Does Spirituality in the Workplace Need to Be Visible?
For deeply spiritual employees, it may seem desirable for the workplace to be shared with like-minded people. Or to others, it might be important to work in an open-minded workplace where individuals can practice their religious traditions without judgment. Working in such environments is all well and good, but what if you don’t? What if other people in your workplace judge religions other than their own or are perhaps atheists? At first glance, that may seem to be a problem, but is it really?
Spirituality encompasses far more than a particular type of practice. I'm not talking about any one spiritual practice or perspective in particular, but rather, the greater framework that underlies them all... I'm talking about living in harmony with the depth of our being, our true nature as human beings. In fact, you could even say the practice is the tool with which you dig for the gold. The gold is to embody spirituality in its truest sense. When spirituality is embodied, one naturally acts and behaves in accord with their true nature, which is the divinity that dwells at the depth of every individual. Ultimately then, all spiritual practices have, at their root, the same ideal—for people to embody spirituality.
Most people have a preconceived notion of what they would be like when they fully embody spirituality. Some imagine a serene, almost etheric demeanor, somewhat like the depiction of Jesus in the movie Ben Hur. Others may think of chanting mantras, dressing a particular way, and meditating or praying several times a day as confirmation that they are indeed a spiritual being.
Consider the possibility that a true spiritual person doesn’t look any particular way on the surface of life. True spirituality dwells at the depth of one’s being, the depth of one’s physiology, not the surface. Spirituality can be likened to a shaft of wheat firmly rooted in Mother Earth, while the head and stem flow with the wind. The workplace would then serve as a vehicle to practice a deeper form of spirituality, one not based upon surface behavior, but upon the depth of one’s being. What that looks like on the surface is more a matter of individuality (personality) than behavioral indoctrination.
True spirituality is about integration of the physiology—integration of the depth of one’s soul with ordinary, everyday activity. When a person is on a genuine spiritual path, they come to know that from within themselves. They then have no need to display a ‘spiritual persona.’ They interface with the world seamlessly with no need for pomp or show.
For that reason, a non-spiritual workplace can offer the best opportunity to bring your spirituality to it. It offers the opportunity to integrate the root essence of your spirituality with everyday life. If the spiritual principles you live come from deep within you, it doesn’t need a prop of any kind. There is no need for dogmatic expression. Spirituality is, after all, an inner awareness, not an outward ritual or behavioral style.
Living in harmony with Mother Nature, God’s will, your own true nature, Divinity, or whatever you choose to call it is far more individualized than people realize. It really amounts to just being natural. It is natural to behave in a balanced, integrated, intelligent, wise, and coherent manner, a manner that is consistent with the need of the environment in the moment. The ultimate purpose of a spiritual practice is to cultivate that natural state, what some call “evolution.”
Behavioral modification based upon spiritual ‘rules of conduct’ can have a value if held properly. Held too tightly, they are misused, and are no longer what they were intended to be. If you feel your spirituality is something that must be displayed overtly to be lived, it’s time to rethink your perspective. If your practice is working, you will know it and your need to overtly display it in the workplace will subside.
Ultimately, spirituality amounts to personal moral integrity. It’s a matter of spontaneously living the higher values of life. Regardless of your perspective on spirituality, those values dwell deep within you. It is entirely up to you to open to those values. After all, your spirituality dwells within you as your moral values, inner wisdom, and inner intelligence.