Nobel - The Enlightenment of Work: Revealing the Path to Happiness, Contentment and Purpose in Your Job

Acclaim for The Enlightenment of Work

A far-reaching and inspiring look at the world of work and why we often feel trapped in the work we do. This is a must-read for anyone looking to have a happier, more authentic career experience that brings bliss and flow into everyday work. I found a number of indispensable, practical ideas here that have transformed my view of the work I do and why I do it. Highly recommended.

Tania Ahsan, Editor of Kindred Spirit

Steve Nobel has beautifully blended ancient Buddhist wisdom with modern insights, reflections, stories and practical exercises that offer to help transform your current work experience from necessity to opportunity and possibility. Instead of suffering you can grow and learn from the inside out.

Shamash Alidina, author of Mindfulness for Dummies

A thought-provoking entree into how our evolving perceptions and attitudes mould our lives. An indispensable reference guide as to how to live a more fulfilling life in both your personal and working environment.

Hazel Courteney, author, broadcaster and journalist

Steve Nobel elegantly shows us how to transform the samsara of meaningless work to the bliss of fulfilling work that is aligned with our souls true destiny. A vital message of awakened action for todays world.

Amoda Maa Jeevan, author of Change your Life, Change your World

An inspiring, powerful meditation on work, relevant to anyone whether happy at work or not.

Nina Grunfeld, author of The Life Book and founder of Life Clubs

Steve Nobel walks his talk. He knows from personal experience what it means to be unhappy at work, and he has found solutions that uplift, enrich and lead to greater fulfilment. A must read!

Ed and Deb Shapiro, authors of Be The Change: How Meditation CanTransform You and the World

Its not often a book manages to be so inspirational and informative, compassionate and practical, clear and thorough, simple and deep. This is the spiritual and compassionate path to finding your right work and loving what you do. Steve Nobels approach to the world of work is inspired, insightful, practical, very real and truthful. A must read!

Arielle Essex, author of Compassionate Coaching and NLP Trainer

This book is a breath of fresh air for anyone who wants to find a way to create more meaningful work. I love the blend of both modern and ancient teachings that gives work spirit and soul.

Jackee Holder, author of Soul Purpose and Be Your Own Best Life Coach

Dedication

This book is dedicated to you and your descendants may you courageously step onto the path that leads to seek a more enlightened way at work.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all the authors, teachers, guides and mentors whose insight and wisdom have touched and transformed me. In particular, I would like to give thanks to Laurence Boldt, Michael Breen, Joseph Campbell, Gill Edwards, Matthew Fox, Thich Nhat Hanh, Lama Surya Das, David Whyte and Nick Williams for the work and inspiration they have generously shared with the world.

A big thank you to all my friends and colleagues at the fabulous Alternatives, based at St Jamess Church. The love and generosity of the staff and volunteers there seem boundless!

Thank you to all the authors, coaches, teachers and friends who have taken the time to review and endorse this work.

Lastly I want to thank my children, Peter and Lynda, and my granddaughters Eva and Isabella. I am their silent and often their not-so-silent cheerleader.

Last but not least, I want to thank the being known as the Buddha who incarnated some 2,500 years ago on the borders of Nepal and India. His radiant consciousness, wisdom, teaching and example have helped turn countless numbers to the light.

Introduction

This may seem an obvious statement, but here goes, anyway many people around the world are now suffering in their work in some way. Not everyone suffers, but many do: millions, perhaps even billions. I know about suffering at work from personal experience. I suffered for many years. I have done my time!

And so here is my message to you about suffering. First, suffering can come in many ways. It can come through feeling aimless and bored when the only reason for being at work is to collect the pay cheque at the end of the month. It can come through stress, overwork and burnout. Sometimes, it comes through overarching ambition, when we have tried too hard and for too long to climb up the corporate ladder, only to find it is leaning in the wrong direction. There are always challenges at work and there will always be the inevitable disappointment and frustration. Sometimes, suffering arises through unrealistic expectations, when we are not able to see the truth in a situation.

Wherever there are relationships there can be disagreement. Sometimes disagreement can be creative, sometimes not. When it is not it can lead to manipulation, conflict and even bullying. We can suffer when we are without work for short or long periods.

Whatever our work, there is always the possibility that we can feel exposed to being undervalued, criticized or harshly judged. Suffering can come through feeling trapped in a job that feels joyless or hard we may feel we have little say in the content or context of our work. We may feel unable to follow a direction that gives a sense of meaning or joy. We may feel that we are incapable of making the kinds of changes to our work we would most like.

Suffering can be physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual. There is the kind of physical suffering that arises when the stress or joylessness of work creates ongoing tension in the body. This, is turn, can lead to ill-health and serious illness. There are degrees of emotional suffering when we feel anger, grief, misery and unhappiness at work. We can suffer mentally by recycling thoughts around failure, insignificance and powerlessness these thoughts can coalesce into fixed beliefs that say we cannot positively influence or shape our destiny in any way. Then there is spiritual suffering which is more commonplace than you may think. This arises when our work disconnects us from our true essence.

Whatever the cause of suffering, it can easily start in one area and then spread. Physical suffering will tend to lead to emotional, mental and, sometimes, spiritual suffering. For instance, if you have a physical injury that prevents you from doing certain activities, then it can be hard not to have certain thoughts and feelings about this. Suffering can be infectious. If you are long-term unemployed, then your stress can so easily touch those you come into daily contact with. In our celebrity culture where the bright and the beautiful are seen as good, suffering is seen as something bad; something to be shunned and kept at a distance. We read about suffering in the newspapers and that is as close as it should get. Suffering is seen as an illness, as shameful, as something that must be avoided at all costs. When it comes knocking at our door, we feel that we should hide away and not speak of it. Keep a stiff upper lip, and all of that.

There is a difference between pain and suffering. Pain cannot be avoided. Pain is something we will all encounter at some point. We may be the most optimistic, affirming person on the planet, yet we will still encounter pain. We cannot keep it at bay forever. Hopefully, when pain comes we will know how to use it to uplift us and allow ourselves to grow and move on.