The Nile on eBay Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice by BRISKIN
Bridging the Gap takes readers along a personal journey, linking ideas about spirit and soul to the realities of the workplace.
FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description
EMPLOYEES TODAY are actively searching for more meaning in the workplace, for work that resonates with their being. How does one dare yearn for something more, when so many workplaces seem aligned solely with financial survival and profit making? How do we get work done amidst the demands and tugs on our soul?Bringing Your Soul to Work addresses these troubling questions in a way that provides a pathway for readers who want to bridge the gap between their spiritual and work lives. It honors readers' unique experiences and challenges them to think differently, aligning their actions with their hearts.Engaging, inspiring, and poetic, yet grounded in real life, this book is written by consultants who see the contradictions of the workplace firsthand. Using case examples, personal stories, inspirational quotes, visual images, reflective questions, and specific applications, it shows readers how to use their own experience to grapple with the gritty realities of the workplace. Throughout the book, readers are invited to consider the book's concepts in relation to their own unique situations and, in the case of the applications, to record their responses in writing. They then learn to construct meaning from their own experience, drawing on imagination and practice, as well as the specific circumstances of their work lives.Addressing what many feel but cannot say out loud, Bringing Your Soul to Work links ideas about soul to the realities of work in a unique way. For all those looking to increase their effectiveness at work and bring more feeling, imagination, and heart into their efforts with others, it will serve as a guide for creating something new and lasting.
Author Biography
Cheryl Peppers consults in the areas of leadership development, strategic vision, work design, process analysis, team start-ups, and workforce strategy, including several international assignments and consultation in German. Cheryl's clients have included Fortune 500 clients in the chemicals, finance, energy, aerospace, food and beverage, gaming, and high-tech industries, as well as a number of professional service firms.Alan Briskin is author of The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace, winner of the 1997 Body Mind Spirit Award of Excellence. The book has been recognized as one of the first to address the role of the human spirit and soul in reconciling the contradictions and polarities many feel in today's workplace. Highly regarded for his commentary on the changing nature of the workplace and work, his articles and observations appear often in the print media. He has spoken throughout the United States and in South Africa on the subject of soul and work and has been a featured guest on National Public Radio.
Table of Contents
The collective cry for something more: the inner wilderness of the soul. Part 1 - mapping the territory; windows to the soul; soul as a chorus of inner voices; shadows of the soul; playing with wild cards; shadow sightings and everyday practice. Part 2 - the expedition: finding purpose in work; role as an expression of soul; practices for being effective in role; the emotional tapestry of group life; the threads of connection.
Review
"It is only when we begin to experience our own truth and beauty that we are capable of recognizing these qualities in others. This book takes the reader on an archaeological dig of the most personal kind, dedicated to bringing forth the authentic self in the workplace. A stunning accomplishment!"—Nancy Kezlarian, Executive Director, Florence Crittenton Center"This book opens up one of the great perennial questions of human life in a way that is both spiritually sensitive and concretely practical—the question of the relation- ship between the inner search and the need for effective action in the world. The thoughtfulness and creativity of the applications offered by the authors sets this book apart."—Jacob Needleman, author of Money and the Meaning of Life and Time and the Soul"Peppers and Briskin have written a creative guide for all who seek greater inspiration and soul in their work. This book is grounded in the principles of depth psychology and makes commonsense use of working with persona and shadow issues in the workplace as well as our personal lives. This book can truly provide a bridge between our inner lives and the work that we do in the world. It is no ordinary 'self-help' book, but a path for self-examination and reflection, bringing nuggets of wisdom from many sources."—Suzy Spradlin, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Analyst, C. J. Jung Institute of San Francisco"Beautifully written with intelligence and humor. The stories and applications open a remarkable window on today's work landscape. The book presents the reader with a path for personal renewal and a way to discover their own meaning and purpose in work."—Cathy Chuplis, Director, Worldwide Communications, Levi Strauss & Co."It is very hopeful to me that so many people are wondering about the meaning of their work, and how to bring themselves more fully into their work lives. This wonderful, gentle guide encourages us to delve deeply into these questions, and then supports us to make courageous choices. This book is both timely and timeless. We must never stop seeking for meaning, and we've been gifted with Cheryl and Alan's astute and loving expertise."—Margaret J. Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and coauthor of A Simpler Way"Bringing Your Soul to Work is written with care and in an easy and compelling prose. Peppers and Briskin are bravely willing to face what is difficult and confusing in life and work and therefore are very respectful to the reader. The book is a fine blend of spirit and practicality and if the reader has the will to do the exercises, they will find they will have given voice to their own story, which is the point of reading, any- way."