| Greetings!
Welcome to the Spring issue of Meaningful Careers News from The Meaning Guys.
E.B. White wrote: "The first day of spring was once the time for taking the young virgins into the fields, there in dalliance to set an example in fertility for nature to follow."
Dalliance? Old E.B. sure knew how to turn a phrase. He could capture the romance of Spring in a simple vision. But he could just as easily reframe it to be as soulless as machinery. He went on to say, "Now we just set the clock an hour ahead and change the oil in the crankcase."
What would E.B. have to say as we enter this Spring season in a state of economic turmoil?
As a "glass half full" kind of guy, we think he'd still opt for dalliance. There are plenty of others to change the oil in the crankcase.
Taking E.B.'s lead, this Spring issue of MCN will address ways to build and sustain meaning in your work despite the dire forecasts for our economy. We're eternal optimists, believing that each of us has the capacity to create a meaningful worklife life. We get what we expect -- and optimism powers our expectations.
We explore how "Anxiety" can sap you of the energy needed to create a meaningful worklife, beginning with a new article, "Anxiety Up/Meaning Down." We also invite you to Test Your Anxiety Quotient (AQ) with our new assessment.
Dream-Work Coach, Peter Metzner, will facilitate our first "Dream Circle," a 6-session small group exploring how our dreams can awaken us to achieve greater success in our work and life. And we return with a new schedule of teleclasses and events, including "Desperately Seeking Meaningful Work" and "Finding Meaning When The Job Market Sucks"
As always, we thank you for letting us do what we love and giving meaning to our work. 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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Anxiety Up / Meaning Down
by Dan King and Mark Guterman
Rising unemployment. Loss of health insurance. Shrinking retirement funds. There's no shortage of bad news out there. The airwaves are rife with economic "doom and gloom" stories that raise our anxiety, rattle our confidence, and reinforce a sense of fear and futility. This unrelenting onslaught of despair has created a pervasive sense of hopelessness that rocks our individual and collective outlook about the future.
It's only natural, then, that during times like these, distress and desperation can overpower the desire to create meaning in our work and lives. After all, isn't meaningful work a luxury? Shouldn't we put our dreams "on hold" until the crisis passes?
Perhaps. But what if this cycle of economic stress perpetuates longer than we expect (think Japan in the 1990's)? Do you want to spend all that time feeling anxious, empty and unfulfilled? Do you really need to settle for less than a full life simply because of an economic bump in the road?
No, you don't.
There are many people out there clinging to jobs they hate, settling for mediocrity, awaiting Armageddon - but you don't have to be one of them. Champion Cyclist and Cancer Survivor, Lance Armstrong, said "Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever." Sure, you can give up, hunker down, and hope that things get better. Or you can use this time to plan for a more meaningful worklife. The choice is yours.
Times of transition often give rise to new opportunities for learning and development. They can be good times for exploring ideas that have been previously ignored or put on hold. If you choose to work toward meaning during this time, here are three things you can do right now.
1. Take time to clarify your purpose. Set a daily routine, 5-10 minutes, of quiet time, where you can reflect on what matters to you most. What are you here to achieve? How do you want to be remembered? Keep a journal of your thoughts.
2. Commit to building your purpose into the stories you tell yourself and others. That is, make sure that your thoughts and words are connected to your long-range vision, even during tense or stressful moments. Maintain your focus.
3. Refuse to join in "Ain't it awful" discussions with friends and colleagues. Instead, share your renewed sense of purpose and commitment by "reframing," offering a new way of thinking about circumstances. Inspire others.
You can't change the economic realities - but you can change how you respond to them. Each of us has choice about how to see and interpret our work and lives. As in most endeavors, you need to control what you can control. The external world may be wrought with "doom and gloom," but your inner world can be rich with purpose and meaning. Focus on driving meaning up and pushing anxiety down. This is your biggest challenge right now. |
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| Test Your Anxiety Quotient (AQ) |
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During difficult economic times, distress and desperation can overpower the desire to create meaning in our work and lives. As the rewards of meaningful work go down, your degree of anxiety goes up. Are you on anxiety overload?
What's Your AQ?
Click here to find out |
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Spring Schedule of Teleclasses |
Finding Meaning When the Job Market Sucks
(Mar 12)
Introduction to Dream Work
(Mar 18)
Thriving at Work in Challenging Times
(Mar 27)
Winning at Organizational Politics Without Losing Your Soul
(Apr 17)
Desperately Seeking Meaningful Work
(Apr 24)
Reducing Your Risk of Layoff
(May 14)
The Spiritual Quest for Purpose
(May 22)
Click Here for Full Class Schedule and Registration Information
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Join a
Dream Circle |
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A 6-Session Teleclass with Dream-Work Coach, Peter Metzner, including:
Dream Archetypes
Dreams and Creativity
Career Transitions
Owning Your Shadow
Active Imagination
Group Dream Work
Special Introductory Rate $149
Limited to 6 participants
Click for More Details
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