I have to admit I’ve never been very good at planning for this ahead of time, but it occurred to me that this week, Monday, September 12 actually, marks Heart of Business’ 21st anniversary.
Twenty-one years in business is far longer than I imagined I’d be doing this, and still loving it.
I remember the very first person I worked with, before this thing “Heart of Business” existed. A friend of ours, Corva, who was an organic gardener where we lived in Oakland, California needed help. She helped us with our garden, and I helped her think through some of her business needs.
It was all so joyful, and I was surprised by how much she was helped. And our garden was beautiful.🙂
Then, after I was deep into the Sufi healership training, I ran a group with my first exploration of integrating the Sufi spiritual work with business practices. I called it, “An exploration into Holiness in Business.” Hah! A terrible name, but I still somehow managed to have a small handful of people, including a friend we’re still in touch with.
So many different iterations, groups, classes, things I tried. And looking back, I see the themes that have never left.
Love is central to everything. Everything.
Safety is a deep, legitimate need.
We all try to do too much, way more than our actual capacity. Do less.
Business desperately needs healing, and the injustice present in it is so painful.
Healing is absolutely possible. There are ways to thrive, and they are all based in love.
I have such a deep appreciation for my wife Holly Glaser, who is my partner in this work, and my best friend and love. I also have deep appreciation for my guide, the late sheikh Sidi Muhammad al Jamal ar-Rifa’i ash-Shadhili, who helped my heart break open to the profound love we are all immersed in.
And boundless gratitude to all the folks who have worked with me on the team within Heart of Business over the years, and all of our clients who have brought their vulnerability and trust to us, and all of my friends and colleagues and teachers who have cheered us on, spread the word, supported the work.
My heart doesn’t want to leave anyone out, and this is not the place for the extensive list of names and hearts…
So, let’s celebrate!
If you want to celebrate this momentous birthday with me, here are a few ideas:
- Give an unexpected gift to someone. Bonus points if they don’t know it’s you. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, it could be the simplicity of a hand-written card, except it should be extravagantly joyful.
- If you can, donate to a cause that addresses inequity. Bonus points if you give slightly less money to the organization, and use the difference to send a gift to the staff people who are doing the work. Chocolate? Flowers?
- Plant a native perennial food-bearing tree, or bush, or whatever is appropriate for where you live. It doesn’t have to be property you live on, it could be just planting it out in nature near you.
- Whatever is in your heart to do, do that. Be extraordinarily kind to yourself.
Thank you for being a part of this amazing twenty-one year journey. Allahu akbar! (Meaning: the Divine Source is amazing! Even more than that!)
with love and appreciation,
Mark Silver, M.Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can absolutely freakin’ be an act of love.
