Business is a Spiritual Game

Some say we have an economical problem. Than we have those who like to point their fingers towards the political establishment or put the blame on the current financial system. Add to the groups above those who regard social issues as the main culprit.

What if everything we face today stems from a spiritual level? What if business is more of a spiritual game than a money game?

Besides the game of life which I find exquisitely fascinating there are at least two more games I’m passionate about: one of them has to do with sports and the second one is the game of business.

According to our current definition of success, only those with lots of money and / or influence aka fame are considered winners in business.

Apparently they have cracked the code of the business game irrespective of the fact that they might feel lonely, worthless, depressed or burned out. The feelings and emotions of joy, bliss, passion, love, interconnectedness are neglected on purpose when one is lifted on the pedestal and declared a winner.

Power vs Force: An Act of Balance

Seldom do we hear about generational businesses who have started their endeavor hundreds of years ago and have passed on the knowledge and wisdom to the younger generation thus enabling them to run a meaningful family business.

With all the ups and downs, these businesses have proven to have stamina, grit, perseverance and a strong belief system. Through consistent work and understanding the importance of having individuals on the team who share the same vision, they have managed to weather the storm while bigger enterprises were crumbling or were forced to play the merger and acquisitions strategy in order to survive and continue to participate in the game.

Let’s take the field of agriculture for example:

I have not yet encountered a farmer who complains about being depressed or burned out unlike numerous employees and business owners in other industries.

This is not to say that farmers don’t face tremendous challenges such as harsh competition (think of all the agri-business that is run by a handful of corporations), price issues, harvest / crop failure, storage and delivery problems etc.

What I find mind-blowing about these family businesses is the fact that most of them stick to traditions, have a set of habits they rigorously incorporate in their daily lives, they share meals together and invest time into teaching their children what living a happy and joyous life on a farm is all about. Furthermore, the elderly are treated with respect and their wisdom and insights are welcomed and appreciated in the decision process.

Hustle, compete, push, work hard … and maybe one day success will knock on your doors. This is the language that best characterizes the current state of affairs in business.

This is force par excellence. And the direct effect (it’s not a side effect!) of this paradigm is displayed in the amount of mental health issues our society is bombarded with.

Force is hard, short sighted and comes with vast compromise.

Power is easy, provides long-term results and enriches those who’re guided by it.

Although power can be attained through sheer force, in this context I’m giving the term a different connotation.

Power is an inside job. It requires one to learn to quiet the mind and listen to the innate intelligence that will help us navigate in business and ultimately in life more seamlessly. That state of flow can be attained by all of us; no one is so special to be excluded from it.

Is Business a Spiritual Game?

We don’t need to have some mystical experiences, meditate for several years or go live like a monk in a hidden monastery in the Far East to understand the underlying principles that govern the third dimension aka this physical realm of space-time we live in.

If you let the program run your life, you will do business and play the game like most people do.

This translates to applying force and wondering why you eventually ended up with a highly profitable company, a wallet full of money, a beautiful house, several cars, a loving family while feeling empty inside.

According to the modern definition of success, you ticked all boxes. On the outside you shine and are celebrated as a successful individual, however on the inside you feel like a total failure.

On a spiritual plain, this is called “awakening”.

Therefore, I’ll leave you with the following question:

How do YOU play the game of business?

You might also like this blog post: When Business Meets Spirituality

Image via Midjourney

Originally published on my blog at StrengthInBusiness.com