The four functions we all have to perform

About 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to write and publish a book. It is still my only published material, in Spanish (El Camino hacia el Autoliderazgo) and Portuguese (Vencendo Limites).

Apart from the amazing experience of writing a book, what I enjoyed mostly was the possibility of understanding my life and processing whatever I have got in all these years. It was the chance I was wanted to really comprehend myself, my environment and the people linked to me.

Out of that came the idea of the four functions. In my mind, every person has four functions in life to be fulfilled and the perfect balance is when all that happens fully. Imbalance comes when I focus too much in one of the functions and avoid, or I am incapable of performing the remaining ones.

A week ago, I've posted a practical application for that, but here is the theory behind it:

• Production. This is the function we value more than any other. We are measured and valued by our productivity in life, which can be at work or by being a good mother. It is using this function that we measure our success in life and although it is really an important one, it is not the only one.
• Processing. After the production, it is good to make time for processing that. That means reflect, contemplate or meditate upon whatever has happened. Perhaps it is about your meeting with your doctor or your new chosen spiritual path. Processing helps people to identify patterns and to extract the best from their experiences. It also helps when bad things happen, enabling the individual to put a full stop to the situation and move on.
• Awareness Expansion. Then it comes this incredible talent we all have. It is basically to experience what we did not experience. Yes, that is it! For instance, through processing you could realize that if you shout at your boss, he can stop helping you in your tasks. But, what would be the best way to treat him? Using reflection, contemplation or meditation, you make your awareness to expand and you realize how much tolerance you have - and that is exactly what your boss needs at this point!
• Sharing. It is the golden moment, when you are able to transform your production, which is normally identified as the life people acknowledge you live, into something useful for others. Sharing is a smile or hug, words of wisdom and advises. Sometimes, sharing means to let others be; other times, it means to correct them. No matter what, it comes from inside, as a direct fruit of an awareness that was expanded.

I find this a very powerful idea as it makes even the most ordinary moments, extraordinary.

It changes your life and makes you live a life that is beyond whatever you produce.