally. Most students put their dreams on hold while they pursue work that will pay the bills. While having a good standard of living is fine, being joyful, happy and living a wholesome life can be more rewarding than just focusing solely on making money. Why invest all that money in a college education when you could be getting clearer about how you want to spend your future.
How can you study and learn these subjects online?
While it is most effective to do things like meditate in a group, much of this work is working alone. It is very important to quiet the mind. One of the best times to do this is early in the morning when you are alone. This course can help you establish a practice to be ready when we get back to our normal way of life.
What level of meditation does this course cover?
It is really for all levels since there are other exercises and subjects that might be new. Also, practicing how to apply your experiences and knowledge to your current situation are big parts of this course.
I work for a company that has talked about providing support that covers many of these topics. Do you teach this to companies?
Yes. Although it is best to work one-on-one, Doug believes it is important to get the word out and come together through classes like this, so more and more people can develop individualized practices to deal with the resistance and stressors we face in today’s economy.