How To Rock Your Career Without Sacrificing Your Marriage
In a story quite like the Buddha's, Brett Jones dismantled a $400 million empire to seek the enlightenment of true love.
He personified the most hated trope of modern-day privilege: a young, cisgender white man with the invisible hand of finance ruling his life. He spent 10 years building a business focused on making more money while admittedly "lying, cheating and sleeping around;" and then, somewhat subconsciously, he destroyed it all.
The fast-paced gambling in the million-dollar marketplace took it's toll. Jones sought to acquire a $100 million asset although his business savvy urged him to be wary of an impending economic downturn. His business collapsed.
Then, much like Siddhartha did before he became the Buddha, Jones disrobed from his princely executive attire and went to sit under the bhodi tree of travel. He set sail around the world to places like Sri Lanka, Egypt and the Cocos Islands nestled in the Indian Ocean near his homeland of Australia.
He and a friend had daydreamed of sipping cocktails on a boat docked at a deserted island, after the collapse, and what came of that vision was a four year journey of spiritual studies including sacred texts like the Gita, the Bible, the Koran and the Tao Te Ching.
When he emerged, he took on the name Onji, an ancient word symbolizing the system of counting phonetic sounds in Japanese poetry much like his birth name Jones brings to mind the accounting of the U.S. stock market, known as Dow.
He got married. And he built a new business, this time one that is generous in sharing the knowledge he learned on his sails. This time, one that he works on with his wife, Marie.
The Awakened Revolution, is a series of events and trainings for business people to realize how to stay true to themselves in today's world. He's authored a book, The Awaken, and filmed a documentary for his followers. The curriculum of his spiritual teachings is now based on this singular code, and shows people how to create wealth and a kingdom that heralds family first.
It's not so much about expansion as it is about appreciating the value in what you already have.
Onji sat with UWM to give us insight on his daily practices and why men, in particular, need these lessons.
UWM: What balance does marriage offer to your business life?
Onji: A base of love from which to give purpose to my work, a partnership in sharing the load, and an outside perspective.
Ah yes. And vice versa, what balance does business add to your marriage?
Sharing the journey with each other. Talking, discussing and working together for a common path and journey.
What is one thing you do everyday for your marriage?
Talk and communicate with each other with real presence. Presence from a man is essential to correct communication. This lack of knowing what a man is, in today's world, is the major cause of marriage and relationship breakdown.
Most men operate from a place of "boy," and most women are aware of this but don’t know what to do about it.
This is the feminine "state" for men, and causes women to move to the "masculine" state to operate in the relationship, causing them to feel they are carrying the emotional load of the relationship and family. Hence they feel constantly tired and unfulfilled.
This process of cause and effect is structural to our universe and how we, as men and women are built and can be observed when we "wake up."
Do you attend to your business everyday (holidays, weekends)? If yes, what is one thing you do everyday for business?
No, we have set times when we attend to business. Part of the code is to use the Shield and have structure to how one’s life is operated that brings harmony. Essentially, a direct application of the Tao.
How is this code different from what other masters have written?
Clarified and applicable to the current breakdown of the family. This lack of harmony at a family level has repercussions at the societal level, that are obvious in the symptoms that now show up: SAD -- Stress, Anxiety and Depression -- our three greatest plagues of current CULT-ure.
You also attribute your martial arts practice as part of your wellness code, what is one thing that you do everyday for your own mind/body?
Know what to eat to nourish my body, mind and spirit and exercise to enhance the flow of chi within my body. Current CULT-ure dictates a food system that is corrupt and dictated by profit rather than sustenance.
What may we expect from the next event?
A complete and radical awakening to move beyond CULT-ure and ones own egoic story of “Me.”
Win a free entry to the Ignite Awakening event in Los Angeles, March 15th to the 17th, worth $1,995 by clicking here.
