Have you ever read a book that changed your life? A book that spoke to every weary corner of your wounded spirit, that saw you and spoke directly to you? The book that hit me like that is Your Caring Heart by Dr. Jaiya John. And I had the incredible privilege of having Dr. Jaiya on the Leaving Well podcast to talk about Caring Hearts (aka anyone who has a “helping” job) and how to take care of those hearts in the workplace.

It was an entire word! A sermon for spiritual wellness. I recommend listening to the full episode, because it’ll give you goosebumps in the best way. But I also wrote an article as a companion to the interview, focusing specifically on Dr. Jaiya’s teachings on mutual care within organizations and how to cultivate a living organism of culture.

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In the article, you’ll read about:

• Dr. Jaiya’s social-psychological work inside workplaces, where he noticed a consistent decline in employee optimism and wellbeing.
• A new (and very old) paradigm of mutuality and symbiosis with nature, informed by centuries of indigenous teachings.
• How the stories we tell in the workplace shape the living organism of company culture–whether those stories are positive or negative.
• The perspective of tending our organization’s stories, teams, and culture like a garden.
• Dr. Jaiya’s encouragement for tender hearts struggling to find meaning as current events keep coming at us with no end in sight.

It’s literally a balm for caring spirits. I hope it soothes your soul like it did mine.

​Read the article here.

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Listen to episode 70 of the Leaving Well Podcast: Dr. Jaiya John on Leaving Well and Storytelling as a Garden During Transitions.

Over to you now, what's a book that's changed your life (or your perspective on something)? Hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear more about your favorite books!