November 02, 2006
November 2, 2006
A Note from the Editor
Hello to All,
Welcome to this issue of The ART of Business newsletter and a big welcome to all the new subscribers. This week's feature article, "The Spiritual Side of Business," is a topic I know many people are passionate about but most are hesitant to talk about. I hope you enjoy it.
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The Spiritual Side of Business
The subject of religion is taboo in many circles--schools and government, for example--because it provokes so much controversy and it's such a personal matter. But even the most politically correct among us can't argue with the fact that certain Universal Laws are probably what prevents the human race from killing itself off (so far, anyway!).The Golden Rule, for instance, encourages us to "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." That seems fair enough, don't you think? And what about the Hippocratic oath that doctors must swear to uphold: "First, do no harm." Now there's a concept that could guide us all to conduct ourselves more civilly!
Now just because I happen to believe that "everything you do comes back to you" doesn't mean I'm a religious fanatic--it means I believe that whatever I'm giving out, I'm getting back in return. This is important not just from a humanitarian standpoint, but from a business standpoint as well.
You see, a long time ago I decided I was going to run my business according to a set of standards I based on my personal ethics, and, coming from the field of law, it wasn't hard for me to determine how I didn't want to behave. For one thing, I don't believe in taking advantage of people just because I can. I like being able to sleep at night, thanks.
Of course, I do put a value on my time and services, and I encourage you to do the same--it's only right that we're compensated fairly because that's what business is all about. However, compensation isn't always monetary, and that's where the spiritual side of business comes in.
Sometimes you do things, like volunteer work or mentoring, that doesn't pay in dollars, but it does pay off in other ways: personal gratification, for one, and positive word-of-mouth advertising that comes back to you in the form of business referrals.
Just yesterday I came across an article that talks about 'business karma' and the way I found the article was through a posting on a small business forum, where the poster was a long-time member who consistently offers excellent advice when other people post questions. He was asking people to read his article, which is in some sort of contest (here's the link to the original forum post so you can see what I'm talking about: http://www.small-business-forum.com/showthread.php?t=11878), and because I wanted to help this guy because he's helped so many others, I read his article like he asked.
This "full-circle" philosophy can go a long way toward helping you achieve business success. Like the article says, it might be a long and painfully slow process, but it does work, especially when you remind yourself to "keep the faith" as they say. Which basically means staying the course, taking focused action as necessary, and "doing the right thing." Being in service to others.
To me, that's not religious talk, it's good business sense, and it's what keeps me going day-to-day. And sleeping like a baby at night ;).
Oh, and speaking of babies, check out my "biker babe" daughter in her Halloween costume: Halloween pics.
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Wishing you all the best in your endeavors,
Angel Brown
www.womens-business-gallery.com
Copyright 2006 by Angel Brown. All rights reserved.
Published by the Womens Business Gallery, Woodland Park, Colorado