A meditation to honor you as gift in the workplace.
Let us begin with this quote.
Ask me whether what I have done is my life.
Written by William Stafford as quoted in Parker Palmer's book,
Let Your Life Speak.
Parker goes on to say,
Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it,
Listen for what it intends to do with you.
And now as we begin,
Find that perfect posture for this meditation.
And take a moment to become more comfortable,
To become aware of your breath,
And to take a few moments simply to breathe in and out in a smooth and natural way.
And now I invite you to begin to envision yourself throughout your work day.
A typical work day or one in particular that stands out in your mind.
Let yourself become present to that day.
Letting your mind's eye bring forth the setting,
The place your body remembers.
Allow yourself to recall the colors,
The smells,
Any features that come to you at this time.
And now take a moment to recall any particular client or even another staff member that is present during this day.
And again,
Breathing in and out as you bring these thoughts forward,
Begin to notice if you sense any tension or worry or fear,
Anger or any other emotions present when you recall this day.
If you do,
Simply acknowledge the presence of these feelings and then let them go.
Perhaps as you recall a certain day,
A certain client or family,
You have the profound remembrance of deep satisfaction or joy at being of service to another person who is in need.
Let yourself recall and remember why you do the work you do.
What are your reasons for being in this place at this time of your life?
How do you see yourself as important to the work that is carried out here?
Taking another nice breath,
Breathing in consciously,
Letting it go.
Allow yourself now to consider your own unique contributions,
The talents and gifts you bring on a daily basis.
Sometimes we may struggle with being aware of our own gifts and can see others' gifts more clearly than we see our own.
However,
It is important that we are able to claim our strengths simply and yet with clarity.
If you notice any resistance at all,
Either as your thoughts in your mind or as sensations in your body,
Again,
Simply acknowledge them and let them go.
And if you're imagining how you let them go,
This is simply a thought or a picture in your mind where you can take these thoughts.
Imagine that you place them in a box and close the lid for now.
Or some people might take the thoughts,
Imagine they're placing them on a cloud and watching the cloud gently float away.
Of course,
The point is freeing up that space inside your mind so that you can entertain new awareness,
New vision,
New clarity.
And again,
Breathing gently,
Consider any struggles or frustrations that you may have had with specific clients or even a coworker.
Consider any roadblocks you have experienced that you feel have kept you from being successful in achieving your mission or your goals,
Including ones you may hold for your own personal life's growth and development.
Again,
Realize that you are simply honoring the depth of your experience and not wallowing in your emotions.
You are giving them a voice and a forum to be heard and you experience a release of tension or perhaps receive clarity of vision for your next step.
And so let yourself listen to that deep place within you.
And as you take note of what you have heard or felt,
Take another few breaths gently and easily and then begin to bring yourself back,
Back into current time and this place,
Bringing any knowledge or wisdom with you.
Remember,
You may choose to continue to reflect on these ideas or words,
Feelings or emotions throughout the day.
You may even choose to write down some of your impressions in a journal.
And now,
Taking one last deep cleansing breath,
Go ahead and open your eyes.
Looking around in deep appreciation of this moment and your one precious life.
Thank you.
