Spirituality at work conversations are about soul-making.

An ancient spiritual concept, “soul-making” is making a comeback in both spiritual and psychological circles.  Thomas Moore, author of the popular Care of the Soul, suggests that the spiritual and psychological belong together, that an inquiry into each is a part of soul-making.  Our perspective is that the soul lies at the intersection of our spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social, and physical selves. Soul-making, then, is about becoming all of who we are.  So it  is also about who we are at work, and it is about the communities we form at work and about the nature of our work itself.  Spirituality at work conversations explore all of these areas.

Spirituality at work is about shalom.

 Shalom is a Hebrew word often translated with the English word, “peace,” yet its meaning is really much richer and more profound.  Shalom suggests a deep “wholeness” or “health” and carries with it a sense of fullness, abundance, completeness-in-a-larger-Reality.  Shalom doesn’t necessarily mean everything is rosy or calm, but it does suggest a sure confidence that, in this larger Reality, “all will be well.”  Shalom is about the generous hospitality of divine Mystery, and about the willingness of that Mystery to make a place into which we can bring all of ourselves, even the unlovely and troublesome bits. These troublesome bits, too, are part of our wholeness and within the love of the divine Reality, they are woven into the very fabric of our being, becoming creative and life-giving. So then, even times of turmoil can be creative when they are understood as part of a larger Shalom.

Spirituality at work is about abundant life.

 It is not first and foremost about achieving our goals, making more money, becoming better managers, finding ways to get others to do what we want, or even about becoming happier, although any and all of these may and do happen when soul-making is taken seriously.  What it is about is abundant life: living fully into each moment, paying attention to what’s happening within us and around us, understanding what our lives are about and how we’re meant to make a difference within the larger communities of which we are a part.