I LOVE to Work!

by | May 4, 2015

Last night I had dinner with a sorority sister from college. I last saw her three decades ago. Timeless connection is stunning. She looked, walked, talked, and moved the same: gorgeous, bubbly, slender, radiant. In her sharing, one clear sentence after another, she blurted, “I LOVE to work!” Then it hit me. She’s effervescent! Radiating her love of Life. She had continued in her studious way: a nerd, a bookworm. I recall her as academic (art and design projects kept her working late at night for deadlines in college), but mostly what I remember is her passion for our sorority, her impact as a campus leader, her talents easily expressed. Then it hit me again. She’s living in her genius. This looks and feels fabulous.

Lest you begin to think fabulous happens with an easy, picture-perfect life, think again. She has also weathered the waves and storms of all ordinary beings. Divorce after a 20-year marriage to singly raise a beautiful daughter in high school years, unemployment in our most recent recession, a sadistic boss, and everything else we all navigate once leaving the safety of an academic institution. Dreams and beliefs get shattered. Yet, I sat across from a sage woman. Ageless, yet wiser. I recognized that she is living in her genius.

Genius is the intersection of Impact, Skills and Passion.

Genius

Passion is any activity that generates unceasing energy. When you are engaged this way, you feel more alive and connected. Skills are the activities that produce mastery level output. This means that you are able to consistently generate superior results – and it is easy for you. Impact is any activity that makes an impeccable contribution to an organization, to others, to society, to the planet – to any situation or area of existence. Contribution means that there is a benefit not only to yourself, but to the collective.

Do you notice how the body offers a response for inquiry to each area? In fact, we must access the body to gain accurate answers rather than conceptual hopes. What does unceasing energy feel like to you, in your body? What does ease feel like to you, in your body? What does contribution (generosity) feel like to you, in your body? While on the subject of body, let’s connect my genius 🙂 inspiration, Somatic Financeâ„¢.

Somatic Financeâ„¢ saturates our work in the world. We receive compensation (financial exchange) for our body energy (somatic presence). When you live (work and play) in genius, there is a good chance that your financial rewards will be higher, not always. But even more compelling and enriching, is that genius living expands the wealth in your life – greater joy, vibrant health, sweeter relationships, deeper meaning, more love.

Being with my college friend was a boost to inspiration.

It has been a while since I have witnessed the full Monty. I know very few people who consistently and impartially locate their activities at the center of this illustration. I am inspired by my training with Kathlyn Hendricks, who holds an unwavering intention to be in her genius 100% of the time and catalyze others to do the same. I sustained this intention too for a long while and I manifested this reality. Then, something happened. Right now in my work I’d say I’m at 60% genius play – not passing – also not judging. 🙂

As we grow, our activities shift to meet the evolutionary capacity arising through our development. Our work and activities don’t always continue to mirror our expansion. Then, we pause, reflect and recognize: wait a minute, this is not as much fun anymore. My skills have expanded to different areas. My energy is wavering. My impact is not reaching the target. OK. This is the moment to pause, reflect and recognize.

Many colleagues in my financial profession seem to be in that space. What was once a compelling career filled with service, competency and meaning has shifted to new demands that don’t always align with what is best for the client. Regulations – meant to protect clients – are facsimiles of care. When the huge financial institutions can lobby and pay their way out of holding the client’s interest first (embodying fiduciary), that’s a problem. The debate and controversy is ongoing and too much to continue here. But there are ways in the world, in evolutionary space, that cause us to shift gears. When the effort becomes excessive, here, we must stop and pay attention.

Then I read about the culture of 20- and 30-year olds living in Silicon Valley who occupy most of their free time (which doesn’t seem to be much) online, interacting with a computer. (See “Be Moved”). I am asking: Is this playing in genius? Perhaps I don’t get out much, or I’m not plugged into the current cyber scene, but I don’t see effervescence when I am working on my laptop. I don’t see it in others when they work on theirs.

In order to Live in genius, and catalyze others to do the same, we connect and engage with others. Our hearts ripple a vibrant energy to other beings. Passion, skills and impact are at the heart of being human, all humans.

Can you say, I LOVE to work? If so, are you inspiring others to LOVE to work? If not, what’s the area of your work in the Genius diagram that wants attention, skills, passion or impact? I am sensing this question right now and I already feel my percentage of living in genius moving up a few points.

Claiming the Love of Work & Play & Leisure & Life,
Gayle