—Peter Block, author of Stewardship, The Empowered Manager, and Flawless Consulting"What does 'soul' have to do with going to work every day? Everything, when traditional notions of work are transformed from employment (what we do) to a process of self discovery (who we want to become). The authors raise profound issues and offer practical insight about successfully embarking on a life-changing journey through the experience of work. This book is a highly evocative and deeply personal 'field guide' to better understanding different, even difficult, parts of ourselves through what we do. It is a powerful dialogue that can help us realize more of our humanity by consciously reframing the role and purpose of work in our lives. The wisdom of this book makes a seminal contribution to anyone who wonders, 'There must be more to work life.'"—Peter Boland, Ph.D., President, Boland Healthcare"Today's institutions and our upbringing have not prepared us for this new economy. Instead, we feel fragmented, rushed, unsatisfied. Cheryl and Alan offer practical ways for unearthing the lost abilities to see deeply, to be authentic, to listen soulfully. Armed with the disciplines they outline, the reader can discover the narrow and rewarding path that balances authenticity and role, being and doing, intention and action."—Stephanie Spong, Managing Director, Razorfish, Los Angeles"This book offers the most thoughtful integration of the concepts of 'soul' and 'work' that I have ever read. Using realistic examples with which everyone can identify, the authors demonstrate how we can learn from and transcend personal disappointments and crises related to work. Step by step, they help us recognize our self-made stumbling blocks (shadow) that prevent us from feeling good about how we relate to our jobs and the people with whom we work. By following the authors' thoughtful progression of questions and explanations, we unearth and clarify our self-defeating thoughts and behaviors, take ownership for our misguided beliefs, and discover the soul in our work lives."—Andrea Markowitz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, University of Baltimore"This is a lovely book; it enables the subtle wisdom of the inner world to acknowledge and awaken the hidden, latent wisdom of the world of work. Anyone would benefit from this lyrical yet penetrating analytic exposé. It demonstrates the falsity of a dual- ism which separates mind from heart, or interiority from the world. It also has the generosity to invite and leave room for the reader to interact with its claims."—John O'Donohue, author of Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom and Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our Yearning to Belong
Long Description
Organized around stories, questions and specific applications, this work links ideas about the soul to the realities of work. It examines the difficulties of work life from the integrated perspective of Jungian psychology, organizational theory, and the contextual experience of the authors. Visual images aid understanding.
Review Quote
"It is only when we begin to experience our own truth and beauty that we are capable of recognizing these qualities in others. This book takes the reader on an archaeological dig of the most personal kind, dedicated to bringing forth the authentic self in the workplace. A stunning accomplishment!" --Nancy Kezlarian, Executive Director, Florence Crittenton Center "This book opens up one of the great perennial questions of human life in a way that is both spiritually sensitive and concretely practical--the question of the relation- ship between the inner search and the need for effective action in the world. The thoughtfulness and creativity of the applications offered by the authors sets this book apart." --Jacob Needleman, author of Money and the Meaning of Life and Time and the Soul "Peppers and Briskin have written a creative guide for all who seek greater inspiration and soul in their work. This book is grounded in the principles of depth psychology and makes commonsense use of working with persona and shadow issues in the workplace as well as our personal lives. This book can truly provide a bridge between our inner lives and the work that we do in the world. It is no ordinary ''self-help'' book, but a path for self-examination and reflection, bringing nuggets of wisdom from many sources." --Suzy Spradlin, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Analyst, C. J. Jung Institute of San Francisco "Beautifully written with intelligence and humor. The stories and applications open a remarkable window on today''s work landscape. The book presents the reader with a path for personal renewal and a way to discover their own meaning and purpose in work." --Cathy Chuplis, Director, Worldwide Communications, Levi Strauss & Co. "It is very hopeful to me that so many people are wondering about the meaning of their work, and how to bring themselves more fully into their work lives. This wonderful, gentle guide encourages us to delve deeply into these questions, and then supports us to make courageous choices. This book is both timely and timeless. We must never stop seeking for meaning, and we''ve been gifted with Cheryl and Alan''s astute and loving expertise." --Margaret J. Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and coauthor of A Simpler Way "Bringing Your Soul to Work is written with care and in an easy and compelling prose. Peppers and Briskin are bravely willing to face what is difficult and confusing in life and work and therefore are very respectful to the reader. The book is a fine blend of spirit and practicality and if the reader has the will to do the exercises, they will find they will have given voice to their own story, which is the point of reading, any- way." --Peter Block, author of Stewardship, The Empowered Manager, and Flawless Consulting "What does ''soul'' have to do with going to work every day? Everything, when traditional notions of work are transformed from employment (what we do) to a process of self discovery (who we want to become). The authors raise profound issues and offer practical insight about successfully embarking on a life-changing journey through the experience of work. This book is a highly evocative and deeply personal ''field guide'' to better understanding different, even difficult, parts of ourselves through what we do. It is a powerful