The Business of the Body

In the business of living, the body is a bottom line, a deal breaker, and a regulatory force. We have need of our body, but we build no relationship, generate no rapport. If I were an employer who drove my employees while disregarding their needs and desires, I would create resentment and alienation. This is poor business, and it is a impoverished stance.

By choosing an autocratic model, I would be missing a sense of community as well as without the loyalty and subtle benefits of that community. I would miss the opportunity to garner useful feedback, to be inspired by the joys and triumphs of my cohorts, and likely be blind to much useful data. The business person who choose one perspective and isolates himself is often bankrupt.

What if instead of a hierarchical, uni-directional flow of command, I choose a more flexible model? Looking beyond the body as the facility for all my enterprises, I can also see the body as a researcher, a developer, a trainer, a sales force, and an accountant. Each aspect is a contributor. By cultivating rich relationships, I create a healthy corporate culture- one where information is dispersed and effective action can be taken at the appropriate level.

This healthy culture avoids the paranoid limitations of the fortress mentality. Information passes freely onto and throughout the corporation. A full range of reports includes change and constancy. Noticing change allows recognition of trends before critical mass occurs. I can then position myself more effectively, identifying resources and making investments early to maximize my leverage. Simultaneously, by tracking constancy, I can keep my finger on the pulse that sustains me. Thus I avoid panic and the tendency to abandon the foundations of my success to date.

The current environment for the business of the body is a climate of fear. The antidote to that fear is a reasoned reassessment of assets, and a re-establishment of healthy working relationships. We can actively choose to become aware of new and ongoing opportunities and pitfalls. Choosing to invest in this progressive strategy will have a huge advantage.

When we remember that the body is the bottom line for life, the advantage of increased awareness becomes readily apparent. To quote Byron Katie “When I argue with reality I lose… But only 100% of the time.” Ignoring or discounting reality in the business of the body may not be a 100% loss, but it is still an unnecessary one.