Mind Your Business: Three Antidotes to Professional Suffering

by Shannon Bond

Welcome to the next installment of the three poisons in professional life and their antidote. You can read the first article here. It’s important to note that mindfulness and other practices are deeply personal and experimenting with what works is highly recommended. Now, let’s get back to Sarah’s consulting journey.

For years, Sarah was a highly successful business consultant known for her sharp strategies and ability to close deals. But behind the veneer of professional success, she felt a deep dissatisfaction. Long hours and constant pressure had taken a toll on her mental and emotional well-being. She often found herself grappling with negative emotions that she couldn’t quite name but which increasingly interfered with her happiness and relationships. The satisfaction she craved in each new project or promotion was fleeting.

Everything changed after a fateful performance review. While Sarah’s manager praised her for her financial performance, she could not look past the long wake of chaos left in her path. Relationships with colleagues were strained; one quit, and others refused to work with her because of her demanding nature. This was her awakening, the moment she could finally see the three poisons: greed, anger, ignorance, and the root of her suffering. Little did she know that her first steps into awakening would guide her to the three antidotes: generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom.

The Three Poisons in Sarah’s Career

The first poison, greed, manifested as Sarah’s relentless ambition. She chased success at any cost, driven by the desire for more money, recognition, and power. While this pursuit earned her accolades and a high salary, it left her feeling empty. No matter how much she achieved, it was never enough. Sarah realized that greed had consumed her, making her blind to what truly mattered—her own well-being, relationships, and sense of purpose.

The second poison, anger, showed up as frustration and impatience, particularly when things didn’t go her way. She often snapped at her colleagues, blamed others for failures, and harbored resentment when clients didn’t appreciate her efforts. Anger clouded her judgment, isolating her from her peers and creating a cycle of negativity.

The third poison, ignorance, represented Sarah’s disconnection from herself and the world around her. She was stuck in the belief that material gains, successes, and job titles were the only measure of success. Her ignorance trapped her in a cycle of dissatisfaction as she clung to illusions of happiness.

The Awakening: Discovering Generosity, Loving-Kindness, and Wisdom

After coming to terms with her behavior, she slowly awakened to the Three Antidotes: generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom.

Generosity

The antidote to greed, generosity, taught Sarah to give without expecting anything in return. She began offering more of her time and energy to others—not just in her work but also in her personal life. Whether mentoring a struggling colleague, volunteering for a cause, or simply listening to a friend in need, Sarah found joy in giving. Her relationships deepened, and she discovered that true wealth came not from hoarding success but from sharing it.

This shift transformed her approach to her career. Instead of seeing clients as dollar signs, she focused on how her work could benefit them. Her professional relationships improved, and her passion for consulting was reignited. She realized that helping others succeed brought far more satisfaction than chasing accolades.

Loving-Kindness

To counteract her anger, Sarah cultivated loving-kindness—a practice of unconditional compassion for herself and others. She learned to approach her emotions with mindfulness, softening her reactions to difficult situations. Instead of letting frustration dictate her actions, she practiced patience and empathy with herself and her colleagues. Taking a centering breath during a challenging conversation or a five-minute walk before continuing helped her find perspective and distance from a tense situation.

Sarah’s workplace became less of a battlefield and more of a space for collaboration. She forgave herself for past mistakes and extended the same grace to others, fostering a more harmonious environment. There was mutual respect and understanding where there had been tension and resentment.

Wisdom

Wisdom was the antidote to Sarah’s ignorance. She began to see life with greater clarity, realizing that success, as she had once defined it, was an illusion. She understood that no amount of money or recognition could fill the void she felt. True wisdom, she learned, was about understanding the impermanent nature of life and career. The key was to embrace what matters—connections with her colleagues, kindness, and growing together. In twenty years, she might remember a project or two, maybe an award, but mostly, she would remember the people she worked with and the shared effort, teamwork, and camaraderie.

Through wisdom, Sarah broke free from the mental patterns that kept her dissatisfied. She became more present, finding joy in simple moments rather than constantly striving for more. She aligned her business decisions with her values instead of letting fear or ambition take over.

A New Way Forward

Sarah’s journey wasn’t a quick fix. It took time, effort, and many moments of self-doubt. But she emerged with a renewed sense of purpose through mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness. Today, Sarah still works as a consultant, but her approach is entirely different. She has overcome the poison of greed, anger, and ignorance by embracing the three antidotes of generosity, loving-kindness, and wisdom. She no longer defines herself by her successes or failures. Instead, she focuses on how she can serve others, grow through challenges, and cultivate joy in everyday life.

Finding Your Practice

As an inspiring example for anyone feeling lost in their career, Sarah’s journey shows that no matter how far we stray, it’s always possible to return to a path of peace and fulfillment. However, everyone’s path is different, and there are many ways to find balance, and each leads to more wisdom. There is mindfulness meditation, which focuses on breathing and centering oneself in the moment. This can be practiced for a few minutes throughout the day before a stressful meeting or conference or whenever needed. Think of it as medicine for the moment.

To cultivate compassion and deep, active listening, loving-kindness meditation may work best. This also can be practiced throughout the day by taking a moment, closing your eyes, and picturing those around you in a positive way, sending loving-kindness and peace. This is a proven way to help calm the nerves and increase compassion. Practice can be applied in the moment or as part of a regular sitting or walking routine. It depends on the person, situation, and need. A good place to start is with an article in the Harvard Business Review entitled “Research: When Mindfulness Does — and Doesn’t — Help at Work.”

Keep in mind that mindfulness isn’t just about finding our center and increasing compassion; it can also help improve performance. For instance, Lindsey D. Cameron and Andrew Hafenbrack, the article authors, state that “Research has shown that mindfulness can both help you innovate and provide an extra cognitive boost that may give you an edge before a big exam, the launch of a challenging project, or important events such as fundraising presentations, major sales calls, or legal trials. Rather than following a generic, arbitrary schedule, strategically deploying mindfulness at crucial moments like these can be incredibly powerful.”