A few years ago I was talking with friend Christopher West (of theology of the body fame) about where I was at in ministry and in life. He had been drawn to Pope John Paul II's framework for sexuality and was working on another book. His advice was simple, "Find your thing and then do it really well."The conversation haunted me until this past year, when I shifted the focus of The Daily Saint from productivity to the spirituality of work. I was very hesitant because I knew that the niche for productivity was vast but the spirituality of work... not quite so popular. Quite simply, there are only a handful of folks who have made a point of spiritualizing work.
This bothered me and after much prayer and discussion with my wife, I left thousands of RSS subscriptions behind and started from scratch. I've never regretted it because I feel drawn to this and see the need. Every year when I attend Mass on Labor Day weekend and don't hear the priest talk about work as sacred, it only motivates me more. So what's my strategy?
- Shift blog post focuses. While I am passionate about productivity (and yes, we still discuss it), I've tailored my articles to more overtly spiritual themes. So far, the response has been very positive.
- Add a "tips" section to the blog. You should check it out!
- Expand "examples" section of the blog. Now you'll read about realtors, bloggers and venture capitalists who are living their faith every day.
- Network with others in the field. No one has done more for the spirituality of work than Margaret Benefiel. With her inspiration and an outstretched arm to others with similar interest, a grassroots network is now emerging. Care to join? Email me at mike@thedailysaint.com.
- Use Twitter as a tool for evangelism. Why not follow me today? @thedailysaint
- Provide workshops on the spirituality of work. I'll be at the Diocese of Metuchen in November and talking about productivity as a spiritual task.
So what's the goal of all of this? To help more people engage in their work as a spiritual task. After all, that's how people change the world. One to-do list at a time.
If you enjoy The Daily Saint, consider subscribing via RSS or email. You may also want to join the conversation via Twitter: @thedailysaint
*photo by ElFrijole