I have chosen to stop watching the news on TV. I skip thru the mudslinging on Facebook and when reading the newspaper I only read factual headlines. I can’t handle the anger anymore. It doesn’t add value to my life. To counter that I am being more conscious of being one with my heart.
Being one with my heart can pose a challenge at work. I was taught not to show emotion. This time of year I spend a lot of time at work. About 80% of our annual compliance work is done in the first 3 months of the year and every project has a deadline with penalties if we do not meet it. With the time crunch, changing technology and new tax laws it is easy to forget that we are working with people and not just numbers. If I don’t pay attention I can miss the many wonderful things that happen during the next few months.
Being one with my heart can have a very positive impact on my work relationships. Every day I get a chance to catch up with those we serve. Some I only see once a year. To take full advantage of that opportunity, I need to slow down and be in the moment. I learn about new grandchildren, the struggles starting a new business and their success of having one take off. Behind every tax return is a family or a business family.
I can also be one with my heart by counting my blessings. I start each day writing six things that I am grateful for. It is a blessing how the staff pulls together to get everything done. With laughter, respect and care for each other the days speed by. Every year I strive to improve our process by learning more about the technology we use, finding new ways to improve our client experience and ideas on how to make it easier on staff. By being one with my heart I can add the warm touches.
My favorite way to be one with my heart is to “love what you do.” Even on the toughest days, I can find something in my job that touches my heart. Think of it this way…
Once there were three tax preparers. Each one of them was asked what they were doing.
The first one answered gruffly, ‘I’m entering data.”
The second one replied, ‘I’m preparing a tax return. And I have 10 more to complete yet.”
But the third accountant said enthusiastically and with pride, ‘” I am preparing the return, so the taxpayer can go forward and do what they love to do.”
Same job, different perspective.
If we change our focus to be one with our heart – maybe, just maybe there would be more peace and joy in our world.
By Mary Guldan-Lindstrom, CPA
