The Spirit in Business

Have you ever had a dream where you solved a business problem and then came to work the next day to share your brilliant idea? Do you get "gut feelings" that you can't logically explain, but that move you to make business decisions? Do you read your daily horoscope hoping to get a "sign" for the next step on your project? I'm willing to bet we've all had at least one, if not several, experiences like this. 

While some entrepreneurs are motivated by logic, spreadsheets, market research, and other statistics, some of us are motivated by more invisible forces. We feel drawn to, pulled, or called to our line of work and it's not always easy to explain that in a 30 second elevator speech.

Then there are those of us who started out with our spreadsheets and data, only to find that we were missing something. Something meaningful, big-picture, or inspiring in our work. Now we want more from our business life.

It's not often that we can talk about our deepest desires at the water cooler or motivate our staff to get in touch with their inner children without a little social discomfort. The point is not to discard the logic, but to embrace the part of us that registers a deeper calling or relationship with spirituality in all parts of our life, including our entrepreneurial endeavors.

As our society gets a chance to take a long look at what we've accomplished, I implore you to look at your business, your work, and your motivation and see if, and where, you've allowed your spiritual self to emerge. If you haven't explored how to bring in your spiritual side try: meditation, Reiki, Feng Shui, numerology, tarot, dowsing, dream interpretation, and intuitive guidance.

Some spiritual concepts take time to learn. Reading tarot cards is a great way to start accessing inner guidance without needing to be an expert. You can shuffle the cards, pick one, and see how the picture might relate to an issue at hand. You can also read about the card (many tarot decks have accompanying books) and see if anything stands out to you.

If meditation is more your style, take 15 minutes each morning, before work, to just sit still, at first. Your mind might wander and think of all the things you need to do, but giving yourself that 15 minutes of stillness can create clarity and space where hectic energy once dominated. Once you get in the habit of just sitting still, guidance will come more easily.

Reiki is another way you can get in touch with the stillness. Mostly used as a healing modality, it can also be used to release energy blocks that might exist in your business, unconsciously. Feng Shui can be used in a similar fashion.

Dream interpretation is a huge asset as sometimes the subconscious mind feels more free to explore the possibilities than the conscious mind, and therefore it doesn't register limitations in the same way.

Another way to incorporate spirituality in business is to create a list of values, things that you hope your business stands for in the world. Those values may be learned from your family and culture, but maybe they are just things that have made your life rich and amazing.

Making decisions, increasing cash flow, networking, and creating the best business ever, can all be aided by a spiritual focus.

Your inner motivation may not have a explicable origin but you just feel it in your heart and can't help but want to bring it into your business. Do it! Let that part of you that loves the power of nature, that feels good when you communicate with compassion, that rejoices when you can be of service, be present in your business, with your colleagues and employees, and in your transactions with clients and customers.

Spirituality isn't about going to church or synagogue, flowing robes, magic, and unrealistic fantasy. It's an invisible, but powerful, force in our lives and can be a big help in our businesses. Look for places where you feel your business needs a boost and see if a spiritual perspective might be just the thing you need to get out of the rut and into success!

Feel free to contact me for more ideas about incorporating spirituality into your business.