I recently was listening to an interview of a spiritual leader who said that the reason we work is to meet people and live out our spiritual lives in relationship.

I think there is a lot of truth to that. When I stay at home and interact with only myself and my husband, it is fairly easy to live an internally peaceful life. It is when I begin to interact with others … In fact, I don’t need to physically meet people, all I need to do is drive in rush hour traffic to see my peaceful Higher Self spirit wear a little thin.

I think we all know it is difficult enough ­ here ­ in the Pathwork community to move forward on projects and respond with love and care when what we have so proudly accomplished meets resistance or disapproval. And here we all have the same underlying spiritual values.

So put us in an office, a hospital, a factory with people who essentially are strangers. All come with different backgrounds, different viewpoints on the world, different ways of handling or not handling conflict. Mix in a little transference and countertransference, a big dash of Lower Self and the strong desire to protect our Mask Self and, VOILA, depending on your tolerance for differences you are bound to have problems. And maybe the kind of problem that will keep you awake at night.

It takes courage and faith in the Pathwork process to hold ourselves open to those who hold completely different views culturally, religiously, politically.

If in fact the spiritual leader is correct ­ that the reason we work is to meet people and live out our faith in relationship, then it’s possible that we work with those who are so different from us so that we can change and grow, that our hearts will have the opportunity to open to others. Perhaps, we are given difficult situations at work, in our neighborhood, within our own families, within our Pathwork community, so we will finally call out to Spirit. So we will not rely only upon our own ego, our own intellect and skills, our own pathetic humanness. Maybe it is our difficulties in relationships that bring us to the point where we will call out, “Spirit, please help me.”

There is a great deal that could be said about this subject. But, the message really does boil down to something quite simple. Our work is always the same no matter if we are working at a deeply fulfilling job, a completely unfulfilling job, if we are a student, are retired, or unemployed.

Our work is this. Each day we wake and pray and/or hold the intention for the courage and willingness to have our hearts and our minds open to all those we meet. To allow the work of Spirit, our Higher Self, in our lives and to do it knowing there will inevitably be pain and disappointment. Our work with the guidance of Spirit is to bring love, justice, mercy to all our interactions.