One of the three prongs of Joe’s formula for business as spiritual practice is embracing intensity — going into the difficulty that presents itself rather than running away from it. In a business context, this means asking: What are the really hard questions? What are we trying to avoid? What’s got us scared? How are we not being courageous?
When a company or individual has chronic second-guessing, it signals an emotional experience being avoided. The intensity that needs embracing might be the fear of making a wrong decision, the discomfort of conflict, or the vulnerability of being wrong in front of others. Going toward that intensity — rather than managing around it — changes decision-making entirely.
“Every day things are going to go wrong. How are you going to let your ego dissolve in the face of things going wrong?”
This is also why business is “hard mode” for spiritual practice — there are constant distractions and emergencies pulling you away from the intense thing that actually needs attention.
Related Concepts
- Embrace intensity for transformation
- Conflict avoidance prevents evolution
- Do the uncomfortable thing first
- Business alignment and spiritual alignment are the same thing
- Embracing intensity means welcoming what’s already present, not manufacturing challenge