| Greetings!
Welcome to the new fall issue of Meaningful Careers News from The Meaning Guys.
Our annual descent toward the year's end tends to make us reflective about the past and the future. But while one of us ponders the majestic beauty of autumn, the other bemoans the loss of sweet summer -- in the classic "half full/half empty debate.
In more poetic terms, Langston Hughes wrote:
"Beauty for some provides escape, who gain a happiness in eyeing the gorgeous buttocks of the ape or Autumn sunsets exquisitely dying."
Now, you might question the joy in eyeing an ape's buttucks (not that there's anything wrong with that), but it's not really the point! The point is that joy -- at home, at work and in life -- is a fulfillment of what matters most to you ... to your "purpose" in life.
As 2008 winds down, we challenge you to articulate your purpose and create opportunities to instill your most cherished values and beliefs into your work.
The late nature writer, Hal Borland, wrote:
"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.
Here's what's "going on" this fall at MeaningfulCareers.com:
We explore the realms of "Spirit" and "Purpose," beginning with Mark's new article about "Spiritual Intelligence," complimented by a new teleclass, "The Spiritual Quest for Purpose at Work."
Also, Peter Metzner joins us again with "Discovering Your True Vocation Through Your Dreams." And we return with two of our most popular teleclasses, "Winning at Organizational Politics Without Losing Your Soul" and "Pursuing a Paycheck With a Purpose."
We'll wrap up the year with a review and reflection process in "Bringing Your Year to a Meaningful Close."
Once again, we thank you for letting us do what we love and giving meaning to our work .... and, as always, we welcome the opportunity to engage and inspire you to create and sustain meaning and purpose in your work and life.
With Meaningful Regards,
Mark Guterman
and Dan King
The Meaning Guys
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Feature Article |
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Spiritual Intelligence:
Finding a Higher Purpose In Your Work
by Mark Guterman
All of us have the innate need for spirituality, a longing to understand the power behind the universe and to somehow connect to it. So says Cindy Wigglesworth, President and Founder of Conscious Pursuits, Inc. But many of us have difficulty articulating that connection, often because it gets wrapped up in religious dogma. Certainly, for a great many people, religion is a wonderful way to be in relationship with a higher power. "But religion is only one way to express spirituality, says Wigglesworth, just as English is only one way to communicate words."
We each have a heart connection, a feeling or innate sense of being in relationship with something "bigger than me." Wigglesworth encourages a new kind of intelligence beyond IQ and EQ, which she calls Spiritual Intelligence (SQ), defined as "the ability to behave with compassion and wisdom while maintaining inner and outer peace (equanimity) regardless of the circumstances." In her article, "Spiritual Intelligence and Why It Matters," she frames four intelligences within a sequence of development:
1. Physical Intelligence
2. IQ (or Mental Intelligence)
3. EQ (Emotional Intelligence)
4. SQ (Spiritual Intelligence)
As individuals develop to the fourth level, spiritual intelligence, they experience increased personal career satisfaction and improved job performance.
In our work with clients, we observe first-hand how meaningful work is achieved in the realm of spiritual intelligence. It manifests in a clear sense of "purpose." Noted philosopher and writer, Bertrand Russell wrote: "Consistent purpose is not enough to make life happy, but is an indispensable condition of a happy life. And consistent purpose embodies itself mainly in work."
We couldn't agree more. Our Model of Meaningful Careers emphasizes four levels of Purpose - Pragmatism, Integration, Connection and Transcendence -- which parallel Wigglesworth's tenets of Spiritual Intelligence. We see purpose differently than the definitions espoused by current pop religious icons for whom the "church" is the cornerstone of a purposeful life (see Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life). On the contrary, despite our own respective Judeo-Christian backgrounds, we are fairly confident that the connection one might have to God or Church is, for all intents and purposes, irrelevant to a meaningful worklife. Purpose, hence spirituality, is deeply personal -- and meaning is achieved through a consistent purpose over the arc of our work lives.
Purpose powers us regardless of whether or how we heed it. It is part and parcel of what it is to be human and whether supported and nurtured or abused and suppressed, we are driven to express our purpose. When positively and actively tended to, it creates energy, direction, and confidence. When negatively or sporadically tended to, it can often lead to random and chaotic job and career choices.
From a career planning perspective, the key questions to ask are "what are you here to achieve?" What is your calling? Why are you here at this point in time? For many of us, the answers are not always forthcoming. Gaining clarity requires introspection, courage and discipline. Taking time to identify and integrate "purpose" into our careers, can bring peace with both the attitudes we hold and the decisions we make about work.
We come to know purpose through exploring our inner landscape, learning from experiences that test and shape us, and continuously checking what we know in the moment against our remembered past and hoped for future. We may seek outside guidance or figure it out on our own. We may use traditional assessments or other supportive exercises. Regardless of method, regular reflection is required for this kind of knowing. As we anchor purpose in our work lives, we gain spiritual intelligence and thus, meaning comes to us.
Register for Mark's new teleclass:
The Spiritual Quest For Purpose at Work
October 22nd from:
2:00pm-3:00pm Eastern
1:00pm-2:00pm Central
12:00pm-1:00pm Mountain
11:00am-12:00pm Pacific
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| Assessment:
What Is Your Purpose? |
Clear purpose is the glue that holds a meaningful worklife together and binds emotions, perceptions, and motivations, forming a narrative that impacts the entire trajectory of your worklife. The person who knows why they work is much more likely to perform in alignment with and in support of that purpose.
Does Your Work Serve Your Purpose?
Click here |
| We're Looking For A Few Good Coaches |
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If you are a coach, counselor, or change agent who is passionate and committed to the idea of meaningful work, we'd like to hear from you.
Affiliate Training and Certification Program
Starts October 22, 2008
Join us for our training program for experienced professionals to help you become more effective in working with clients in their quest for meaningful work -- and to grow to the next level in your own work.
The program will be delivered in teleclass format and run for 9 consecutive weeks starting October 22 and ending December 17. You will work directly with us, Mark and Dan, as we take you through our history, philosophy and model along with techniques that have proven useful and effective with our clients. Several sessions are dedicated to enhancing your one-on-one, group and teleclass coaching and training skills. Classes run weekly for one hour from:
12:00-1:30pm Eastern
11:00am-12:30pm Central
10:00-11:30am Mountain
9:00-10:30am Pacific
5:00-6:30pm in UK
In addition to class time, there will be regular, between class assignments, as well as on-going e-mail communication and support.
The regular fee for this training and a one year license is $2,500. Your participation entitles you to:
13.5 Hours of Training
Our 75-page Affiliate's Manual
Opportunity to contribute to MeaningfulCareers newsletter and mailing list
Opportunity to present your own teleclass training
Free participation in all existing teleclasses
Use of the MeaningfulCareers name and logo on your materials to enhance your practice
To find out more about the specific qualifications and how to apply:
Click here |
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