Spirit Means Business

Alan tells us that we have illusions related to business and money. Ten of them in fact.

Each of the “Illusions” gets its own chapter and is resolved with a higher Truth. That passage above is from chapter #1 on Illusion #1 that “Success Demands Suffering.”

One of the key myths Alan tells us we need to dispel?

The Myth: Working more, harder, and longer will yield the results you desire.The Reality: Renewing your spirit will pave the way to the results you desire.

Of course, we need to allow spirit to flow through us via diligent, patient, persistent and inspired work. AND… Of course, we need to renew ourselves such that we have the vitality to allow that spirit to flow through us most consistently and powerfully.

And…I love the sponge metaphor as another way to bring this wisdom to life. :)

Imagine: We can’t just squeeze and squeeze and squeeze and expect more water to come out. We need to soak that spirit sponge in joyful activities that renew our spirit!

Let’s connect this wisdom to one of our more recent Notes and one of our very first Notes.

In our #513th Note, we looked at Alex Pang’s ideas on the subject in his book called Rest. He tells us: “I argue that we misunderstand the relationship between work and rest. Work and rest are not polar opposites. You cannot talk about rest without also talking about work. Writing about only one is like writing a romance and naming only one of the lovers. Rest is not work’s adversary. Rest is work’s partner. They complement and complete each other.

Further, you cannot work well without resting well. Some of history’s most creative people, people whose achievements in art and science and literature are legendary, took rest very seriously. They found that in order to realize their ambitions, to do the kind of work they wanted to, they needed rest. The right kinds of rest would restore their energy while allowing their muse, that mysterious part of their minds that helps drive the creative process, to keep going.

So work and rest aren’t opposites like black and white or good and evil; they’re more like different points on life’s wave. You can’t have a crest without a trough. You can’t have the highs without the lows. Neither can exist without the other.”

We can also wind the clock all the way to one of our first ten Notes featuring Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Do you recall his 7th Habit? Covey called it: “Sharpen the Saw.”

We did a +1 on that saw guy. Remember him? He’s in the forest sawing and sawing and sawing. He’s working hard but not getting very far. His blade is dull. A friendly guy comes up and suggests he take some time to sharpen the saw. But, nope. Our saw guy says he’s too busy sawing to take the time to sharpen his saw. Eek.

Moral of the story: Don’t be the saw guy. Or the dry sponge guy. :)

Spotlight on YOU: Are you taking the time to renew and sharpen your saw and fill up your spirit sponge and [ insert-your-favorite-renewal metaphor here ]?

What’s one little thing you can do today to fill up that sponge?

Here’s to the joyful activities that fill up our spirit-sponges!

P.S. What’s your #1 Sponge-Filling Self-Care habit? The thing that, if you DON’T do it, you’re kinda sorta almost definitely not going to have an awesome day? You honoring it? (And… What’s your significant other’s #1 self-care habit? Your kids? Your colleagues? Here’s to full sponges!)

We found a way to have some fun with a sponge so why not continue our spiritual cleaning metaphors and have fun with our washing machine? Specifically, let’s imagine you opening your washing machine mid-wash. YIKES! Everything is DIRTIER! (D’oh and hah!!!)

And, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. Give it another cycle and voila! Clean clothes.

Practically speaking: Are YOU feeling a little grimy lately? Can you see that you’re just midway through the process of getting your soul all spiffy and shiny?

Let’s get antifragile about whatever’s stressing us out and turn that apparent poison into medicine. And, perhaps we can remember Rumi’s wisdom (and polishing metaphor!) that, if we are irritated by every rub, we’ll never be polished.

Pardon me while I close the lid on your washing machine so it can continue to its next cycle. :)

P.S. That wisdom was from Illusion #3: “Your Success Depends on External Conditions.” The Truth? “All the Power You Need to Succeed Lives within You.”

That’s from a chapter in which we learn about some of history’s most awesome weirdos.

Get this: Did you know that Benjamin Franklin started each day with an “air bath,” standing naked outside for 30 minutes? Yep. And, fellow American hero John Quincy Adams swam nude in the Potomac river at 5 A.M. every morning, even in freezing weather. Then we have Nikola Tesla and Steve Jobs with their whole array of idiosyncratic behaviors (and genius inventions).

Oh! And, let’s not forget about Albert Einstein. He didn’t speak until he was three and, as an adult, would stop his car, pluck a grasshopper and EAT IT. Yep. That’s normal. (lol)

Then we have YOU. How’s YOUR weirdness?

