Corporate enlightenment
14/09/2023 - sparked by a conversation
I have an interesting relationship with words. They have been part of my experience since I learned how to speak, and for a long time, I never thought deeply about them. Turns out that inwardly, in our heads, words can be treacherous if we do not see them for what they are. Having understood their true nature and their emptiness, I can distance myself from them and watch as the brain works and does its thing. The byproduct of this is that ultimately it would make no sense to make judgements about a word but I wanted to start by doing that nonetheless. I don’t like the word enlightenment. Besides the fact that it is a word (with all the reified baggage it carries), it describes a permanent state of bliss or self-knowledge, a “higher state” that seems to only be within reach for the wise figures or the spiritual monks. There is no such thing as enlightenment, but despite that fact, it remains a word that resonates with people when talking about “the place” we all want to reach.
I wanted to preface this text with the previous paragraph and start by reasserting that I do not claim to be “enlightened” and that despite being fond of the concept of Nirvana, I cannot claim that I am completely free of the afflictions of being human. With that said, we can move on.
The idea for this piece was started by something a friend said as we shared philosophical perspectives and delved into the similarities of the concept of emptiness with his idea around an infinitely all-absorbing “hole” in which everything can be broken down into smaller components. As I explained how I had come to the realization, I mentioned the things I had been doing at FLOWN (the company I work for): meditations, regular journalling, stream-of-consciousness sessions, walks in nature, intention setting, and deep work. He said: “Sounds like you are the first example of corporate enlightenment”. I chuckled. Not sure I had heard those two words put together before.
All these things were helping me be more productive at work and were key in allowing me to introspect way more frequently than I previously ever did. We also have this running theme of birds at FLOWN and strangely, observing these wonderful creatures became a newfound habit. Of course, there were many other factors along the way but I still think this shift of mentality set a great foundation. I would previously have said that I was proud of this but I am much more grateful to have changed the perspective to: “What is pride? Who is this “I” that is proud?”. The same goes for the “I am grateful” but I think no one needs convincing that gratefulness is probably a good one to have lingering in your mind.
I also wanted to leave at least one practical tip as I know these rambles can get hard to follow (I hope you forgive me). So, how is any of this useful? I’d say that being able to see thoughts for what they are not only massively increases your attention and your ability to focus. If you deeply understand that a consequence of the ineffable nature of the world is that the present is the only real thing, you will find it much easier to clear your head. With that, the mental energy you would previously spend in “being in your head” is freed up and can be harnessed to focus. I recently read a quote by James Clear that I thought would be relevant here:
“Arguably the most important skill is controlling your attention. This goes beyond merely avoiding distractions. The deeper skill is finding the highest and best use for your time, given what is important to you.”
I mostly agree with the above, but would go further. Applying this to your work is a great thing, but try to apply it to everything, all moments require attention to be fully experienced. And it is not my place to tell you what that experience is and even if I wanted to, I could never represent what I actually feel with words. So when you next look at something, just notice your brain “saying”: “Hey, that’s a THING, and it has properties of this THING.” Look beyond the label, by observing it and clearing it from your mind.
If you made it this far, I hope this text sparked some ideas in you. As always, thanks for reading! And please subscribe to the newsletter; it helps me be more accountable and pushes me to write more frequently.
I wrote this text during a virtual co-working session with FLOWN. I know it can sound weird to work in silence with others online but trust me, you’ll be surprised how effective it is.