It's No Longer "Just Work"

My heart broke for 3 of my staff who struggle with life issues and coping with them.   I reached out to them as I would have wanted to be reached out to and helped find a voice for the prayers they were afraid to utter before God.  Their pain was intense and it made me realize that you really just can't say the personal life of people does not affect the professional life.  It is easier said than done to compartmentalize things and simply forget about what's bothering you.  The HR function in organizations should be able to find a way to bridge the gap between professionalism and humanism.  That's what I am still trying to do at a very limited bandwidth.  It is not easy to reach out to an 800 people population.

So my views on work are beginning to evolve.  It is no longer "just work".  It is almost a ministry.    A week or two ago I found some St. Josemaria Escriva's writings on the sanctity of work.  I thought I'd try to ponder them.  When the pressure at work hits the fan it's either I get too frustrated or too into it.  Either way, I lose sight of the peace I hold and become this bundle of mess.

Thank God, this week wasn't like that.  I managed to find time praying every morning and night.  Finding my center has been the most important part of my day and it has refueled me in remaining steadfast as I encounter the issues at work.   

Go about your professional duties for Love’s sake. Do everything for the sake of Love and (precisely because you are in love, even though you may taste the bitterness of misunderstanding, of injustice, of ingratitude and even of failure in men’s eyes) you will see the result in the wonders that your work produces — rich, abundant fruit, the promise of eternity! - St. Josemaria Escriva, Friends of God 68

Comments

  1. Alexander M ZoltaiFebruary 5, 2011 at 11:52 AM

    Your post made me find this quote:

    "It is the duty of those who are in charge of the
    organization of society to give every individual the opportunity of acquiring the necessary talent in some kind of profession, and also the means of utilizing such a talent, both for its own sake and for the sake of earning the means of his livelihood. Every individual, no matter
    how handicapped and limited he may be, is under the obligation of engaging in some work or profession, for work, especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according to Bahá'u'lláh a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a value in itself,
    because it draws us nearer to God, and enables us to better grasp His purpose for us in this world. It is obvious, therefore, that the inheritance of wealth cannot make anyone immune from daily work."

    (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 192)

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