All too often when you focus on your spiritual growth and development you fail to see the rich opportunities that are ever present in your workplace. Yet, for many of you the office, is where you spend the greatest portion of your time. With your colleagues, bosses, employees, clients and customers you have ample opportunity to nourish and expand your experience of forgiveness, compassion, kindness, and yes, a four-letter word infrequently uttered at work, Love.

It is unfortunate that so many people compartmentalize their spirituality and the workplace becomes a place devoid of spirit. It is time for this to change and to recognize and embody the notion that we – yes all of us, including that co-worker who gets on your nerves, simply when you think of him – are spiritual beings.

Spirituality is the experience of being whole, connected – embodying Love. When you are fully aligned in our body mind spirit in the present moment, for instance when you are in the midst of a project and your creative juices are flowing, you are having a spiritual experience.

When you consciously see the world through your spiritual eyes you are aware that all beings are One, an interconnected matrix of consciousness and energy. Through this experience you acknowledge that each and every being, is an expression of the Divine.

As expressions of the loving creative energy of the universe you are creating your experience through your beliefs, charged with your emotional energy, spoken with authority and acted on with conviction each and every moment as the creative process moves through you. As spiritual beings you know that all people, including all those people in your workplace are doing the very best they can at each and every moment based on their thinking at that time.

With this definition of spirituality in mind your workplace is sacred ground, a fertile place in which you bump up against your fear-based limiting beliefs and judgments and have the opportunity to transform and transcend them as you open our heart and mind to embody forgiveness, compassion, kindness and Love. Can you image what it would be like if you approached your workplace from this point of view? Here are some possibilities:

• Rather than feeling trapped in a job or environment that is stifling, you would take responsibility for your part in making the choice to be working where you are. If you are experiencing constant dissatisfaction, as evidenced by an on-going barrage of complaints about work, you would either change that story and see the gifts work provides or you would make a change so that your days were spent in a more satisfying way. Remember each moment is a precious present, much too precious to be used for complaining, suffering and misery.

• Rather than judging and criticizing your boss, co-workers, clients and customers (which represents the focus of your ego-mind) you can acknowledge that each one of us is always doing the very best we can at any given moment based on our thinking at that time. When you hear yourself making judgments stop that action in the moment and remind yourself that as you judge others you are ultimately judging yourself since we are all intimately connected through an energetic web of consciousness. And make sure that you do not judge yourself for making judgments, rather acknowledge yourself for noticing that you were making a judgment! As you practice, in your workplace, remembering that all beings are expressions of the divine loving energy of the universe you strengthen your ability to see with your Spiritual eyes in all areas of your life.

• Rather than waiting for acknowledgment and recognition from your boss and co-workers practice recognizing yourself for always doing your best. Keeping in mind that some days your best looks magnificent and on other days simply showing up is an expression of your best. During the 35 years I have worked in the role of an Organization Development Consultant, the complaint I’ve heard regularly is that employees feel unrecognized. Yes, it would be quite nice for your boss to recognize a job well done as soon as a task is completed and for co-workers to appreciate your offer of a helping hand, yet if your satisfaction is based on the behavior of others acknowledging you in a particular way at a particular time you often experience disappointment. It is up to you to learn to acknowledge your accomplishments as well as to express your appreciation to those working with you.

• Rather than holding back your creative ideas, because nothing is really going to ever change, your workplace is the perfect place for your creativity to flow. I have spoken with many bitter employees who no longer offer their suggestions and ideas because they believe that no matter what they do no one is interested. While it is true as with all patterns of thought and behavior that old patterns become rigid and change may be slow, as you shut off your creative juices in the workplace it ultimately affects the flow of your creativity in all areas of your life. Creativity is one of most precious gifts that you offer to the workplace. Your willingness to express an idea (without an attitude!) as though you are simply planting seeds is a powerful act. It is when you become attached to your idea and expect others to react in a specific way that you run into trouble.

• Rather than limiting the expression of your love to your family and friends, see your workplace as a sacred place. Gandhi suggests that we be the change we wish to see in the world, so if you desire a more peaceful and loving world it is crucial that your workplace be a place where you continually deepen and expand your capacity to give and receive love.

The following story is a powerful example of what happens when we view all people as expressions of the Divine:

Once there was a small group of monks living in a monastery at the edge of the forest. Over the years, many of the old monks died, yet no young men came to join the order. Thus, their numbers dwindled until only five older monks were left. The abbot (the head monk) was very worried about this. He wondered how these five old men would survive with no new members to help share the work, grow the crops, prepare the food and care for the older ones as they were dying. The abbot went into the woods to pray about this problem.

As he was praying, an old rabbi came along. The rabbi could see that the abbot was worried, so he asked the abbot what was bothering him. The abbot explained the problem and then asked the rabbi if he might have a solution. The rabbi thought for a while and finally said, “I don’t have an answer to your problem. However, I do know a secret about your small group of monks.” Although the abbot was disappointed that the rabbi had no answer, he was curious about the secret. The rabbi mulled it over for a few minutes and then confided, “One of you is the Messiah.”

When the abbot returned to the monastery, he told the other monks about his meeting with the rabbi and the strange secret the rabbi had told him. For many months, the monks were troubled by this secret.

Could the Messiah be Brother Anthony? Surely, he was the wisest of all the monks. Could the Messiah be Brother David? He was big and strong. Could the Messiah be Brother Joseph? He was very quiet and no one knew him well.

Maybe the Messiah was Brother Matthew. He was crabby most of the time, but everyone also knew that he was sick and suffered a lot of pain. Or maybe the Messiah was the abbot? After all, he was the leader.

As the monks began to look at each other and think about which one was the secret Messiah, a strange thing began to happen: They began to be kinder to one another. They began to help each other more. After all, they reasoned, you never knew if you were helping the Messiah. They showed more respect for one another. The people in the towns and villages saw this new attitude and liked the kind spirit they found at the monastery. Soon many people came to help the monks with their work. Young men began to join the community of monks. The monastery grew and grew and the monks were able to help the poor, open a school for the children and build a fine church where the people could gather and pray.

They never learned which one among them was the Messiah.

I encourage you to pass on this secret: the Messiah is alive and well in your workplace.

Author's Bio: 

Susyn Reeve, M.Ed. is the SelfGrowth.com's Official Expert Attitude Guide. She has 30 years of experience consulting to Fortune 500 Corporations and is the co-creator of Self-Esteem-Experts and WITH Forgiveness. She is the author of the award-winning book, Choose Peace and Happiness and The Gift of the Acorn and WITH Forgiveness - Are You Ready?

Contact her to schedule a coaching session or to arrange to have her speak to your organization or group (support@selfesteemexperts.com)