Your Work and Career Shadow Beliefs - The Shadow Effect Week 5

Week 5: Your Work and Career Shadow Beliefs

Oprah.com | May 31, 2010

When it comes to your work life and your career, what would you like to change? Are you staying at a job that's below your skill level? Do you gossip too much about your co-workers and your boss? Debbie Ford guides you to become more aware of how your shadow behaviors are affecting your career and what you can do to rediscover your passion.

Are you struggling with repetitive patterns or bad habits that don't serve you? Are you tempted to keep secrets or hide parts of your work life? Are you harshly judging yourself or being overly critical of your co-workers? Are you gossiping or doing things at work that you wouldn't want your boss to find out about? Are any of these things happening to you in your job? These shadow behaviors in the area of work and career, informed by your early programming and experiences, can literally take you down a path where you are left unfulfilled and dispassionate.

This week in The Shadow Effect Breakthrough Program, you will begin to uncover what drives you and what stops you, what thrills you and what keeps you stuck in the patterns of your past. This is the week to unleash your passion, to remember why you do what you do, to reclaim the gifts that you can bring to the world and to reconnect to the passion and purpose that are your birthright.

Focus on Your Work and Career Issues

Are you ready to examine your life with the intention of identifying some of your shadow behaviors? If so, find a quiet place to listen to the podcast. Keep a pen and paper nearby to take notes for self-reflection and growth, using the worksheet provided. Remember, as you begin to face the blocks that have been holding you back, that it's important to be kind to yourself and drop any self-judgment. You are doing deep work that will reward you in ways you have only imagined.

Work and career is the last section on the life wheel that you'll examine. Open up to the opportunity and contribution that you are in this world. Bring into your awareness your work and your career as they exist right now.

Are you excited and passionate about the work you do? Or is there something lacking? What would you like to change? How long have you been thinking about making changes? What are your shadow behaviors around your work? What takes away your happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment in the area of your work and career? Envision what your professional life would be like if you loved what you did each day and were present and fulfilled in each task. Then, make the necessary breakthrough actions to honor and love yourself in this area of your life.

Listen to the work and career podcast.

Download and print out the worksheet.

Use the time this week to listen to the visualization podcast, review the worksheet and share your comments on your progress with the Oprah.com community or with the Shadow Effect Facebook group Debbie Ford has created to support you throughout the plan.

Explore More on the Shadow:
What is the shadow?
Can you identify the shadow working in your life? Take the quiz!
What to expect from The Shadow Effect plan
Watch The Shadow Effect movie trailer

Discover how to live your divine plan—watch now!

Try the shadow trick exercise

Debbie Ford is the New York Times best-selling author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers and The Secret of the Shadow. Her other national best-selling books include The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse, The Right Questions, Spiritual Divorce and The Best Year of Your Life. She collaborated with Deepak Chopra and Marianne Williamson for their book, The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self (HarperOne). She is the founder of the Ford Institute for Transformational Training. Visit her online at DebbieFord.com.

Printed from Oprah.com on Saturday, May 25, 2013