Dr. Howard Cutler and His Holiness the Dalai Lama first teamed up in 1998 to write The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Millions snatched up the instruction manual for inner development. Now they’ve teamed up again to apply those principles to one of the biggest sources of stress and anxiety: work.
Cutler began his series of conversations about money, careers and coworker conflicts by asking the Dalai Lama to define his job. The answer was surprising: "Nothing. I do nothing." Pressed further, the Dalai Lama answered, "I just look after myself, just take care of myself." The exiled monk’s busy schedule would indicate otherwise, but that serene, simple attitude is at the heart of the new collaboration, The Art of Happiness at Work.
More a story than a business text, the book discusses relevant issues like dissatisfaction at work, dealing with the "human factor" and finding the right balance of challenge and boredom. Don’t be fooled; training the mind, changing your outlook on life and cultivating a wider perspective are tough human endeavors. But don’t let that stop you from treating stressed-out friends to this helpful roadmap for finding peace at work. Stephanie Swilley is studying for her M.B.A. at Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management.
