This Spiritual Work Gets the Prize in Dealing with Anxiety and Stress at Work
We've discussed how prayer and meditation can help us deal with anxiety and stress at work. It's time to consider reading good spiritual works - one in particular.
As with our prayer and meditation, you don't have to read spiritual works on the job. But you may find that the habit of reading spiritual works - like the habit of prayer and the habit of meditation - will help you deal with anxiety and stress when they stick their noses under the tent while you're slaving away on the job. Our Holy Catholic Church has been blessed with solid spiritual works throughout it's history, so where to begin? Well, we won't even attempt to provide a list or survey here. But there is one whose very title gets right to the point: Abandonment to Divine Providence.
Father Jean Pierre de Caussade authored this wonderful collection of spiritual counsel in the 18th century. Much of it consists of specific instruction and letters written to his spiritual charges - frequently nuns. So, yeah, it's that old and it's not written for us men plying our trade in the modern world. But with a little patience, attention, and imagination, you'll find it provides advice specifically applicable to whatever sort of work you do.
In this letter, Father describes his own response to an assignment he was recently given. He didn't want the job, but had to take it. Worse, it seems neither his experience, knowledge, or skills was up to the task - or at least he thought so at first. Simply put, he was stressed out.
If we take our time with this, we'll see why he could easily be in a state of anxiety and stress. we'll also see exactly why he's not. And the reason he's not anxious or stressed out will provide each of us with a way to better handle the anxiety and stress we face at times, not only at work, but in any circumstance of our lives. The title contains the theme of the letter : Peace in Turmoil. (The use of bold is mine.)
What I have always feared has come to pass. I have no power to refuse a charge that is contrary to all my predilections and for which I do not believe myself to have any aptitude. In vain have I groaned, prayed, implored, and offered to remain all my life in the vicariate of Toulouse: I have been compelled to make the sacrifice—one of the greatest of my whole life. But now I see plainly the hand of Providence. The sacrifice having been made and reiterated a hundred times God has taken from me all my former repugnance, so that I left the mother-house, which you know how much I loved, with a peace and liberty of spirit which astonished even myself. More still! When I arrived at Perpignan I found a large amount of business to attend to, none of which I understood; and many people to see, and to deal with; the Bishop, the steward, the king’s lieutenant, the Parliament, the garrison staff. You know what horror I have always entertained for visits of any sort, and above all for those of grand people. Well! none of these have given me any alarm; in God I hope to find a remedy for everything, and I feel a confidence in divine Providence which enables me to surmount all difficulties. Besides this I enjoy peace and tranquillity in the midst of a thousand cares and anxieties, such as I should have imagined ought naturally to overwhelm me. It is true that what most contributes to produce this great peace is, that God has rendered my soul impervious to fear, and I desire nothing for this short and miserable life. Therefore, when I have done all in my power or that I felt before God that I ought to do, I leave the rest to Him, abandoning everything entirely and with my whole heart to divine Providence, blessing Him beforehand for all things and wishing in all, and above all, that His holy will may be done because I am convinced by faith and by numerous personal experiences that all comes from God, and that He is so powerful and such a good father, that He will cause everything to prosper for the advantage of His dear children. Has He not proved that He loves us more than life itself since He has sacrificed His life for love of us? Therefore, as He has done so much for love of us, are we not convinced that He will not forget us? I entreat you, then, not to worry about me and my affairs. Do the same that I have constrained myself to do. Directly I have taken measures before God and according to His will I leave all the rest to Him, and look to Him for success. I wait for this success with confidence, but also in peace; and whatever takes place I accept, not for the satisfaction of my impatient desires, but keeping pace with divine Providence, who rules and arranges all for our greater good, although generally we do not understand any of His ways. And how can we dare to judge Him, poor ignorant creatures as we are, and blind as the moles that burrow underground.
Let us accept all from the hand of our good Father and He will keep us in peace in the midst of the greatest disasters of this world, which pass away like shadows. In proportion to our abandonment and confidence in God will our lives be holy and tranquil. Also where this abandonment is neglected there can be no virtue, nor any perfect rest...
