Faith and Healing: Healing Power of Meaningful Work

Healing Power of Meaningful Work

Statistics inform us that over 75 percent of people are dissatisfied with their jobs. A British Heart Foundation survey revealed that one-third of all adults and 40 percent of men believe that work is damaging to their health. Some reasons are social. Office relationships can be tense and competitive. Workers may dislike what they do or fail to feel a commitment to a particular job. The so-called "ladder of success" can make work stressful. Climbing that ladder can be intimidating to some, scary to others, objects of obsession to many, and the cause of maladies, physical and emotional.

The host of job-related symptoms are vast and wide-ranging: stomach pains, indigestion, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, headache, pseudo-carpal tunnel syndrome, back, neck and shoulder pain. Shortness of breath, chest pain, high blood pressure, and hyperventilation can be signs of anxiety triggered by a troubling workplace. Depression, phobias, and ill-founded fears are frequently triggered by career displeasure. Disrupted relationships at home, with friends, and even in the casual social interactions that occur day to day often originate in an unsatisfactory job environment.

"Work" is a good thing. It is the way in which we earn a living, yes. It is also the way that we use our physical and creative energies with purpose and meaning for ourselves and others. A spiritual approach to "work" will inform our understanding of what work is all about. This understanding can express itself in a healthier way of both working and living. Work is at the heart of the human experience. It is the context in which genius and discovery, music and art, literature and a betterment of the human condition have come into being. It is the way in which buildings are erected, infrastructures are built and maintained, and vital communal systems rendered hygienic and safe.

Spiritually, work can be considered as our participation in the ongoing process of God's work -- the striving to understand, interpret, or express to others the wonders of creation. Work is worthy endeavor. A famous aphorism in rabbinic literature emphasizes this point. "If you are planting a tree, and someone tells you 'The Messiah is here,' first go plant the tree, then go greet the Messiah."

Worthy work, human endeavor motivated by benevolence, is not something apart from our spiritual lives. What we do, our labor, is an integral part of our spirituality. It is as spiritual an undertaking as the person who prays all day. It is part of the foundation of our spiritual selves. Many people have never fully explored the special skills or abilities that they might possess. Discovering these concealed treasures can benefit others and make our work and our own lives not only more fulfilling but healthier as well.

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All of us have the power to make our jobs meaningful, no matter what we do. The choice is ours: what attitude, perspective do we bring to our workplace every day? Do we value our colleagues, coworkers, clients, customers, patients? Do we listen to them? Do we take the time to learn more about them? Are we grateful to have a job? Do we make a gratitude list and focus on what we have vs. what we don't have? By directing our thoughts, we can have a positive impact on the people and events around us, which brings meaning to our work, no matter what kind of work we do, and it enriches our daily life.

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Healing Power of Meaningful Work

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