How to Create Meaning in Your Work and Life: Be Open, Be Confused, Become Clear
The views in these newsletters are from my own experiences and learnings and are focused on practical insights and actionable tips for creating meaning and purpose in work & life.
Over the past 15 years, I have been on a personal and spiritual development journey (it really started when I was 27 but in earnest at the age of 45). In this past year, I’ve been in Wisdom School and I have learned many fascinating tools, methods, and deep insights that I’d like to share with those that are open. I wish I would have learned these insights much earlier in my life. Over the next few months, I will use this LinkedIn Newsletter format to share, take what resonates with you and leave the rest. Enjoy the journey. I have.
BE OPEN:
“Search and you will find.” It is said in the Nag Hammadi “Gospel of Thomas” that once you start the journey you will finish it. When you find you will be confused or troubled. Then you will be marveled, lastly, you be rest in wonder at the synergy and oneness. I have found this to be true.
Are you open? I have found that many of my clients are open to new possibilities, learnings, and skills when they hit a vulnerable patch — going through life changes and in mid-life, around 45 years of age.
This is the year that I returned to college and gained a master of arts degree in human development and interdisciplinary studies from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. This program changed me for good. My wise sages, including Dean Dr. Priscilla Herbison, guided, advised, and asked me questions that activated my soul which led to unlocking my life’s meaning and purpose.
My opening began when I lost two jobs in 24 months at Carlson Marketing and Learning Strategies during the downturn in 2008 (there is always an opening, watch for it and embrace it). I was blessed to be assigned to my career coach and wise sage, Patricia Berg, who asked me two questions that changed the direction of my life. So I ask you these questions:
- Are you self-aware? Self-awareness is the ability to understand yourself and how your actions, thoughts, and emotions do or don’t align with your values and beliefs, and being. If you’re self-aware, you can neutrally evaluate yourself, manage your emotions, align your behavior with your values, and understand correctly how others perceive you.
I didn’t even know what Patricia meant when she asked me if I was self-aware, however, I was open to learning more. That’s when my journey to search for a meaningful and purposeful life and work began.
2. What are people coming to you for? This question stopped me in my tracks. Because it’s a question that requires internal discernment of your interior life. Many questions including — what people think of you, and what do you desire — are more characteristic and attribute or skill-based questions from your exterior life.
This question “what do people come to you for” is a heart/soul-based question. So, when I stopped to reflect on this question I realized that as I was serving in roles that created visions for new wellness and innovation products and managing cross-functional global teams, my colleagues were actually seeking me out for spiritual and career development questions and coaching.
So here is the process I created for myself that may help you:
Be Open Step 1: STOP. Yes, just stop doing, stop running, and stop thinking.
Be open to asking, listening, and gathering insights about yourself from friends, colleagues, loved ones. In order for me to stop I had to get away.
I traveled to The Omega Institute Blue Spirit Resort in Costa Rica and attended a women’s retreat. The facilitator gave me one assignment for 10 days I couldn’t help anyone or say thank you. You see she could tell by our first meeting that I was an ‘over giver’. Over giving is a cause of burnout and I see it in many of my clients (there is actually a syndrome called the human giver syndrome).
Over the next 10 days, I learned tools to stop over-giving which I practice today. One includes my approach to setting boundaries. For instance, I choose to take charge of my schedule, that’s why I take phone calls between 7:33–8:33 am to manage my time and not to over-give.
I also studied with Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of The Four Agreements and Mastery of Love. I practice his methods for loving myself daily and these have helped guide me in my development.
In addition, I worked with Deepak Chopra on his STOP method which has helped me in many situations. You know when you have those pesky reoccurring thoughts. He teaches us to access the higher biological responses and move beyond mere reactions to simply:
- Stop what we’re doing.
- Take some deep breaths.
- Observe how the body feels and where we feel those feelings.
- Proceed with kindness and compassion.
By taking a moment to assess the situation and become aware we are better able to confront our inner situation and make more compassionate to ourselves and others and make more conscious choices.
ACTIONS: Take a time out. Stay open. Ask questions from your soul. Listen from your heart. Stay neutral to the messages. Don’t take anything personally. Meditate. Learn to breathe again.
RESOURCES: Breath Logic Finding Space to Lead Meditations The Four Agreements
Burnout Deepak Chopra STOP Method
Be Open Step 2: CLEAR. Do you need all the stuff/thoughts you have? Clear away what you don’t need. The stuff has an energy that may be blocking you. Sometimes stuff overwhelms your thoughts, rooms, space.
