Jain Spirit 2002 06 No 11

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 45

Valuing Work
Rae Sikora addressing a workshop on Business Ethics Choices face us each day. They may throw away millions of aluminium yourself up for not having the work seem trivial but when you multiply the cans enough to build six thousand that reflects your values. Instead, choices each of us makes by six billion DC10 airplanes. Starting paper and lovingly look at caring possibilities for on the planet, they make a huge beverage container recycling programs the new directions your work could difference.
is not difficult if the responsibility is take. Sit with your family and together For those of us who work for shared.
create a vision of how you want your companies that are not founded on If there is going to be an event with lives to look. As you re-define wealth compassionate values, we have an food served, suggest that a vegetarian with your family, you will find that opportunity to look at how we show up choice be included or (depending on more choices are available to you in personally and how much we are the work environment) volunteer to be terms of career. You will find that willing to speak up about the actions of in charge of the food for events. You what you once defined as a 'need' gets the company as a whole.
can then have satisfying vegetarian re-defined as a 'want'. Soon many of Personally, we can have a huge food served. If you make choices from those 'wants' will be material things influence on the workplace by being the wide variety of ethnic foods now you can live without and your life will the genuine and caring examples of available, most people will love it. simplify to the point of allowing you to compassionate lifestyles. Bringing a Everything from the cleaning products choose where you work and how you wonderful vegan dish to a company to the office supplies can be looked at show up as an example to others. social event or just to share one at and shifted to more compassionate Remember how important your lunchtime can be an inviting way to choices.
voice is. Let it be heard at your introduce your choices to your co
The most important aspect of workplace. Let it be heard by being a workers. We do not have to fight for making the changes personally or on a living example of compassion. people to change. We simply have to larger scale in the workplace is to Without judging others, be the type of be the shining, inviting examples of come from a loving place. Be positive an inviting person and a positive possibilities.
and inviting when looking at the many influence that others want to follow. Beyond the personal, we can look
ways your workplace could become an You will be amazed at how even the at how much energy we are willing to example of compassionate living. You smallest pebble of change in the put into having our workplaces may even want to suggest a mission or workplace can cause huge ripples. become more and more of a reflection goal statement that could be of who we are. If there is no recycling incorporated into the workplace program at your workplace, you can standards. More and more companies Rae Sikora is Executive Director of establish one. Recycling may seem and organisations are analysing their The International Institute for Humane like a small thing. Once again, if positive or negative input on the Education and The Center for multiplied by the number of people on environment.
Compassionate Living in Surrey, the planet, it becomes a very important On a personal level it is important Maine USA. choice. In the U.S. alone, each year we to be gentle with yourself. Do not beat www.compassionateliving.org
June - August 2002. Jain Spirit
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