dialogue that can help us realize more of our humanity by consciously reframing the role and purpose of work in our lives. The wisdom of this book makes a seminal contribution to anyone who wonders, ''There must be more to work life.''" --Peter Boland, Ph.D., President, Boland Healthcare "Today''s institutions and our upbringing have not prepared us for this new economy. Instead, we feel fragmented, rushed, unsatisfied. Cheryl and Alan offer practical ways for unearthing the lost abilities to see deeply, to be authentic, to listen soulfully. Armed with the disciplines they outline, the reader can discover the narrow and rewarding path that balances authenticity and role, being and doing, intention and action." --Stephanie Spong, Managing Director, Razorfish, Los Angeles "This book offers the most thoughtful integration of the concepts of ''soul'' and ''work'' that I have ever read. Using realistic examples with which everyone can identify, the authors demonstrate how we can learn from and transcend personal disappointments and crises related to work. Step by step, they help us recognize our self-made stumbling blocks (shadow) that prevent us from feeling good about how we relate to our jobs and the people with whom we work. By following the authors'' thoughtful progression of questions and explanations, we unearth and clarify our self-defeating thoughts and behaviors, take ownership for our misguided beliefs, and discover the soul in our work lives." --Andrea Markowitz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, University of Baltimore "This is a lovely book; it enables the subtle wisdom of the inner world to acknowledge and awaken the hidden, latent wisdom of the world of work. Anyone would benefit from this lyrical yet penetrating analytic expos. It demonstrates the falsity of a dual- ism which separates mind from heart, or interiority from the world. It also has the generosity to invite and leave room for the reader to interact with its claims." --John O''Donohue, author of Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom and Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our Yearning to Belong
Excerpt from Book
INTRODUCTION The Collective Cry for Something More 1 THIS BOOK ADDRESSES what many feel but cannot say out loud, that amidst the frenetic pace and constant urgencies at work, one is often left feeling barren inside. How is it that so much activity can still leave one empty? How can one live more straight from the soul without being made an outcast? And how do we go beyond simply balancing work and personal life to an approach to living that has integrity and beauty? This book suggests a way to engage an inner dialogue about self and work that is grounded in our own experience. We learn not only of an inner wilderness that has pattern and meaning, but also that we are joined with others, and it is through relationship that our souls are shaped and weathered. Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice links ideas about soul to the realities of the workplace. How do we connect what is true and natural within ourselves to the demands and sacrifices required of us? How do we face the polarities, tensions, and contradictions in our work and work settings without succumbing to fragmentation or cynicism? How can we join with others to face the challenges that lie ahead? And how can we move from fear to faith? These questions haunt the collective imagination, for they are no longer about individuals alone. We face the new millennium with the twentieth century at our back, with all its contradictions and uncertainties whispering in our ear, "What now?"2 Sometimes it is possible to see how contradictions and uncertainties link us to more meaning, not less. And it is sometimes by engaging these gritty realities that we discover the links between our inward, spiritual lives and the world that is outside. Consider these two divergent images. The first is from the cover of Newsweek nearly shouting in bold print, "WORK IS HELL." Staring out from the cover is Dilbert, with two vacant white circles for eyes, and a cartoon bubble with the word "Help." Dogbert, the cheerful and ruthless management consultant, lurks in the corner. At the turn of the millennium, the Dilbert cartoons reflect back to us images of work as an exercise in absurdity, pointlessness, and cynicism. The second image is from a traditional business journal, Across the Board. We see the black silhouette of a man walking away from us, carrying a briefcase that is partly a blur. The headline reads, "Soul Searching: Looking for Meaning in the Workplace." The editor''s column leaves no doubt about the changes he sees happening in the workplace. Where once employees looked to "the company" for a lifetime career, they now no longer expect job security. Where once employees may have looked for meaning outside work, they now seek it within the workplace. And where once employees looked primarily for promotion and pay increases, now it is about something more elusive and central, the search for soul: that work should resonate with a person''s being. These two images capture a social disquiet and restlessness that has stirred the workplace and beyond. Something does not seem right. Are we to be cogs in the machinery, subject to moronic bosses and techniques of manipulation? Or are we perched at the precipice of a new awareness, where caring, meaning, and stewardship actually matter? How does one dare yearn for something more, when so many workplaces seem aligned solely with financial survival and profit making? Why is it that the soul now matters? What no longer seems right?3 Against these tensions, there is a popular movement gaining momentum, to bring spirituality into the workplace. The inclination for community, the need for recognition, and the longing to glimpse how life is interconnected--these forces continue to pull on us. Yet many of the approaches to spirit at work feel prescriptive, shallow, or generic. Thus despite the many books available, readers are often left to themselves to figure out what to do differently. Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice encourages readers to examine the particular circumstances of their work lives and to construct meaning from their own experience. Organized around stories, reflective questions, and specific applications, it grounds readers in both imagination and practice. In this way, the book serves as a guide for bringing one''s spiritual values to bear on the dilemmas of work life and for creating something new and lasting. Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice is for those looking to increase their effectiveness at work and bring more feeling, imagination, and heart into their efforts with others. It is for managers who find themselves caught in the midst of turbulence, for leaders and consultants looking for new ways to foster personal and organizational renewal, and for anyone who has done significant personal reflection and is looking for more specific application to work settings. For those who have read The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace and other books that touch on matters of spirituality, leadership, relationship, and improving work settings, the book serves as an extension of these ideas into a personal practice. For those unfamiliar but intrigued with the subject of spirituality at work, the book offers a place to begin their exploration. Finally, it is for those wishing to dialogue about movement forward, toward a next generation of workplaces. As authors, we have tried to be as free of jargon as possible and to present sometimes abstract, even mystical ideas in as straightforward a manner as possible. We join with readers, sharing our own personal experience in an occasional story by Alan or Cheryl.4 How the Book Is Organized Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice bridges the interior world of the individual with the uncertainties and demands of work. Early on, this means gaining increasing comfort with varieties of introspective activities, then using these skills to consider questions of purpose and effectiveness. As we gain comfort with our own inner wildness, the greater our capacity is to navigate the wilderness of work. The journey is meant to be transformative, offering new ways to look inward and outward, and to see more clearly how we are joined with others. In the first chapter, we explore the mystery of soul and its historical association with the vitality of life and inward complexity, and we introduce a major premise of our book--that there are many selves, many voices within each of us, and that awareness of how they conflict and harmonize can lead to wholeness. This brings us to the book''s first section, "Mapping the Territory," highlighting our interior life as a means for effectively navigating the world of work. In "Mapping the Territory," chapter 2 shows how our capacities to think metaphorically, reflect on our experience, and use our innate imagination can lead to greater understanding in the workplace. Chapter 3 explores how we can move into a more powerful way of being by identifying the many discrete voices within us and drawing on them for specific situations. In chapters 4 through 6, we take the reader on a foray into the darker, less understood aspects of one''s own personality and their implications for the work setting. We''re seeking to understand what parts of ourselves we hide or reject as well as what treasures are waiting to be uncovered. In considering shadow as part of the whole person, we reconsider how we have judged ourselves and others. Honoring both fear and compassion in this dynamic, we invite the reader to consider alternatives to hiding from their shadow.5 If we can appreciate the vastness and richness of our interior world, we are better prepared to deal with the complexity of workplace issues. In this way, the first section serves as a foundation for the second, "The Expedition." In "The Expedition," chapter 7 bridges what matters within to what brings us satisfaction and purpose at work. Purpose allows for renewal, bringing us the energy to shape and reshape what we do. In chapter 8, we explore how to step into a new work role and pay attention to both our own internal signals and those from the organization. Chapter 9 presents practices for being focused and effective in our role. Chapter 10 captures the dynamic energy of group life and how the difficulties and rewards of being in groups forges who we are. In our final chapter, we suggest that these reflections and practices open up our hearts and allow us to shape and endure, with grace, the continuum of experience we encounter in work and life. Using This Book Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice is written with pauses for reflection and specific application. Some readers will wish to journal their reflections and work in depth, while others will read the reflections or applications and move on to the next sections. We assume that each person will determine their own best rhythm for working with the material. Both the stories and the questions for reflection have a way of staying in one''s mind and popping up at unusual times. Implicit to our writing is the assumption that the reader will slow down and use the material for reflection. To aid this, we suggest the following: For some of the reflections and applications, it''s important to be in a quiet setting, free of distractions--perhaps somewhere in your home that feels comfortable or where you normally read or meditate, or perhaps in an office with the door closed and the telephone ringer turned off. For other reflections, an airplane commute might be fine.6 If a question doesn''t seem clear or relevant to you, or if you feel stuck for very long on how to answer it from your own experience, simply move on. You ma
Details ISBN1576751112 Short Title BRINGING YOUR SOUL TO WORK Language English ISBN-10 1576751112 ISBN-13 9781576751114 Media Book Illustrations Yes Year 2000 Imprint Berrett-Koehler Subtitle An Everyday Practice Place of Publication San Francisco Country of Publication United States Series Berrett-koehler Format Paperback DOI 10.1604/9781576751114 UK Release Date 2000-08-10 AU Release Date 2000-08-10 NZ Release Date 2000-08-10 US Release Date 2000-08-10 Illustrator Lauren O'Hara Affiliation Lauren Safranek Position Author Qualifications Ph.D. Author BRISKIN Pages 224 Publisher Berrett-Koehler Publication Date 2000-08-10 DEWEY 658 Audience General We've got this
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