The first thing I did after I lost my job was to hire a feng shui consultant to help me clear the stuff and energy from my office area. With just a few small changes, adding color, rearranging some items, and clearing the space I felt a sense of peace. Within 1 minute after the consultant left my home, I received a call for a job.
FENG SHUI RESOURCES: Carol Hyder, Carolyn Vinup
BE CONFUSED:
When you have gone through the first steps to be open and clear you may become confused. You may realize the values and beliefs that you were holding on to don’t resonate with you anymore. This was very concerning for me so I met with friends who had worked through the process.
You may find that the friends and relationships that you’ve had start falling away. Conversations with people aren’t interesting anymore because they may be focused on people, events, and things, which may not be meaningful. You may realize that your work isn’t satisfying, you aren’t feeling significant, passionate, or maybe you feel like what you’re doing doesn’t matter. This is all normal.
I have created the “Paradigm Belief Model™” to help clients clarify their current beliefs and match them against their values and skills to see where they’ve been, where they are now, and where they want to go.
Read my LinkedIn Article and take the 5 question assessment which might help you determine what your limiting beliefs are.
ACTIONS: Once you’re confused you must keep searching. Continue to be open, take more time off, rest, ask more questions, set up informational interviews, shadow people doing what you’d like to do, take classes, learn skills, assess your values and beliefs, and just be with the confusion.
RESOURCES: See the hot links in the paragraphs above and share your own in the comments below.
BECOME CLEAR:
In the feng shui model, there are 4 quadrants Spirituality, Relationships, Success, Health and Well-being to a full life. I like to break these quadrants apart and work on one at a time. I set clear intentions in each quadrant annually, monthly, and daily.
For example, a career is in the Success quadrant. When I was unemployed, I recalled taking a resume workshop that my dear colleague Irene was teaching and I said to myself “I can do that.” Have you ever had that experience?
At that moment I shifted from thinking that I needed to find another VP Marketing and Product Development job to transitioning my career to helping people find meaning and purpose in theirs. And by learning new skills like how to write a resume and teaching people how to use LinkedIn, coach on portfolio careers, interviewing, etc. I transitioned to my calling as a Career Coach and LinkedIn Strategist, and not just a new job. And Irene was my mentor and believed in me.
I was watching a 60 Minutes interview with Rita Moreno and her life changed when she said out loud “I can do that”, while at a concert watching Liza Minnelli sing. That experience started her successful singing career.
When have you said to yourself “I can do that?” When has someone else said to you — “you can do that?” Often that’s a surprise moment.
ACTIONS: Reflect on the “I can do that moments” in your life. When did you say that to yourself? What do you realize? Have you acted on that message?
RESOURCES: The Power of Surprise
In the next newsletters, I will be sharing insights, tips, and models that have helped me in the process to become clear, which may help you. Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t. Thank you for doing your work. If you liked this newsletter please connect, subscribe, share, comment, or reach out to me at anne@pryority.com.
Blessings and Joy,
Anne
Lovitude Soul Painter, Personal/Spiritual Development Coach, and LinkedIn Expert
Anne Pryor is the creator of Lovitude™ a Soul Painter, and a LinkedIn Expert. As a recognized top international LinkedIn Authority, she motivates audiences to action during her presentations on bringing your brand to life, sharing best tips and techniques for creating branded and search engine optimized LinkedIn profiles for thought leaders, sales, and business professionals to achieve their goals.
LinkedIn Keynote speaker presentations include the National Association of Black Journalists, Project Management Institute, WBL, American Marketing Association, ACG, University of South Florida Black Students Association, Toyota Sponsored NABJ Inaugural Leadership Forum, GenesysWorks, Minnesota Officenters, and hundreds of corporate, community, government events, and meetings.
As the creator of Lovitude and a Soul Painter, her paintings have been called ‘visual blessings and are hanging in Mayo Clinic, a Pulitzer Prize Winner’s home, in galleries and licensed on products sold globally. She was a featured guest on the Hallmark Channel Home & Family Show, a keynote speaker at The Shift Network, and the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS), viewed by millions of people. She has presented at Mayo Clinic, Cargill, HGM CIO Forums, for corporate events, and demonstrates both online and in-person meetings.
She also motivates audiences by sharing “How to Trust Messages for Real-World Transformation”. She was inspired through after-death communications (ADC) with her friend to create vivid images to elucidate, awaken, and activate souls using ink, her breath, and essential oils, on plastic. Anne was not an artist before these messages. During her presentations, she paints live for audiences and they are moved and in awe by the colorful and meaningful messages that she receives from the audience’s energy.
