Spirituality @ Work Dialogue

What Does It Mean To Be "Spiritually Successful" In the Workplace?

Here is a reflection on three spiritually successful women by Cyberspacer Nancy Biancalana-Kerstein:

Dr. Kris Adachi-Crawford comes to mind in the context of spiritually successful women. Kris is an otolaryngology surgeon at three hospitals in Oahu, Hawaii. Her field was dominated by men, and fierce competition at Stanford Medical School was a challenge that she greeted with open arms. She is the first woman ENT surgeon in Hawaii. Her success is a direct result of her Christian values. Her integrity and respect for each one of her patients make her the most sought after otolarygologist on the island. Dr. Adachi is married and has a two year old daughter.

Chris Wieczorek-Baxter, an alderwoman for West Chicago, Illinois, is one of the most spiritually successful women I know. Although she makes little money at this position, she has an innate sense of justice. What makes her so successful is her ability to do the right thing with great faith. Chris was a member of the TAG team in the late '80s. The Thorium Action Group fought a major corporation and won the battle to remove thorium from their West Chicago neighborhood. Standing up for her beliefs is easy for Chris because of her deep faith in God.

Dawn Brandon-Williams is married with five beautiful children. I was a member of her anti-pollution club in grammar school. Dawn is connected to nature like Shakespeare was connected words. Her love of family was modeled by her mother. Her intense commitment to community was demonstrated by her father, who ran the Chicago Boys & Girls Club. Dawn's commitment to her husband, a physical education teacher/part-time fireman and dedicated husband of almost 23 years, contributes to her spiritual success. Dawn is a self-employed landscape architect. Each potential client is treated with respect. One can sense the love and dedication that is poured into each and every detailed design Dawn completes.

Patrick Jurd of Australia adds these thoughts:

It's really easy to get sucked in to the idea that success is money or status or power. I'm a campus minister at an all boys Catholic high school. I know I'm a success when you can hear a pin drop during a liturgy, when what I say really hits the mark. But in the end I know it's not me - it's the Holy Spirit. I'm in a vocation where I'm a success when I let it all go and act as a conduit for God.

I love a lot of contemporary music - it's a good meeting point with young people. When a young man told me last year that a song I'd played in class made him look with completely new eyes at a relationship and a break-up - I was blown away! That is success!

Professor Huber has these nominations:

I think success is doing as much work for God and neighbor as one has strength, brains and education for. I would nominate Cardinal Newman, who wrote on his last day of life, and Dorothy Day, who carried on her column long after she couldn't do much physically. And maybe Howard Hughes, whom my spouse remembers because of the eccentric's pride in "making jobs for people." All are outside corporate America, although I did read of one exec. who insisted on living simply and buying his suits at J.C.Penney despite living in a Brooks Brothers milieu.

Ron Sneary contributes the following:

I use to think that success was measured by what you had and how much you had. Unfortunately this is the way the world thinks, but in the last several years I have come to think otherwise.

I'm going to borrow a line from a Franciscan Monk, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, in which he quoted his mother…."We are not called to success, we are called to fidelity." This is what I have tried to use as my way of measuring my successes since I first heard that line from a talk he was giving on defending the faith in 1998. It has humbled me immensely. I have found that since I started looking at my fidelity toward my Catholic faith, my marriage, my family life and my job in place of the word success; Life and how successful I am has taken on all new meaning.

My example of a "spiritually successful at work" person is my former boss and mentor, Larry Hausmann. Larry embodied integrity, honesty and compassion in all that he did as well as patience. His goal was not the all mighty dollar or the top seat in the company, his goal from my prospective was one of service to not only the people above him but also the people under his authority; And because of his fidelity to that embodiment he was very successful in all that he accomplished.

The word "success" is a fleeting word that carries many interpretations. I prefer the word "fidelity." It is steadfast, firm and straightforward.