The Myth: Being a misfit is a defect you must correct.The Reality: Your nonconformity is your pathway to fulfillment.

And… So much of that passage is so eminently quotable. There’s this: “Learning to find your way around a mental institution does not make you sane.” (Hah!) And this is worth a quick repeat: “Normality and genius are rare bedfellows.”

Then we have the whole “Well adjusted to WHAT?” conversation which—as you might be able to guess by this stage—reminds me of Krishnamurti’s wisdom that being well-adjusted to a PROFOUNDLY SICK society is no measure of health.

In a world where “normal” is so astonishingly sub-optimal (from a mental, physical and emotional health standpoint), why, my dear friend, should we aspire for “normalcy”?

Much better to lean into our weirdness and entertain the possibility that, perhaps, “your weirdness is your greatest asset.” Which reminds me of Nietzsche. He tells us: “The great epochs of life come when we gain the courage to re-christen our evil as what is best in us.” <- Aka: Get your weird on. That part you think is the worst within you? Maybe it’s the best.

P.S. Remember: “Life and time are precious. The day you quit proving yourself and start being yourself is one of the most momentous milestones in life.”

That’s from a chapter in which we conquer Illusion #7: “To Succeed, Get as Much as You Can While Giving As Little as You Can” with the Truth: “Generosity Is the Royal Road to Riches.”

Alan kicks off that chapter with a story about Tony Robbins and the day he became truly wealthy. Quick context: Tony is young and at rock bottom financially, with next to no money. He saw a boy out to lunch with his mom.

Alan shares this awesome story and insight: “Tony was so impressed by the kindness and respect the boy showed his mom that Tony gave him all the cash he had and told him to buy his mom a nice meal. ‘In that moment, scarcity died,’ Robbins recalls. ‘I flew out the door. I felt so alive, so free!’ …. Robbins went on to become a mega-wealthy entrepreneur and counselor to presidents and kings. He understands that prosperity is not a bank balance. It is a state of mind. Robbins firmly declares, ‘You don’t get beyond scarcity. You start beyond scarcity. Do more, give more, share more, and what you need will be there.’”

So, I’m reading that and the following story about Jim Rohn and how much he emphasized the “importance of kindness and service” and then what do I read?

A story about ME and my commitment to astonishing you with service. It kinda blew me away and humbled me and inspired me and made me EVEN more committed to doing everything in my power to help you Optimize your life so we can change the world together.

So… Let’s go back to those signposts on the crossroads of our lives (which, by the way, we revisit multiple times (!!!) EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!). One reads: “How much can I get from my customers?” The other reads “How much can I help my customers?”

Here’s to astonishing, profound service.

That’s from chapter #6 in which we challenge the Illusion that “The Goal of Work is Money” with the Truth that “The Purpose of Work is Soul Fulfillment, Creative Expression, and Service.”

First: I don’t know about you, but I never really thought much about how fires were started before the modern era. Get this: The modern match was invented in the early 1800’s—making it relatively easy to start a fire. Before that, it wasn’t easy at all to start a fire. So… In medieval times, people would carry a small steel box to maintain the essence of a fire. (Fascinating.)

And… I love that image of each of us having a sacred spark that NEVER goes out. It’s always there. It’s our job to fan the nascent flame into a fire that sustains us.

Remember that “At any moment you can grow your spark into a fire by finding your passion, acting on it, and ceasing to engage in activities that dampen it.”

In our Note on Reinventing Yourself, we talked about the fact that our spiritual practice is kinda like a campfire. You need to create the fire anew every day. Good news though. You don’t need to start it from scratch. That flame is always there. We just need to bring it to life.

How will you do that today?

Those are the final words in the final chapter in which we demystify the final Illusion that “You Must Sacrifice Your Life for Work” with the ultimate Truth that “You Do Your Best Work When You are Fully Alive.”

In sum: We’re doing it wrong if we’re trying to figure out a “work/life balance.” Transcend and dissolve the apparent dichotomy. There is only life.

As Alan says: “Spirit means business because Spirit is your real business.” In other words, make connecting with and expressing that Divine spark within you your ultimate calling.

That’s your Job with a capital J.

One more time: Spirit means business. Let’s do our Jobs as well as we can as we Optimize and actualize and joyfully give our gifts in greatest service to the world!