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Redefining Work For The New Millennium
By: Wendy Nickerson, Psy.D
With the coming of a new millennium, society's perception of what work is
supposed to be will change drastically, especially over the next 25 years. It
has to. Technology is constantly changing and evolving, forcing the human
dynamics in the workplace to change also. Human beings are becoming increasingly
sophisticated and require more fulfillment in their work and in their lives. Two
out of three Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs because they are looking
for personal meaning in their work. Meaning that is in alignment with their
life's purpose. Did you know that the greatest number of heart attacks and
suicides occur on Monday mornings? The problem seems to stem from the belief in
our culture that work equates to suffering. According to career counselor and
author Rick Jarow, "We are blindly following a productivity paradigm that
reached its peak of usefulness about a century ago." So, how are we going to
change this?
Work needs to be a lot more than an existence and a struggle to survive. In
order for people to achieve meaning in their work, they need to be able to bring
creativity to their workplace. Now, what does this mean? Will we have artists
and songwriters sitting behind computers all day? No. What it means is that
people will be allowed to do their jobs in such a way that it is in alignment
with who they truly are. For example, many nature lovers could do the same job
with their laptops on their decks overlooking the water as opposed to the gray
walls of their five-square-foot cubicles. But this would be contrary to our
present belief about work because it suggests pleasure, as opposed to the
suffering paradigm.
The main objective is that the job gets done, however when organizations
operate from a fear base, it is difficult for them to trust that the job would
actually get done if the person is enjoying himself in the process! Ultimately
keeping employees from functioning at their potential. We tend to cut off our
nose, despite our face! As a culture, we need to change our underlying
perception of work from "suffering" to "enjoyment." When this happens, the shift
will take place. Do you know very many people who work well when they are
suffering? People even go so far as to brag about how much suffering they
endured in one week, "I am putting in sixty-hour weeks." We want the career to
grow out of the life, not the life sacrificed for a career.
When we apply the universal law of abundance to this situation, we realize
that the universe was designed for an abundance of contentment, satisfaction,
and happiness. When you are in abundance you operate from a trust base as
opposed to a fear base. You trust that you deserve to get paid for what you love
to do, while finding yourself looking forward to going to work. When you do work
that is a reflection of your genuine authenticity, you have tapped into your
natural power and flow. This is when you are most productive and useful to your
employer. Ever noticed that? The moment you give up your authenticity, you lose
your power and become less productive. Most people that do this, simply complain
that they feel "fatigued," and it is difficult for them to pinpoint the reason
why.
Unfortunately, for most, authenticity is sacrificed for the job, and personal
power is given up for approval. When we are willing to risk losing our jobs to
be who we truly are, for the bettering of ourselves and the bottom line of the
organization, then we will be set free to follow our life's path. The power lies
in knowing what your life's purpose is! In order to know this, you have to be
still long enough to recognize what you enjoy. So many people actually find
their life purpose after they have been laid off due to downsizing, or through
termination. Often they are not aware that it is such a blessing in disguise.
They have time to be reflective. When do YOU feel "spiritual" moments? Moments
of peace and serenity. So, the bottom line is that increased technology is
fruitless if the workplace does not foster the evolution of the human beings
that are operating it.
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