By DR. PETRA WELDES
This article appeared in the September 2022 issue of Science of Mind magazine
The pandemic sure did change so many things about work, didn’t it?
Losing a job, not having work, working remotely, dealing with technology, escalating workloads, trying to stay in relationships with coworkers while staying at home, supply chain issues, exponentially increased online shopping — a ridiculously long list, isn’t it? Not everyone was affected in the same way, but everyone was affected in some way. How did all this impact you?
Right here we come to the paradox: We live in a world of conditions, yet our spiritual work is done at the level of the absolute reality of Universal Spirit, beyond any and all conditions. This truth, or paradox if you will, didn’t change just because we are in a pandemic. All the same spiritual truths and tools are operating, even now.
Where to begin? Why, at the beginning of course, with the One Infinite Ultimate Reality, the impulse of creation, that which we call God. No matter the circumstances or conditions, the Universal Presence has not all of a sudden withdrawn Itself or ceased to exist. We are still individualized expressions of the One Life, still cocreating through the creative process every day.
We are in partnership with the Infinite Mind. The name of this partnership is “God and Company.” The supreme Intelligence, the universal Creative Order, the dynamic Law and the all-perfect Presence — this is God, the Silent Partner. We are the Company. This partnership cannot be dissolved for this union was never created — it always has been and always must remain. — Ernest Holmes, “Your Invisible Power”
Nothing about this has changed. The challenge, of course, is to continue to see it, be it and believe it in the midst of our changing conditions.
Return to Our Spiritual Teachings
Coming back to my spiritual community after being closed for two years has been lovely and wonderful. But everything has changed. Not everyone is back in the room. Some people are staying online, some moved away or became disinterested, while others are newly joining, mostly online but some in person.
Programs that worked before don’t draw or support people as they did in the past, and new ideas are being birthed that require new skills, new technology and new volunteers.
It can be overwhelming, no matter what business you are in. After years of doing something a certain way, you now have to reimagine it. Trying new things that aren’t always successful can be daunting, especially when we have to be savvy on social media, get on YouTube and TikTok, and hope there is room for us to break into a new market.
Each time I confront my fear or discomfort with the circumstances, I turn to our spiritual teachings:
For instance, we sometimes come up against the thought of competition, the belief that there are too many people engaged in the business we are interested in. Competition is a belief that there is not enough good to go around, and while believed, this thought manifests itself in limitation. In other words, if we feel our line of business is crowded and we must therefore be on tiptoe to keep ahead of the other [person], the probabilities are that we will find ourselves crowded out. We must resolve this thought into its native nothingness. Truth does not compete with anyone. Therefore, we should not allow the thought to enter our minds that we are competing with anyone. We should never watch to see what another is doing or how [they are] doing it, for when we do this, we limit our own possibilities to the range of another’s vision. Principle is not bound by precedent, and our good is not limited or conditioned by any good that has ever been manifest. We should confidently expect a greater good than we have ever experienced or than we have ever known of anyone experiencing. — Ernest Holmes, “It’s Up to You”
The Spiritual Work of Work
Whether you are an entrepreneur, artist, CEO, manager or line worker, what is still true is that attitude is everything. The most successful attitude, the one with the greatest expectation of success, will always lead the way, opening doors, finding possibilities and attracting customers and clients.
If you wish to be successful, you must identify yourself with success. The law of identity is a definite thing. That with which you mentally identify yourself sets up an image of thought in your consciousness, which tends to attract the situations you mentally identify with. The subjective state of your consciousness, which means the sum total of your unconscious thought processes, is continually attracting or repelling. This process goes on beneath the threshold of the conscious mind. — Ernest Holmes, “This Thing Called You”
Every time I worry, I return right here to these truths: Attitude, identity and expectation set the tone and the stage for our experience. This is true regardless of conditions and circumstances. It means we have grounded ourselves in principle and keep coming back to it, no matter what. Is this challenging? Of course it can be. But this is the spiritual work of work.
Proper understanding of {our} relationship to the Universe, supported by intelligent, industrious work, will add materially to [our] measure of success. Work without vision is drudgery, but vision without work is self-deception. The well-balanced [person] can walk with [their] head in the clouds and still keep [their] feet solidly planted on the ground. Faith and work are ineffective when separated. — Ernest Holmes, “Practical Application of Science of Mind”
Our work is not divorced from our spiritual life or from opportunities for spiritual growth. In fact, it’s in our workplaces that we have the greatest chances to practice our principles, for two reasons: one, because we spend so much time there and, two, because work is one of those things that feels real and out of our control. We point to the economy, the boss, the circumstances of this or that, and these things become cause in our lives.
Expectancy speeds progress; therefore, live in a continual state of expectancy. No matter how much good you experience today, expect greater good tomorrow ... . Know that no matter what others may say, think or do, you are a success now, and nothing can hinder you from accomplishing your good. — Ernest Holmes, “The Science of Mind”
Why Do You Do What You Do?
Finally, I remember, on a regular basis, why I do what I do. There are many reasons and more than one purpose for working. What are yours? Maybe these sound familiar:
• Make enough money to pay the bills
• Make enough money to do what you want
• Make enough money to support yourself so you can do what you love without having to make money at it
• Make money through your interests and passions
• Be actively engaged in life and not be bored
• Contribute something meaningful to the world
• Express your creativity
• Make a difference
• Be of service
I believe the more of these we acknowledge as reasons for working, the more engaged and joyful work becomes. We realize that work is so much more than just getting a paycheck. And if too many of these reasons are missing from our list, this, too, is important grist for our spiritual mill.
If the pandemic has shown us anything, it has shown us that there are many more creative ways to work than we dreamed possible. With all the options for sharing online, there are many ways to connect with people who want the very thing we have to offer. This in turn provides an avenue for good and money to flow to us.
When we know that our business is an activity of the Spirit working through us, we shall be viewing our business in the right light. When we are certain that the things in which we are interested are constructive, we should go ahead with complete assurance of success. The only Power there is is with us, for there is no power opposed to the Truth. — Ernest Holmes, “It’s Up to You”
To live in wonder at work is to remember that work is a vehicle through which we engage in life, in spiritual growth and in the contribution of the unique expression of life that we are. Then our work becomes a wonder, to us and to those around us, illuminating the journey with inspiration and possibility.
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