"Want some new ways to deal with 'ego' at work?"

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Transforming Problems at Work:
Working with Spirit, Engaging with Ego

A full-day workshop with Eric Hellman

Many of us aspire to bring more spirit into work; to work with more passion, purpose, fulfillment and meaning. Yet frequently something seems to block us – from others or inside ourselves. When that “ego” arises, it can come in many forms: attack or negativity, fear or anxiety, resistance or rejection, criticism or self suppression...

In this workshop, we’ll explore how the ego shows up at work, both in ourselves and those around us. You’ll learn practical ways to deal with it. And how to "bring more spirit in," in real work situations. It begins with a subtle, yet fundamental shift in the way we think, see and act – that brings more caring, connection & effectiveness into our work & organizations, and healing into our world.

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Eric Hellman has been practicing "spirit at work" for close to 30 years. He's also faced his own major challenges with ego, about expressing his spiritual work in public.


Eric is a communications & project consultant, coach and writer whose work includes: Co-coordinating the first Spirituality & Sustainability Roundtable at a UN World Urban Forum; Designing, marketing & communicating events & projects (including World Peace Day at Expo 86, and the first Spirituality at Work conference in Toronto); Co-managing a small office services company; Consulting writer for Leadership from Within (Canadian bestselling book) and The Power of Choice: Dealing with Unwanted Habits & All Addictions (forthcoming); Author of Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet, a mini-book about his own experiences; and Co-founder of the first Blue Box recycling program & the Recycling Council of Ontario.


His primary work focus is helping people more fully express their own spirituality, and applying spiritual and healing principles at work.


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Background
Have you ever noticed the signs of ego at work?
- people not supporting you
- negativity around you
- the same types of problems keep showing up
- perfectionism, procrastination, or fear of failure
- fear of promoting yourself & your work
- anger, conflict or criticism
- circumstances seem to keep blocking you
- you suppress your gifts and talents
- people boast or inflate themselves to impress/look better to others
- not communicating fully, openly, honestly, effectively
- too much focus on self, while not considering others’ interests
- people trying to take/get more than they give
- not fully listening to others (or ourselves)
- ignoring or not paying attention to our own needs, feelings
- working mostly ‘for the money,’ and not at what brings joy and fulfillment
- we don’t know what we really love to do any more
- getting lost in the busyness of work
- forgetting what’s most important to us
- holding back our vision or passion
- hiding our issues or not asking for help
- denying or projecting issues onto others...


Everyone experiences these kinds of issues; it’s part of human nature. Yet most often, we try to ignore them and hope they'll go away. We blame others as the problem. Or we keep them to ourselves – rather than talk about our issues with others, so we understand them better, see we’re not alone, and share ideas and support on how to deal with them.


Shifting from ego to spirit, from our separate self to our connection with others, is a key shift in the consciousness change we seek to make work better and heal our world. But how do we do this? Why are we so hard on ourselves, or so reluctant to move from “fear to love”? Why do unconscious patterns keep coming up to stifle our expression, creativity and well being? These are some of the many questions we’ll consider in this workshop.


Overview
One of the most significant discoveries of my life is that there is an aspect of our mind/self that continually works against our own best interests. Called “ego” by some, it shows up in many different ways:
- When we experience negativity or a lack of support from others, we do the same to ourselves
- We focus so much on making a living that we neglect to “have a life”
- In the busyness of work, we often forget what’s most important and put aside our values
- We get hooked into win-lose behaviour, criticizing others or putting ourselves down
- We say we want more “love” in life, yet fail to bring it into our work
- We often tell ourselves that people won’t accept us as we really are
- We focus on self interest, instead of shared interests, and limit our greater good.



In the way I'm using it here, "the ego" is the voice, self or mindset that blocks the experience of “God within” – the awareness and expression of love, peace, forgiveness, compassion, power and joy which comes from our true Self. Sometimes it shows up in others; sometimes from within us. But wherever it comes from, it can stop us in our tracks and block us from being fully ourselves.


It’s easy to simply say “that’s life” or “it’s just business,” and hope that someday it will change. But without noticing the patterns, and understanding how our thoughts/choices fuel them, change is unlikely. And without sharing our experiences with others, we don’t create the support needed for mutual change.


Content
In this workshop, we’ll explore “ego and spirit” in real work applications – from communicating & marketing, to what products & services we offer, serving others, listening to clients’ needs, hiring, managing & leading, conflict, money, doing what we hate & love, connecting professional & personal interests, and putting our own work into the world.


We’ll also create a safe space to:
- explore how ego-thinking permeates our work/world
- acknowledge our challenges and imperfections
- accept/forgive ourselves, and others
- consider what kinds of actions are needed for fundamental change
- take practical steps to shift our thinking and behaviour, and
- help each other, and take small steps to grow our “magnificent lives.”



For More Information: 
call 416-233-8665