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BUSINESS SPIRITUALITY 1 In the theory of Creation from Nothing(1) or sometimes creation from the primal void or chaos when those terms refer to essential non-existence. In ex nihilo myth, the god figure creates most often by thinking, speaking or breathing. Add to this the other creation myth of the Thinking Woman(1), also known as Thought Woman, she is the fertile underworld and projects her thoughts outward in creative acts of life-giving. For example, in business the Creation from Nothing is when starting a company from scratch, seeking business advice, the capital, communicating the business objectives to employees and shareholders. The Breathing comes when the company is moving into expansion, its recruitment policies and the economic roll-coaster of the stock exchanges and consumer markets. The 'Thinking Woman' becomes the crisis manager, negotiations and decision maker, she is the operations manager, the financial manager, because her underworld tackles the nitty-gritty of actually running a business. As there are metaphors of Gods in business and management(2) in most religious texts. For example like that of the gods of Parnassus as the four main types of business organization: Zeus, the entrepreneur; Apollo, god of order and bureaucracy; Athena, patroness of craftsmen; and Dionysus, worshipped by artists and professionals. And I'm sure there are other metaphors of Gods and Goddess, like the Latin name "Ops" which means the Goddess of Plenty and associated with power, strength and help, this is similiar to the Hindu Deity 'Laksmi' who's aspects is also for business opportunities. There are those deities who are involved in management and business in a spiritual way and others that could be named from many different cultures and areas of study. However, even in science fiction as another example of this concept, there is a spirituality which humans and business have in common besides the character of Spock in Star Trek saying "Live Long and Prosper", who had the logic to state knowledge combines society together in spirit that leads to prosperity. Its the businesses voyage to create something that not only lasts for others to benefit from, whether a person works in an organisation but its the creative and the innovation energy of finding new business opportunities to assist consumers manage their everyday lives, for each person has their ongoing spiritual journey to help themselves and their community prosper for: "....Business, the final frontier.....these are the continuing voyages of the company called Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new trade opportunities and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before...." However, please note it says "her ongoing mission" to "where no man has gone before", so women's place in business has a validity as the example of the Thinking Woman shows, as to the positions she holds in an organisation whether it be a member of the Boardroom, an investor, a manager, an employee, the cleaner, canteen staff or the postroom staff which ensures that its a workable environment for productive work to take place alongside the males in society, not at the back nor behind the scenes of a business society. For on this Earth is representative of all varieties of species and then some because "...Everything is sacred to us. The buildings, the food, the sky, the dirt beneath your feet...and you. Whether you believe in your spirit or not, we believe in it. you are a sacred person here....so if you are sacred, then you must treat yourself with respect to do otherwise is to descerate something that is holy. Our culture is rooted in the past, but its not limited to the past. The spirits of Klingon (business warrior or employees), the Vulcan (logic and manager), and Ferengi (CEO and Chairman) come to us just as the bear, the coyote and the parrot. There is no difference..." (TNG/ Journey's End). (3) As business continues in its spiritual journey to create wealth and re-invest this back into society and also the satisfaction of living and working amongst others who like the challenge business holds for them and re-invested via their families welfare for further creations of wealth for them. As the "Ministers on Wall Street" shows that even in the organised religion has a function to play in bringing awareness to their communities as stated by Gary Flowers "...ministers are uniquely positioned to educate members of [their] community out of debt and into productive investments..." (4)Not as others who claim to be squeamish about money matters because without business there would be no spirituality nor a building to those who say that prosperity and business companies in society is a "transitory, paltry thing" (4) because with the collection funds, giving alms or volunteering to charities, most of it comes from these very people who work for a living as historical texts show and even today....as to how and from whom the organised religions accumulation of its wealth was arrived at?Pages 1 of 2
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