Monday Morning Insight

Just the other weekend I was sitting at a table with seven strangers.

It was a large round table, the kind everyone has sat at in a workshop or social function.

We introduced ourselves, then as comfort levels rose we shared information about what we did for a living: "I'm a teacher", "I'm a banker", "I'm in sales" kind of information.

For some this information wasn't shared with much enthusiasm and that caused me to wonder. We work at a job, a career, for fifty-two weeks a year less vacation. If we spend that much time at work then we need to enjoy it, right? So I asked about this as table discussion evolved.

People said things like "Ten more years and I can retire", "I often feel trapped", and "It really isn't what I want to do". Yes, some did say "I really like what I do", but what concerned me was there were people who did not want to be doing what they were doing. And it took very little on my part to cause these people to reveal they were unhappy with their jobs and with life generally: they had families and homes and things they needed to support but when they made the commute to work on Monday morning they did it with a heavy heart. .

Anecdotally it was obvious that the coming Monday morning already felt adverse. My dictionary says adversity is "something opposed to one's interest", and going to work at a job you don't enjoy for five days every week seems to fit this definition pretty well even if you are earning the income needed to maintain your family and home as well as a few perks in life.

This definition also highlights "one's interests" and this very well could be the source of much more personal happiness, especially on Monday mornings. When we know what our interests, what our passions are, a whole lot will fall into place if we really want it to.

It is our passion that brings us personal joy, bliss and fulfillment. Some of us know what our passion is right now and we want to explore it immediately, everyday. Others aren't so sure about their passion so here's a hint: take a day off and spend it remembering the wonderful things you loved to do when you were a child. There is much insight available through this simple exercise. If you can't find your passion the first time you take a day off, take a day off again, and again if you need to. Eventually you will start know your life passion and ultimately you will want to own it with all your heart.

Owning "your" life passion may take time as it involves transition and support: few of us can simply turn off the switch on the old ways and start anew. This transition and support ultimately comes from within and requires space and time: a strategy of downshifting, downsizing and downloading may provide a helpful internal path.

Downshifting assumes you are in a place where you don't want to be. Basically, it means moving from a high-pressure lifestyle to something more in tune with your person. It means letting go of what your ego has been dragging you into and accepting what your passion is all about. Downshifting is the simple magic that allows you to become who you are.

Downsizing is a hurdle, a lower one, but still a hurdle as we all have life styles to maintain, right? Our life partner, our children, even our pets have become accustomed to certain things as a requirement in life. How much of this is really necessary? A helpful downsizing benchmark is debt: the more you downsize creatively the less debt you have.

Downloading is similar to what we do with software and personal computers and involves new information for your personal operating system to use as we experience the joy, bliss and fulfillment of following our life passions. Downloading information sources seem limitless: books, poetry and therapy can all provide insight and wisdom. Some downloads are wonderfully free: a walk in a natural setting allows us meditative moods and space to think and find insight. Communication with your inner child, the most likely source of our passion, is a magnificent opportunity to download joyful energy into your personal operating system.

The round table function ended and each of us stood up to go our separate ways: some living their passion and some bracing for the adversity of Monday morning.

By Jim Pescott