InnerSelf

by Alan Cohen. The parable teaches that talents are valuable only if you use them. If you “hide your light under a basket,” if you ignore or deny your talents, the world misses the blessing you were born to bring to it, and you miss the spiritual and material reward you deserve...

by Dr. Allan G. Hunter. We spend large portions of our lives at work, preparing for work, and commuting. Work is, therefore, a major preoccupation at every possible level. Even so, many people complain bitterly about their jobs. "It's just a paycheck." "It's what I do until I retire."

by Wendy Lustbader. Youth is so burdensome because we have to decide which direction to take in many domains at once. By the time we become elders, we have the benefit of every crossroad we have already passed. There have been hundreds of roads not taken. We worry much less about making a wrong choice, since some of our...

by Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D. Whether or not your own job is in jeopardy in the near future, at some point in your career, you may become a victim of downsizing (if you haven’t already). Being laid off is one of the most traumatic events we can experience. Getting fired is the eighth most stressful life experience, behind the...

by Dan Millman. Sometimes we may feel as if we haven't discovered our purpose. However, each moment brings with it a new purpose, right now in the moment. Zen sword master Taisen Deshimaru reminded his students, “Be happy here and now or you never will be.” And writer Margaret Bonanno points out, “It’s only possible to live happily ever after on a..."

by Marie T. Russell. Important consideration has been given to money earned, retirement benefits, chances of advancement, etc. Considering that most of us spend half of our waking hours working at a job, it might serve to pay  attention to one's level of job satisfaction. In other words, do you enjoy your work?

by Stuart Wilde. Our life's journey of self-discovery is not a straight line rising from one level of consciousness to another. Instead, it is a series of steep climbs and flat plateaus that take place within our spiritual perception and psychology. The plane of day-to-day existence that...

by Bill Plotkin. What does it mean, exactly, to be "lost"? Perhaps this: we don't know how to get from where we are to where we want to be. I may know where I am physically but be lost because I have no idea what I want to do next in my life...

by Rick Lewis. The straight-up and simple standard for right livelihood is that we find work that does not harm others and, ideally, which serves others with maximum benefit. If the work we engage gives us some degree of satisfaction and serves in general as a point of connection and opportunity for cooperation...

by Rosalyn Harwood. As I sit at the computer, reading my email, I am also blow drying my hair, typing with one hand. My back starts to ache from sitting in one position for too long. As I tune into my body, I realize that this is insane... That I am somehow pursuing goals instead of living in joy. That I have lost...

For many dissatisfaction with career or current employment is leading them to search for a new path or direction. John Benson shares his experience and insights on this process. Though no doubt a lifelong process, my journey toward a metaphysical perspective began to accelerate in late 1988, in response to my employment situation...

Meaningful work matters. At its most basic level, work satisfies our economic imperatives and signals our position in society. Through it, we pay the rent, buy groceries, and prepare for the future. But our work can also express who we are and provide reasons for getting on with life..

by Martha Beck, Ph.D. I base all my counseling on the premise that each of us has these two sides: the essential self and the social self. The essential self contains several sophisticated compasses that continuously point toward your North Star. The social self is the set of skills that actually carry you toward this goal.

Our calling, according to theologian Frederick Buechner, is the place where "our deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Many people believe that we are born with a "soul purpose," some task that we feel drawn to complete or a gift that we long to express. The world needs the unique gift that each person has to give...

by Meredith Young-Sowers. As we allow our authentic selves to guide us, trusting our inner vision, our way emerges in bits and pieces. We find the path we're meant to walk in the same way that we walk over rocks to cross a stream, one step at a time. We have to put effort, often for many years, into finding...