I saw an interesting article the other day in OM Times by Simone Milasas. She talked about the fact that we are all entrepreneurs because we all ran a business - our life is our business. It was an interesting concept. If I ran my life like a business, what business principles could I apply to my life?
First and foremost, I believe that a business that thrives, rather than just survives, knows that their employees are their most important assets and treats them accordingly. That would mean that in order for my business (my life) to thrive, I would need to treat myself with respect, dignity and gratitude for the work I do every day, and be understanding when I'm having a bad day or things don't work out the way I want them to. I would want my boss (me) to help me to feel inspired and encourage me to stretch myself beyond my comfort zones, to reach for new ideas and possibilities.
Second, I would want my employees to be in good shape. An employee who is tired or stressed all the time is not going to be able to give me their best. I would make sure that I am well rested, make healthy eating choices that fuel me rather than deplete me, and I would make sure to get up from the desk and move more often, even to making sure I get some extended exercise during the day.
Third, in order to do my best, I would make time every day for meditation, contemplation, and nourishing my spirit. All of my inspiration and creativity comes from spirit, and spending time in nature, or in meditation, or both, keeps me focused and on task. Spending time in my garden before or after work, or even meditating outside when weather permits, is like fueling a car with high test - it gets those creative juices flowing!
Come to think of it, I would need a really spiffy name for my business. Let's see, Barb's Life is okay but not very catchy. How about ... Flower Bear's Garden: Planting A Life? Perfect!
Happy Labor Day!
And so it is.
