Chaos in the Workplace

This day’s work had its share of chaos. We had a very tight deadline to meet today, and there was a kind of mad dash to ensure that the report would be completed on time before 4 pm. Things were happening so fast, mainly because everyone had different ideas about what should be done to handle the problem most effectively. I normally feel quite determined in these situations to do the very best and achieve a good result from the problem, but a part of me also felt carried along by the situation. I almost started to feel that no matter what the outcome would be, all of us are bound to fall below whatever expectations we were harboring inside. 2 per cent became 1 per cent.

When I described this situation during the group practice tonight, the Venerable mentioned that a good attitude is to allow the mind to fully relax so that the best solution can naturally arise. When all people in the workplace have agitated minds, they tend to shoot off the first solution that comes to mind, without realizing all the impacts or what would be most helpful. Of course, it is hard to achieve the relaxed and clear mind all the time, but the Venerable’s example reminds me that it is possible.

I think that one useful way of looking at it is almost the opposite: namely, to say that from a relative point of view, there are never any perfect or ‘ultimate’ solutions, even though problems often get posed in such a way that one would expect a perfect solution. I think what the Venerable suggests is somewhat of a paradox. As soon as a person lets go of the need to find a perfect solution or answer to a complex problem, their mind becomes clear enough to find ‘good enough’ answers to problems. But the interesting thing to me is that ‘good enough’ never comes from the things themselves and the way they present themselves to us. Rather, the ‘good enough’ always comes from one’s own state of mind. If my mind is agitated in trying to pursue a particular solution to a problem, I am not likely to see any outcome as satisfying, no matter what kinds of thought I put into it. But if I am aware that the mind is always perfect equanimity, then there is no strong desire to attach to one solution or ultimate truth. In that sense, the mind is more flexible to take on multiple possibilities, depending on the conditions of the sentient beings. What I am suggesting as well is that the ‘good enough’ comes from adjusting the tendency to attach to perfect answers, and to see the wisdom and perfection found in the present moment.

Sometimes, one needs to go through a situation where solutions kind of ‘exhaust themselves’ before one can really let go and see that both perfections and imperfections have the same source in mind.  At that point, I suppose that all the solutions possible can yield both perfections and imperfections, and there is no need to cling to one over others.