A Consciousness-based Career - Updated

Something Changed

For those who work in the knowledge-based economy, our relationship with our work, our organizations, our home and ourselves has undergone a transformation. Something happened during the pandemic that has changed our expectations about our careers. We have discovered the limits of our expertise. We have ventured into the domain of ourselves, how we feel, how we think, how we evaluate and what we value…and how we are valued. This is a profound and irreversible shift. We can no longer abide a career that does not take us - and how we are valued - into account.?

Productivity Originates in Consciousness

This shift is one that happened in consciousness, in our awareness. Until now we have been valued for what we know and what we contribute. In other words for our productivity. Productivity is still important but the basis of productivity we’ve come to see is based on the wholeness of who we are. That includes not only our physical and social health, but our mental well-being as well. Our mental well-being, and all that that constitutes, is at the basis of our productivity. And our mental well-being is based on how deeply we are connected to our inner, unbounded field of consciousness, the source of our thinking, emotions, hopes, ambitions and expectations. If that connection is weak or weakened we become imbalanced and fear, doubt, anxiety and depression can creep in. Our physical well-being can be threatened by toxic relationships with others and with ourself. If our daily routines are filled with duress and our nights with insomnia, we are putting not only our productivity at risk, but our health or even our lives. But when that connection is strong, then we are restored to balance, find joy in our day, are confident and open to optimism. Our worldview is expanding. Our contributions are filled with purpose and buoyancy, a lightness of being. Even our physical and social selves become magnets for success and happiness. This is a consciousness-based career. Let me explain.?

We are not who we think we are

Descartes posited that “I think, therefore I am.” But that is putting the veritable ‘Descartes before the horse’. The truth is “I am, therefore I think.” Our being, our silent unbounded self, pure consciousness, exists first. Our thoughts emerge from there. And according to even the most advanced theorists in physics, Max Planck and Erwin Schr?edinger, believe that consciousness is not only the platform for the physical world; consciousness is all that there is. ?

“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” - Max Planck

“Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.” - Erwin Schr?dinger

Without delving into philosophy, the fact remains that we needed a shift in perspective, one that was push-started by the pandemic. What matters most to us is our mental well-being, our health and our happiness with our personal and professional life. Study after study has shown that employees who are disengaged or dissatisfied leads to lower productivity. Individuals and organizations that care about their output must explore alternatives to traditional approaches.?

Every career is dependent upon mental clarity, problem-solving and decision-making. Even manual labour requires the utmost wakefulness and attention to detail. These are all functions of consciousness. Stress, burnout, fatigue, emotional turmoil and other factors can produce less than optimal results. Taking care of your consciousness is the primary factor in improving not only your career and its prospects but your personal life as well. A consciousness-based career is one that recognizes this fact and then starts putting into place various consciousness-based approaches such as stress management techniques, diet specific to your physiology, low-impact exercise, breathing techniques, aromatherapy, etc. to further elevate the source of creativity, intelligence and happiness that we pour into our lives. Fundamentally, it means being a steward of our own mental, physical, emotional and social health. Consciousness is at the basis of all of these.?

Expanding your Sphere of Influence

However, there is one additional benefit to using a consciousness-based approach to your career. This is the radiant calming effect of consciousness itself. What do I mean by that? Let me give you an example. My wife and I found out when driving on long trips that if one of us was driving and the other was meditating (Transcendental Meditation* specifically), that the person driving could start to feel too calm. This happened so often and so regularly that we would then insist that if the driver was feeling that it was influencing their driving, they were to tell the other person to stop meditating. When the person stopped, the driver immediately felt refreshed and clear. It was almost as if the other person was meditating for them. I decided to test this theory on a friend, who doesn’t meditate, when we were driving together up to Sudbury, Ontario from Ottawa. I mentioned that I was going to meditate and that if he felt tired at all, he was to tell me and I would stop. After 20 minutes of meditating, my friend hadn’t told me to stop, but as soon as I did and before I had opened my eyes, he exclaimed, “Did you just stop meditating?” I was incredulous. My friend had felt a palpable effect. I hadn’t changed positions, opened my eyes or said anything. I simply stopped meditating. This is the radiant calming effect of experiencing pure consciousness, the most settled state of the mind.?

This radiant calming effect has been quantified on the city, region and national levels. If 1% of a population starts practicing TM, then the crime, sickness, and accident rates go down. Over 40 studies have verified these effects. (See the C.N. Alexander reference below.) In our paradigm that consciousness is all that there is, a calming influence is generated in the environment.

The impact on one's career is noticeable. For ourselves, it means we create a sphere of increased calm, peacefulness and happiness around us. For our career, it means better relationships with our coworkers, subordinates and superiors. Research on those practising the TM technique report that they advance more quickly in their careers without more effort. It is just the effect of spontaneously getting a more favourable response from their environment.?

A New Approach

Over the last 5 months, I’ve been in a course with over 2000 participants developing our skills to be consciousness advisors. We’ve become familiar with multiple modalities or technologies of consciousness to help individuals and organizations harness the untapped potential of that lies normally hidden from access. These approaches are time-tested, evidence based and/or scientifically validated. Fortunately the approaches to developing consciousness are based on maximum ease and effortlessness. Each approach is self-reinforcing. And while the approaches are generally simple, if not easy, they are specific. The role of the consciousness advisor is to assist in ensuring that simplicity and ease are maintained while providing clarity and insight into the unfolding experiences of expanding consciousness.

As a consciousness advisor, I can guide you to a number of consciousness-based approaches that can help you align your personal life and professional career with the ever-evolving unfoldment of your own potential. A life of increasing happiness belongs to everyone. Consciousness-based approaches range from:

• improving your daily routines,
• adding simple, personalized techniques to improve your mental and physical health
• reviewing the architectural design of your office and home to capture the calming and energizing influences of the Nature

Make sure to reach out to me to find out more.?

NOTE: * references to the Transcendental Meditation technique are included since it is the most scientifically validated approach to directly developing consciousness. It is one of the many approaches that a consciousness advisor will consult on. The rigorous scientific research on the calming effect of consciousness on the environment is unique to the group practice of TM. It stands alone in this respect and is therefore noteworthy.

References:?

Collins, L. (2022) ‘Job unhappiness is at a staggering all-time high, according to Gallup’, CNBC, Workforce Wire [Online] Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/12/job-unhappiness-is-at-a-staggering-all-time-high-according-to-gallup.html

Elder, C.,Nidich S., Moriarty F., Nidich R.(2014) ‘Effect of Transcendental Meditation on Employee Stress, Depression and Burnout: A Randomized Controlled Study’, The Permanent Journal, v.18(1); Winter 2014 [Online] Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951026/

Elliot H. (2022) ‘Last responders: Mental Health damage from Covid could last a generation’, CNBC, Health and Science [Online] Available from: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/10/covid-pandemic-mental-health-damage-could-last-a-generation.html

Alexander, C.N. (Unknown) ‘Peaceful Body, Peaceful Mind, Peaceful World’, Maharishi International University Research [Online] Available from: https://research.miu.edu/maharishi-effect/peaceful-body-peaceful-mind-peaceful-world/