New attitudes to work

I moved to Auroville in January 2018, and as a Newcomer I must admit I am still adapting to this very special place. While exploring different working places and activities, and trying to create a more conscious lifestyle, I find myself getting rid of many old conditionings in the way I used to conceive of work as the main activity and outer goal of my life. I’m welcoming and creating not only brand new possibilities in this field, but also a very new concept of what work means. 

When you are facing a new reality – specially one so unique as Auroville – you need to apply your discernment with caution to find the right balance between being humble and flexible enough to drop your preconceptions and surrender to the journey, but at the same time being courageous and sincere enough to stick to your truth and values, even when they may be in conflict with the reality that you perceive around you.

Being in some sort of in-between state (not feeling part of that “other society” anymore, but not yet being officially part of this one) can be tricky, but it can also be an advantage. I can observe and choose which things I want to put in practice, and which toxic ideas and behaviours must be transformed.

In terms of work, there are some beautiful new ways that Auroville has shown me for which I’m deeply grateful. For example, colleagues and co-workers will treat you in a much more human and equal way than in any other place. You are genuinely allow to put your physical, mental and spiritual health first, and take the time you need to attend to other big priorities in your life, such as buying your basics, moving house, or even taking a  retreat for a few weeks if you feel you need it. 

It is a very flexible environment in terms of hours and timings, and you are allowed to design the schedule that meets your needs. You are also encouraged to do your best without being so attached to the final result. All this makes it a much more open, playful and conscious environment than the rigidity of the achievement-based mentality prevalent in my country of origin, Chile. 

In fact, taking a full week off to attend a workshop that you are interested in would be totally inconceivable there and I’m sure in many other countries too. But not in Auroville, where the aim is far from the capitalist style of “taking as much as possible while  paying the least ''. 

However, as I worked in different units and projects, I came to understand that achieving human unity in diversity requires a tremendous effort as it involves accepting all the differences, backgrounds, talents, styles and personalities for the sake of manifesting something together.

Yet, does that mean that everyone is equally qualified to make certain decisions or to hold certain roles, especially when some of them require professional knowledge? Maybe not.

I think that qualified professionals are needed in Auroville. Especially when we need to interact and communicate with the outer world with credibility. Professionals should provide useful methods, techniques and procedures to facilitate organisation and make processes more efficient.  At the same time there is a danger of assuming that someone with a degree will do a better job than someone who doesn’t have one.

After six years of studies, I can say that even if all the theory, practice and experience acquired in the journey has been quite useful, to be a good professional is not necessarily dependent upon having a diploma. There are many colleagues with the same diploma that I have that I wouldn’t choose to work with. Not because they don’t have certain skills but because their level of consciousness would make our collaboration very difficult and disharmonious. 

At the same time, I’ve been amazed by many Aurovilians who, without any formal studies in their fields, have achieved amazing results. Driven by their passion and commitment, these people are embodying the idea that Auroville is a big university, and that nothing teaches you better than constant experience and discipline.  

So what is the real qualification needed to be part of the experiment of Auroville, if nobody really cares about your diploma, your country, or even your background? Maybe even more than professional experience, what is really required from everyone in Auroville is to remain present and sincere enough to channel something higher. It is an attitude which says, “Are you going to take it personally if we have some disagreement or are you going to prioritize the creation that we are manifesting together?”

We may have different opinions and be different on a human level, but in the spiritual level we are the same. The more I value and respect you, the more I value and respect myself.  Maybe ego will always be there, but it is enough if you recognise that is not you and decide to remember the no-separation reality each time you feel triggered. 

Embracing a more feminine way 

We are coming from a world that addresses professionalism and work in a masculine way: as productivity and outcomes. I feel it is the time to embrace a more feminine way now. One that is not only focused on  action, tasks, achievements, goals and results but more importantly, focused on fully embracing the joy of doing in the present moment. With patience, love and compassion. 

Every time that work feels like a burden, it is because we have disconnected ourselves from the source and from this truth, so we need to help each other to remember so we can become playful again. The way to measure success shouldn’t be any longer how productive, efficient and profitable you are. This mindset can be replaced with how much you enjoy being in the present moment with whatever you are doing. We need to help each other more actively and remember that there’s a big natural satisfaction in sharing, not because “we have to” but because we genuinely feel there’s no separation:  “I don’t want anything for myself that I don’t want for you too.”

Does that mean that we forget about productivity, that we don’t aspire for good results anymore? No. The call is actually to integrate a new state. We are not machines serving anything outside ourselves but we are serving the divine within. 

A new kind of discipline could emerge on the way: a strong commitment to stay present, to stay honest with your mission, to stay courageous enough to express yourself freely without the fear of being rejected and to set healthy boundaries with transparency. 

Despite the fact the inner work that you do is not officially being taken into consideration as work in Auroville, this may be the very reason why we are all here: to transform the consciousness so deeply that the very concept of work will be pointless, because at the end we won’t feel any separation between who we are inside and what we do outside; there will be just a constant flowing of bliss.  

Finally, I dream of a powerful new combination, the beautiful higher aspiration of uplifting consciousness along with professionally applied strategies, because I feel there’s a need to integrate both worlds. Once we do that we can say that the ‘Aurovilian Way’ is an example of a new form of professionalism. 

Valentina is a 28 year young filmmaker, photographer and dancer from Chile. She joined Auroville as a Newcomer in 2018 and has been directing and editing videos and documentaries for different units and projects.