Using “A Course in Miracles” in a Difficult Workplace
Transforming tension into miracles
So, you received an email from your boss that made your stomach drop. Your coworker took all the credit for your ideas. You work with people who consistently fail to meet deadlines.
Who hasn’t been there?
Conflicts at work can drain our energy and take away our peace of mind. They are unsettling, anxiety-inducing, and highly stressful.
A Course in Miracles might suggest that these situations aren't just annoyances to endure. Instead, these can be opportunities for a powerful spiritual practice.
This is where the principles from the Course can transform our work lives in remarkable ways.
Seeing the Divine in the "Problem Person".
When someone at work pushes your buttons, the Course offers a radical perspective to shift your thinking.
That person who is annoying you and making things complicated isn't your enemy but your teacher. The demanding boss or frustrating coworker is actually giving you a chance to practice forgiveness in real time. It is an opportunity to remember that the divine resides within that person in the same way the divine resides in you.
So, when you feel anger rising during a workplace interaction, silently say to yourself,
"This person is showing me where I still need healing."
Ask yourself what fear or worry the situation is bringing up. Are you afraid of being disrespected? Overlooked? Not valued? Possessing this awareness can create space between feeling triggered and reacting vs. feeling calm and being non-reactive.
Remember, how you look at situations is your choice.
The Course teaches that what upsets us isn't the situation itself but our interpretation of it. Our thoughts about a situation inform how we feel about it.
Your mind is constantly telling stories about what others' actions mean about you, them, and the world. Your mind is continuously using the past to inform how to make sense of the present.
So, when a coworker sends a nasty email, instead of thinking,
"They're being rude and disrespectful."
Try thinking,
"They may be having a difficult day."
or even
"This is just information being exchanged."
You may notice that different interpretations and perspectives can elicit different emotional responses.
It is better to be happy and peaceful than to be right.
A powerful Course teaching is that you can prioritize happiness and peace over being right. In workplace conflicts, we often exhaust ourselves trying to prove our position, defend our ego, or gain validation. We feel we are there to perform and to prove ourselves. We need to establish our merit, our value, and ourselves.
Instead, in any given situation, ask yourself:
"Would I rather be right or peaceful?"
Then, hand over the entire situation to God, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, or whatever constitutes your higher power.
When we let go of outcomes and relinquish trying to control how things turn out, we open ourselves up to divine guidance and the accompanying peace.
Join with others in love and peace, rather than separating in hate.
The Course reminds us that we are all spiritually connected as one: the Christ, the son of God. The Course reminds us that there is one sonship.
Separation from one another is an illusion. In conflicts, we forget the truth about ourselves and see others as threats or opponents.
Therefore, if you are in a tense meeting, look around the room and think,
"At a spiritual level, everyone here wants the same things I do: to feel valued, to do meaningful work, to be treated with respect."
This simple recognition can dissolve the boundaries of hate and resentment, opening up communication channels.
Utilize the Holy Instant throughout your day.
The Course describes the "Holy Instant" as a moment when we step outside our egos and remember our true identity as Son of God. These moments can be brief pauses throughout your workday.
Work on leaning into the Holy Instant.
Before responding to an upsetting email, take three deep breaths.
Before entering a difficult meeting, spend 30 seconds praying for peace and bless those you will interact with.
These practices create space for miracles and open up the Holy Instant.
The workplace might seem like the last place for spiritual practice, but it is the perfect arena for doing so. Every conflict offers a choice: reinforce the ego's myth of separation or practice the miracle of seeing beyond appearances to our divine truth. It is up to each of us to decide which we choose.
Dear God,
I feel challenged and stressed by my co-workers. I am overwhelmed by all I need to do and what is asked of me. I feel as if the circumstances of my job, the people I have to deal with, and the tasks at hand are denying me peace of mind and serenity. Help me see through the illusions of these situations. Help me to change my perspective so I can act in this world, in my life, and my job, as you would have me be. I offer you my work and ask that you bless all I do. Release me from fear and anxiety, and let love guide me in what I am called to do today.
Have a great week everyone.
A. Writer
Prior Posts of Interest:
Who is God in “A Course in Miracles”