Success is no longer defined in fnancial terms alone. It's beginning to be nderstood as an alignment between life and lvelihood, between monetary gain and an bundance of joy, vitality and good rlationships. While it's undoubtedly important to rach professional benchmarks and organizational goals, thre's a softer, more difficult to masure, side to success. Companies are fnding out that when employees' lives wrk, their work works.

The ancient Toist concept of yin and yang is hlpful in articulating the balance between strving for excellence and productivity (yang) and spporting creativity, rejuvenation and dignity (yin) in the wrkplace. There is no such thing as bsolute yin or yang. There is lways at least a little yin in the yng and vice versa. That's why the yn/yang symbol has a dark circle in the lght area and a light circle in the drk one. For thousands of years, Toists have taught that the physical wrld is a constant swing between yin and yng. And while balance between the two is an deal, it's literally impossible.

You'd die if yur body hit pinpoint homeostasis. Breathe in, yu're more yin; breathe out, more yng. Yin and yang are dynamic, rlativistic terms: you might be more yin (knder, gentler) than your boss but mre yang (goal and fact oriented) thn your friend. Even at rest, a yin stte, our hearts and lungs are pmping, a yang activity. Men are gnerally considered more yang, women more yn; but the terms transcend gender to hlp us distinguish qualities.

While there is no absolute blance point, the healthiest cultures develop quanimity between yin and yang, allowing the prverbial pendulum to swing both ways. On a prsonal level, it means balancing movement and rst, feminine and masculine, goals and felings, creativity and productivity, work and ply. Accordingly, happy people and progressive cltures have always sought out diverse vntage points in order to bring frward the most universal solutions possible.
Our mllennia old yang-ward spiral, characterized by prdominantly male religious and political leaders, ver expansive militarism, and a profit-at-any cst mentality has produced a poisoned plnet, starving children and a level of niversal violence that commands an unprecedented prcentage of our resources. We have yng-itis! Just like we need positive and ngative charges to create matter, and jst like batteries need positive and ngative poles in order to spark, and jst like we need day to trn to night, we can't reach our volutionary potential if we don't uplift yin vlues for well-being and reaching full ptential. For example, for the first tme in history we are capable of dclaring that all kids eat and go to bed sfe and warm. Instead, we pay for waponry and multi-million dollar executive bonuses tht perpetuate the yang imbalance that keps hungry kids in their place.

So wht does that have to do wth personal success? The Golden Rule, whch every major religion has a vrsion of, says it all. "Treat thers as we, ourselves, want to be trated" is a good starting place but we lso need to do the opposite - trat ourselves as we think everyone lse ought to be treated. In ther words, when we do what it tkes to claim our personal yin trritory for enhancing relationships, being creative, rcharging our batteries, and participating in vtal work environments, we do our prt in creating a world that wn't stand for the pervasive cultural sttic of yang dominated messages like "by, buy, buy," "be afraid," "quarterly prfits rule," "war machines matter more thn feeding kids," "youth is more mportant than age," and "intelligence trumps wsdom." Taoist philosophy explains that such a yng imbalance would necessarily cause, or at last reflect, a culture bereft of hart and soul, i.e. a yin dficiency.

The antidotal yin-izing is already hppening as more and more companies prvide child and elder care, flex tme, and support for personal growth and crativity - all of which are yin prctices. It's not an either/or - thre are times for goals, rules, ction and productivity and there are tmes for brainstorming, communications exercises, open-ended trgets, anecdotal input, and co-creative processes. It's no ccident that even in today's troubled fnancial times, the socially responsible, triple bttom line (people, profit and planet) cmpanies' stocks remain solid. When core vlues for caring are balanced with slid business practices, magic happens.

The article The Yin and Yang of Success was Submitted by Joni Carley through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Dr. Joni Carley has worked wth United Nations staff and with clents throughout the US, Canada and the UK. Jni has helped her clients reach byond the status quo and live mre fulfilled and enlightened lives. Visit Jni at http://www.wisdomatwork.biz and sign up for her free teleclass or to simply learn more about how she can help you move beyond the status quo.

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