What’s all the fuss about work? You scheme about it, dream about it, suffer through it, suffer for it, lie about it, cry about it, hope for it, act like it’s gonna save you, hide in it, hide from it, blame it for things you don’t want to take responsibility for, wrap your identity up in it, use it for status. Why is it such a big deal? I mean, really, seriously, who cares? A full-time employee spends 2000+ hours a year working; if you’re gonna spend that amount of time and energy on your business, don’t you think you oughta darn well like it?

I submit that your business can turn you on when you take a stand. Taking a stand changes everything.

Which begs the question: what does it mean to take a stand, and how do you do it?

Taking a stand = asserting your viewpoint, holding firm to your beliefs.

Be wholehearted. Be completely engaged in what you are doing. 100% submerge yourself in activities that feed you, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. If you are settling, stop. You have to stop. Take the time to discover what you truly enjoy and make that the bulk of what you do with your time. I’m not talking about following your bliss or your passion — I’m talking about being completely present with what you are doing, being truly engaged in what’s before you. And that’s gonna be hard to do when you don’t like what you’re doing.

Taking a stand changes everything.

Consider this quote from Anne Morris, found on the side of a Starbucks cup:

“The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating — in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”

On Being Wholehearted

David Whyte, author of Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity, offers this: “…the antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest… The antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness.”

Here’s what it looks like when you take a stand, commit to yourself, and be wholehearted. I have a client who told me he was living an 85% life, and while his life was good, he couldn’t get rid of the voice that kept wondering about the other 15%, specifically with regards to his work. He engaged in the inquiry and chose to retire from his job of 20 years to start a company with several friends. A big move? Yes. A bit scary? Yes. Actively investigating the other 15%? Yes. Wholehearted? You’d better believe it.

Side Effects

Taking a stand and being wholehearted means you stand up for your beliefs. You’re more engaged in what’s before you; you’re an active participant in your life. Having this level of commitment gives you freedom. Some side effects of this are:

• You have more motivation
• Life flows more easily
• You have more energy
• You think more clearly
• You feel more joy and gratitude
• You’re more creative
• You’re calmer
• You feel like you have more time and money (because you probably do)

Taking a stand changes everything. What will you take a stand for in your business today?