Core Consciousness at IATL. @ Work

International Academy of Transformative Leadership (IATL) is a global leadership development organization created with the aim of transforming the workplace culture by developing Core Consciousness in leaders.  developing Core Consciousness at work with the aim of creating transformed leaders who are able to steer best-in-class, value driven and agile organizations. Keep revisiting this space in further editions of this publication for more insights on transforming the workplace environment and achieving your dreams at work. Founded in 2019 under the grace and guidance of Founder-Visionary Maitreya Dadashreeji, IATL has presence in India and Europe. 

THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS: MY WORK AND I

Each new year brings in new hopes and new resolutions. This year, let us turn the spotlight to a very important aspect of our life – our work.

For most of us, the work that we do is an integral part of our life. We work to either earn a living or to fulfil a dream or a deep desire. Almost inevitably, work consumes most of our waking hours. When we are not working, we often find that our mind space is occupied with thoughts about work. Consequently, it deeply influences our emotional, mental and physical state at any point of time. 

The question that begs to be answered therefore, is – What is my relationship with my work?

It is perhaps worth pondering over the following questions, to explore the true nature of this relationship:

  1. Is my body fit and able to do the work that I do, at all time? Do I have the required physical fitness to carry out my tasks and duties?
  2. Is my mind able to deal with the work pressure? How often do I feel agitated or disturbed? Am I able to consistently focus on my goals and objectives?
  3. How passionate am I about the work that I do? How connected am I with the others that I work with? Do I feel a sense of pride and belonging to the organisation that I am associated with?
  4. Do I sense that I am learning and growing through my work? Is there a sense of deep fulfilment from my work in spite of challenges at work?

We might want to spend some time with ourselves and give some thought to these questions. An authentic response from the heart brings to our awareness, WHAT IS, in the present moment and is therefore, the first step on the journey of transformation.

We might well ask at this point, why do I need to transform and how will I benefit from it?

So, let us take a moment to look at ourselves in a little more detail. There are 4 dimensions to our Self – 

  1. On the outermost level, we are made up of the Physical Dimension – our body – the vehicle through which we are able to execute our thoughts and take actions. 
  2. Next, we have the Mental Dimension – our thoughts and ideas, our intellectual and cognitive abilities that help us function.
  3. Deeper still, we have the Emotional Dimension – our feelings and emotions that drive our thoughts and actions
  4. The deepest aspect of our being is the Core. This is the inner most part of our being, our spiritual self. The Core is the seat of our Higher Self or our Inner Divine. 

While we are readily able to experience our physical dimension and to a limited extent, our mental and emotional dimensions, we have every little experience of our Core. For the most part, we are unable to access our Core and experience its power. The result is, we often feel emotionally unsettled which leads to mental disturbance and in extreme cases, emotional and mental breakdown or depression. This further impacts our physical health leading to life style diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiac diseases. A recent study by ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India) has shown that 42.5% employees in corporates suffer from mental health related issues followed closely by life style diseases.

For most of us, our access to our Core is intermittent. I am sure we have all been in situations where we have had our back against the wall. At such times, at our most vulnerable moment, we have found the power within ourselves to rise once again, and face the challenge squarely. This is a fitting example of tapping into the power of the Core. Being the seat of our Inner Divine, or our Inner Guide, the Core is the source of unlimited positive energy and Universal Wisdom. 

The Core is therefore called the Guidance Centre, its subtle voice guiding the mind, while the mind is called the Action Centre whose primary role is processing information, communication and execution of the guidance received.

When the Guidance Centre and the Action Centre are in complete sync with each other, we experience Synchronicity – a state where we experience complete internal freedom, harmony and flow.

In this state of Synchronicity, we can consciously access the energy of the Core to experience – 

  1. A sense of meaning and purpose in life and connected with one’s self and others
  2. Emotional balance, giving us access to higher decision making powers
  3. Calmness and stability of the mind resulting in clarity of thoughts and sharper cognitive abilities 
  4. A recharged and rejuvenated body that is fit and able to perform 

Being in the state of Synchronicity, impacts our work in the following ways – 

  • Higher Productivity and personal efficacy – through sharper focus, clarity of vision and result orientation.
  • Higher Flexibility and Resilience – the ability to deal with challenges and adapting to constant change with minimal effort
  • Seamless Collaborations – by nurturing strong bonds between one’s own self and others in the team 
  • Experience of Fulfilment – through a deep connect with meaningful work and the higher purpose of the organisation

Having taken the first step by developing awareness about ourselves and our relationship to our work, we can now assess of for ourselves if we are able to consistently experience Synchronicity and its benefits in our life. Armed with this awareness, we can work towards strengthening the bond between our mind and our core towards this higher state of Synchronicity. 

The simplest way of developing Synchronicity is by consciously connecting to our Core. Each of us have unique ways of connecting to their Core. Some connect by visualising their Inner Divine (in form or as the formless) within their Core while others connect by connecting with Nature. We need to explore, experiment and find our own unique way, that works for us, and makes us experience the calming yet powerful positive energy of the Core.