Almost two years ago, I received a phone call out of the blue from a dear friend who works at Sounds True Publishing. She runs the events division, and they needed immediate help with selling the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, which is taught by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. She offered that I could work part time, earn some extra money, and see what it was like to work on the business side of spirituality. As an avid follower of Sounds True for well over ten years, I saw (and still see) this company as the pinnacle of integrity when it comes to disseminating spiritual wisdom. The opportunity was too good to pass up. I put much of my own business on hold in order to take this job and learn as much as I could.
After about nine months working part time for Sounds True, while continuing to see my private counseling clients, I was exhausted yet truly grateful. I had the pleasure of meeting Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach in person, as well as interacting with many of their beautiful students. I also worked with a team to put on multiple Eckhart Tolle retreats— one of them resulting in an incredible trip to Greece! Meeting Eckhart and his wife, Kim Eng, in person was very enlightening. I’m grateful to share that my respect for all these teachers continues after seeing “behind the scenes” with event production and business management. It’s a phenomenal commitment these well-known teachers have made to their own spiritual path. Their positive impact on the world is unquantifiable, and I feel honored to have served each of their visions for a more conscious human community.
That said, working at Sounds True changed me in remarkable ways. I can see how I still put certain spiritual teachers on a pedestal above my own spiritual development. As much as I could intellectually tell myself that all these teachers are simply humans, there was a power in being so intimately involved with the grounded work of event production that allowed me to look through a new, more integrated lens. It feels unfair to me now that we put any teacher, writer, or philosopher in an elevated perspective compared to ourselves. I think of the adage, “What goes up must come down.”
Another major impact of my job at Sounds True was understanding the massive team of professionals that are involved with spiritual teachers at the scale of Eckhart, Jack, or Tara. From a place of ignorance, I imagined that perhaps these big names were so well known because they truly were more enlightened than the rest of us! While I do feel that many of us have chosen these teachers because of their wisdom, I also now understand that certain teachers have the dharma to operate at such a global scale. This life purpose means that they receive tremendous support from a publishing company such as Sounds True that is filled with experts in their various fields. No single entrepreneur, therapist, philosopher, or author will ever be able to compete on their own with someone that is working with a giant team of people. One person simply cannot do everything on their own!
Both these life lessons— the humanity of spiritual teachers along with their use of extensive teams of support— ultimately provided a big confidence boost for me. When one goes to the bookstore or takes a course from a teacher, it is easy to overlook these principles. In fact, the business aspect of spirituality often acts to intentionally hide these truths. It isn’t through a lack of integrity, but instead it’s due to acting in accordance with what most people are looking for. As humans, we want to believe there are enlightened beings that walk among us that can effortlessly catalyze followers around the world. It gives us hope that we can truly overcome the pain of the human condition. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your perspective), it’s inaccurate to believe that anyone has overcome their own humanity and all the challenges that come along with that. While this may be disappointing at first (or let’s be real— heartbreaking!!), it ultimately becomes the greatest source of freedom. It gives you complete permission to love and accept yourself just as you are— the enlightened parts and… everything else. :)
Learning the above lessons (along with many others!) at Sounds True has been very beneficial for my work with clients. While it took time away from my writing and creative work (i.e. not sending as many newsletters) to serve at Sounds True, I know that it was a side step that has made me better at what I do. Whenever I learn and grow, I’m able to pass that knowledge along to my clients. After five years of my own counseling practice, I feel even more committed to serving to the special souls that find their way to my office. Thank you all for witnessing my journey and please let me know if anything in this blog touches on something for you!
Many blessings,
Kelley