Waking Up in 2016

There is something about 2016 so far.  I've noticed it, at least.  Have you? People are starting to wake up to what they really want.  People are starting to be less afraid (I'm one of them) to show their true selves, to expose what they really believe in.  And this has to do with our innate beings.. who were are at the core. Yes, folks, we all, every single human being from Donald Trump to Rush Limbaugh, have spirits within us. Souls. And I imagine that we might want to get more in touch with those? Looking around at our planet, there is much to feel disheartened about.  The oddly-warm days in January in Maine are wake-up calls.  You can say it's "El Nino" all you want, but we know that, really, it's climate change, folks.  And apparently we are going to be experiencing it big-time over here on the East Coast.

PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS KEMP WHITE

We need to wake up.  It's time we start caring about what really matters. It's not the job, the money, the big house, the good school, the new clothes, the new phone, whatever. It's love, relationships, caring, helping, giving, kindness, compassion, creativity, joy, friendship, music, art, peace.  These are the timeless qualities that stay with us throughout our many lifetimes and in our souls.

I woke up to what I had been doing to myself in my job(s)... creating a pattern of discontentment and attracting more of that to me through my frustrations with the modern, hierarchical workplace. Don't get me wrong, I'm not fully just blaming myself here, since there are fundamental problems with the industrialized system that still dominates many versions of the modern workplace. I realized that change needed to come from within myself. And then that could spread to others... spread like a sunrise over the land, energetically.

If you can identify with that feeling, if you feel a nagging discontent each day, like there is something missing in your job or career... it's time to start paying attention to that feeling.  Because it's not going to go away. In fact, it's going to get stronger until you (we all) do something about it.

Do you remember the days (well probably not since none of us were born yet) when people had their own shops - the butcher, the tailor, the blacksmith, the printer, the farmer?  Everyone did their own thing, maybe they employed someone else, yes, but on the whole people controlled their own livelihood.  There were no giant butcher shops or mega-tailor companies with large top-down hierarchies. These were creations in the industrial economy to produce faster and better.  Do you think the idea was to enrich the lives of the workers?  Um, no, it was to make money.  Fortunately, the old, bureaucratic way of doing work is becoming more and more obsolete (although still some way to go). Some innovative companies these days have started making changes and are realizing that many of their employees are suffering.. needlessly.  The most forward-thinking companies/organizations are taking steps to help the well-being of their staff (which thereby increases retention and productivity!).  Let's hope that continues to spread.

I'm hoping to shed light on an idea here: that it is possible to find true happiness by transforming either the job you currently do - or a job you create for yourself - into something you WANT to do and thoroughly enjoy.  Ask me about how, if you like (I'm starting a new business called Soulful Work).  But there are lots of people out there who can also help you.  It's okay to ask for help - it can provide an idea you hadn't thought of before. Lots of ideas in fact.  I had to ask for help, many times, and started looking for books and videos to learn new ideas, and I started to wake up ...  As you are too if you're interested in even reading this blog!

There is hope for our country. There are good, smart, well-meaning people like you who want to make a change.  We just have to have the courage, the boldness, to step into the fear and walk towards a new possibility.