Now, if we're in the habit of reading solid spiritual works that provide us with such counsel, you might imagine how this can help us when we face anxiety and stress at work.
As with our prayer and meditation, you don't have to read spiritual works on the job. But you may find that the habit of reading spiritual works - like the habit of prayer and the habit of meditation - will help you deal with anxiety and stress when they stick their noses under the tent while you're slaving away on the job. Our Holy Catholic Church has been blessed with solid spiritual works throughout it's history, so where to begin? Well, we won't even attempt to provide a list or survey here. But there is one whose very title gets right to the point: Abandonment to Divine Providence.
Father Jean Pierre de Caussade authored this wonderful collection of spiritual counsel in the 18th century. Much of it consists of specific instruction and letters written to his spiritual charges - frequently nuns. So, yeah, it's that old and it's not written for us men plying our trade in the modern world. But with a little patience, attention, and imagination, you'll find it provides advice specifically applicable to whatever sort of work you do.
In this letter, Father describes his own response to an assignment he was recently given. He didn't want the job, but had to take it. Worse, it seems neither his experience, knowledge, or skills was up to the task - or at least he thought so at first. Simply put, he was stressed out.
If we take our time with this, we'll see why he could easily be in a state of anxiety and stress. we'll also see exactly why he's not. And the reason he's not anxious or stressed out will provide each of us with a way to better handle the anxiety and stress we face at times, not only at work, but in any circumstance of our lives. The title contains the theme of the letter : Peace in Turmoil. (The use of bold is mine.)
What I have always feared has come to pass. I have no power to refuse a charge that is contrary to all my predilections and for which I do not believe myself to have any aptitude. In vain have I groaned, prayed, implored, and offered to remain all my life in the vicariate of Toulouse: I have been compelled to make the sacrifice—one of the greatest of my whole life. But now I see plainly the hand of Providence. The sacrifice having been made and reiterated a hundred times God has taken from me all my former repugnance, so that I left the mother-house, which you know how much I loved, with a peace and liberty of spirit which astonished even myself. More still! When I arrived at Perpignan I found a large amount of business to attend to, none of which I understood; and many people to see, and to deal with; the Bishop, the steward, the king’s lieutenant, the Parliament, the garrison staff. You know what horror I have always entertained for visits of any sort, and above all for those of grand people. Well! none of these have given me any alarm; in God I hope to find a remedy for everything, and I feel a confidence in divine Providence which enables me to surmount all difficulties. Besides this I enjoy peace and tranquillity in the midst of a thousand cares and anxieties, such as I should have imagined ought naturally to overwhelm me. It is true that what most contributes to produce this great peace is, that God has rendered my soul impervious to fear, and I desire nothing for this short and miserable life. Therefore, when I have done all in my power or that I felt before God that I ought to do, I leave the rest to Him, abandoning everything entirely and with my whole heart to divine Providence, blessing Him beforehand for all things and wishing in all, and above all, that His holy will may be done because I am convinced by faith and by numerous personal experiences that all comes from God, and that He is so powerful and such a good father, that He will cause everything to prosper for the advantage of His dear children. Has He not proved that He loves us more than life itself since He has sacrificed His life for love of us? Therefore, as He has done so much for love of us, are we not convinced that He will not forget us? I entreat you, then, not to worry about me and my affairs. Do the same that I have constrained myself to do. Directly I have taken measures before God and according to His will I leave all the rest to Him, and look to Him for success. I wait for this success with confidence, but also in peace; and whatever takes place I accept, not for the satisfaction of my impatient desires, but keeping pace with divine Providence, who rules and arranges all for our greater good, although generally we do not understand any of His ways. And how can we dare to judge Him, poor ignorant creatures as we are, and blind as the moles that burrow underground.
Let us accept all from the hand of our good Father and He will keep us in peace in the midst of the greatest disasters of this world, which pass away like shadows. In proportion to our abandonment and confidence in God will our lives be holy and tranquil. Also where this abandonment is neglected there can be no virtue, nor any perfect rest...
Now, if we're in the habit of reading solid spiritual works that provide us with such counsel, you might imagine how this can help us when we face anxiety and stress at work.
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