Lovitude images are available for licensing. Images grace products sold globally and proceeds go to charity. #personalmeaning #personaldevelopment #spiritualdevelopment
Buy Lovitude Products at Zazzle
Order Best Selling Story When Paradise Speaks by Rise Severson Kasmirski
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LinkedIn Expert, Sales Trainer, Speaker, Lovitude® Soul Painter, Personal Meaning™ Coach 🟣 Create Meaningful Work & Life 🟣 Build LinkedIn Presence & Strategies to Look Great, Be Found & Get Known for Purposeful Work
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In the next newsletters, I will be sharing insights, tips, and models that have helped me in the process to become clear, which may help you. Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t. Thank you for doing your work. If you liked this newsletter please connect, subscribe, share, comment, or reach out to me at anne@pryority.com.
Enjoy the lessons, they lead to wisdom,
Anne
P.S. Watch for our new 7-part series on The Shift Network on “Accessing Spiritual Messages for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation”, with Risë Severson Kasmirski and me starting Tuesdays April 12, through May 31, 2022 (cost is $297 for all 7 sessions, registration info coming early March).
Anne Pryor is the creator of Lovitude™ a Soul Painter, and a LinkedIn Expert. As a recognized top international LinkedIn Authority, she motivates audiences to action during her presentation sharing best tips and techniques for creating branded and search engine optimized LinkedIn profiles for thought leaders, sales, business professionals, and job seekers to achieve their goals.
LinkedIn Keynote speaker presentations include the National Association of Black Journalists, Project Management Institute, WBL, American Marketing Association, ACG, University of South Florida Black Students Association, Toyota Sponsored NABJ Inaugural Leadership Forum, GenesysWorks, Officenters, and hundreds of corporate, community, government events, and meetings.
As the creator of Lovitude and a Soul Painter, her paintings have been called ‘visual blessings and are hanging in Mayo Clinic, a Pulitzer Prize Winner’s home, in galleries and licensed on products sold globally. She was a featured guest on the Hallmark Channel Home & Family Show, a keynote speaker and faculty on The Shift Network, and presenter at the International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS). She has presented at Mayo Clinic, Cargill, HGM CIO Forums, for corporate events, and demonstrates both online and in-person meetings.
She also motivates audiences by sharing “How to Access and Trust Spiritual Messages for Creativity, Healing, and Real-World Transformation”. She was inspired through after-death communications (ADC) with her friend to create vivid images to elucidate, awaken, and activate souls using ink, her breath, and essential oils, on plastic. Anne was not an artist before these messages, she now has 3,500 soul paintings. During her presentations, she paints live for audiences and they are moved and in awe by the colorful and meaningful messages that she receives from the audience’s energy. Lovitude images are available for licensing. Images grace products sold globally and proceeds go to charity.
LOVITUDE SOUL PAINTER
When Paradise Speaks Book about Lovitude
Anne Pryor Lovitude Soul Painter on Hallmark Channel
Buy Lovitude Products at Zazzle
Order Best Selling Story When Paradise Speaks by Rise Severson Kasmirski
LINKEDIN SALES TRAINER AND COACH
Anne Pryor Keynote Speakers Bio
Free Lovitude LinkedIn Backgrounds
Resources:
The highlighted areas of the text are links to authors, videos, books, and resources. In addition, here is a list of resources that I call upon to guide and advise me:
List of Books compiled by Bill Guggenheim, Anne Pryor and Rise Kasmirski
Echo Bodine, Global Author, Medium, Spiritual Teacher, Speaker
Wes Hamilton, Master Numerologist, Speaker
Lori Palm, Creator Core Passion, Purpose Coach
Gina Lake, Author, Channel for Jesus
Carol Lowell, Psychic, Medium, Spiritual Healer
Suzanne Giesemann, Evidential Medium, Master Teacher
Rise Severson Kasmirski, M.A., Mystic, Author, Teacher, Certified Coach, Speaker
Anne Pryor, M.A., Lovitude Soul Painting, Teacher, LinkedIn Expert, Speaker
Kelly and Steve Wagner, Publishers of The Edge Magazine
Carolyn Vinup, Gateways to Brilliance, Fung Shui Teacher, Sound Healer
Catherine Duncan, Integrative Spiritual Consultant
Carole Hyder, Fung Shui Master
Louise Griffith, Author, Psychologist, Keynote Speaker, Coach
